North’s two-diamond response to South’s two-club opening showed a negative hand – fewer than seven points. East took the opportunity to make a lead-directing double. West, who might have led his singleton club to terrible effect for the defense, led the ten of diamonds and East quickly cashed two high diamonds and then led the eight of diamonds. The eight looked like a suit-preference signal for spades, although it is hard to see why East would want a spade shift rather than a club shift. Perhaps he judged that a spade shift was less likely to harm the defense. West ruffed the third diamond and duly shifted to a spade, South capturing East’s queen with his ace.
South cashed the ace and king of hearts. There was only one trump outstanding, due to West’s ruff, so South judged it safe to cash the ace of clubs and the king of spades. He ruffed his last spade with dummy’s jack of hearts, noting East’s discard, and then cashed the queen of hearts to draw the last trump.
The normal play in the club suit, holding nine cards in the combined hands, is to play off the ace and king, hoping for the queen to drop. East, however, had shown up with two spades, three hearts, and five diamonds. That meant that East had started with three clubs. Declarer led a club and confidently inserted his jack when East played low. Making four!
