I entered the club as a man I didn’t know was leaving.
“That was Cy’s therapist,” Rose said. “Cy had him come and watch a few deals.”
“No more couch-coach sessions,” Cy told me in the lounge. “My guy watched one deal and said he had my problem solved.”
Against Cy’s four hearts, West had led a diamond. Cy lost a finesse with dummy’s queen, and East’s club shift gave the defense three more tricks.
“Your shrink watched one deal and diagnosed you?” I asked.
“He told me I don’t have any complex,” the Cynic said in a tone of relief. “He said I really am inferior.”
LAST DIAMOND
Cy’s play certainly was inferior. Cy must grab the ace of diamonds, take the A-K of spades, lead a trump to dummy and return the jack of spades, pitching his last diamond.
If West wins and leads a fourth spade, East can ruff dummy’s ten, but Cy overruffs, leads a trump to dummy and returns the queen of diamonds. Whether East covers or not, Cy gets a club discard, losing only two clubs and one spade.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S J 10 7 5 H K J 8 D A Q J C 8 7 4. Your partner opens one club, you bid one spade and he raises to two spades. What do you say?
ANSWER: You may have a game, especially if partner’s opening bids are known to be solid. Bid 2NT. If he raised you with four-card support and a sound hand, he can jump to four spades. With only three-card support, he may raise to 3NT. If his values are minimum, he can pass or sign off at a suit contract.
East dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S J 10 7 5
H K J 8
D A Q J
C 8 7 4
WEST
S Q 6 4 3
H 6
D 10 8 7 2
C A 6 3 2
EAST
S 9 8 2
H 7 5 2
D K 9 4 3
C Q J 10
SOUTH
S A K
H A Q 10 9 4 3
D 6 5
C K 9 5
East South West North
Pass 1 H Pass 1 S
Pass 3 H Pass 4 H
All Pass
Opening lead — D 2
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