Cy the Cynic continues to struggle with his weight, and the holidays are no help. Cy says that at two a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, he will set his bathroom scale back 15 pounds.
When you’re declarer, you get one chance; you don’t get a re-set. When Cy was declarer at today’s four spades, West led the jack of clubs. The Cynic played the three from dummy — and was happy he had when the king appeared from East.
Cy took the ace and led a trump, but West won and led the ten of clubs. East ruffed dummy’s queen, and West got his nine and eight at the end: down one.
FIRST CLUB
Cy blew his one (and only) chance. He did well to play low from dummy on the first club but must let East’s king win.
Suppose East shifts to a heart, and Cy wins and leads a trump. If West wins and leads a second club, dummy will play low, and even East ruffs, he will only be ruffing one of Cy’s club losers. Cy can play low from his hand and lose no more tricks — three in all.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S Q J 5 4 3 H A K D K 5 C A 7 5 2. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one spade, he rebids two diamonds and you try three clubs. Partner then bids 3NT. The opponents pass. What do you say?
ANSWER: Your hand is too promising to let go without a try for slam. Your partner could hold 2,Q106,AQJ942,KQ4 or A,Q106,AJ10642,K64. Bid four diamonds. If he cue-bids four spades in reply, you can reasonably jump to six diamonds.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S K 10 9 8
H J 4 3
D A 3
C Q 6 4 3
WEST
S A
H Q 8 5 2
D J 9 6 4
C J 10 9 8
EAST
S 7 6 2
H 10 9 7 6
D Q 10 8 7 2
C K
SOUTH
S Q J 5 4 3
H A K
D K 5
C A 7 5 2
South West North East
1 S Pass 3 S Pass
4 S All Pass
Opening lead — C J
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