Bridge: Jan. 5, 2024

Like many of us, Cy the Cynic is often unhappy with his partners.

“They’re put there to test my anger-management skills,” Cy grumbles.

“Clone yourself,” I advised. “You can be your own partner.”

Even Cy should have admired his partner’s play in today’s deal. Against four hearts, West led the seven of diamonds, East took the K-A, and South played … the nine and queen! West would have led the seven from 7-3-2, and East thought that if he led the jack next, South would ruff, making dummy’s ten a winner. So East led a trump.

LAST CLUB

South drew trumps, took the A-K of clubs, ruffed dummy’s last club and cashed two more trumps. With three tricks left, he had the deuce of diamonds and two spades, and dummy had a diamond and the A-Q of spades. East had to save the jack of diamonds and K-10 of spades, and South end-played him with a diamond.

South found a beautiful falsecard, but it wasn’t enough to earn a compliment from Cy.

“You should’ve bid 3NT,” was all he said.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A Q 5 H 10 7 6 D 10 8 5 4 C K 9 6. Your partner opens one spade, you bid two spades and he jumps to four clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner is interested in slam. In some partnerships, his four clubs shows club shortness; then you would sign off at four spades since your king of clubs would be wasted. But if partner shows a big hand with long spades and clubs, your honors are ideal. Bid six spades or cue-bid five clubs.

East dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S A Q 5

H 10 7 6

D 10 8 5 4

C K 9 6

WEST

S 9 7 4 3

H 5 3 2

D 7 3

C Q 8 7 2

EAST

S K 10 8 2

H Q

D A K J 6

C J 10 5 3

SOUTH

S J 6

H A K J 9 8 4

D Q 9 2

C A 4

East South West North
1 D 1 H Pass 2 H
Pass 3 H Pass 4 H
All Pass
Opening lead — D 7

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