Bridge: March 13, 2024

Cy the Cynic says that if at first you don’t succeed … well, failure may be your thing.

Playing at today’s six spades, Cy took the ace of clubs, drew trumps and let the nine of diamonds ride, losing to East’s ten. Cy ruffed the club return and took his A-K of hearts. The queen didn’t fall, so he led a second diamond to dummy’s queen. Alas, down one.

“I had many chances,” Cy said: “the king of diamonds with West, or the J-10, or a doubleton queen of hearts.”

BETTER PLAY

Cy missed a better play. He takes the ace of trumps at Trick Two, then the A-K of hearts. He leads a trump to dummy’s nine and returns the jack of hearts, planning to pitch a diamond if East plays low. If West won, the Cynic would discard another diamond on the ten of hearts and rely on the diamond finesse.

If East covers the jack of hearts, Cy is home. He ruffs, leads a trump to dummy, throws a diamond on the ten of hearts, ruffs a club and passes the nine of diamonds. When East wins, he is end-played.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S 8 H Q 6 3 2 D K 10 4 C K 7 5 4 2. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart, he bids two clubs and you raise to three clubs. Partner then bids 3NT.

What do you say?

ANSWER: To pass might be right, but your raise to three clubs was based more on distribution than on sound high-card values, and if partner has something in spades, the defenders may attack hearts successfully. Bid four clubs.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S J 9 4 2

H J 10 5 4

D A Q 5

C 9 3

WEST

S 7 6

H 9 8 7

D J 6 3

C Q J 10 8 6

EAST

S 8

H Q 6 3 2

D K 10 4

C K 7 5 4 2

SOUTH

S A K Q 10 5 3

H A K

D 9 8 7 2

C A

South West North East
2 C Pass 2 D Pass
2 S Pass 3 S Pass
4 C Pass 4 D Pass
6 S All Pass
Opening lead — C Q

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