Problems of interpretation

North-South have reached a very poor contract. As so often, each of the two players considers that his partner is responsible for the accident. And you, what do you think?

Problem n°1

The facts:

A catastrophic result and a situation very similar to the one we encountered in this same column in a previous issue. West ruffed the lead of the Club King and quickly amassed ten tricks, while North-South could take thirteen tricks in a Club contract, even though the Grand Slam is unlikely to be bid or even contemplated.

Arguments:

North: “I thought your Double was for penalty, especially looking at my Spade void. What would you do with QJ109 in Spades and an Ace? Non-vulnerable, East can very well pre-empt at 4♠ with four trumps and a singleton.”

South: “Maybe, but that’s very unlikely. With 10-11H and no good natural bid I have to double to tell you that we are on the offense and to let you evaluate your cards. I understand your position, but we’ll have to define our competitive calls better for this kind of situation.”