Bridge: May 26, 2024

“What kind of shoes do you wear?” Cy the Cynic asked me in the club lounge.

“Slippers, mostly. Why?”

“Well,” Cy said jocularly, “if thieves wear sneakers, artists wear sketchers, bread-bakers wear loafers and linguists wear Converse, I was wondering what bridge columnists wear.”

In today’s deal from a penny game, Cy landed at six hearts as South. When West competed to six diamonds, North would have done better, at least in practice, to pass, giving Cy the final say, or to double and accept a decent penalty.

West led the ace and a low diamond, and Cy ruffed. He led a trump to dummy and returned the jack of clubs for a finesse. West took the king for down one.

“You must be wearing combat boots today,” I told the Cynic, “because you booted that one. Your club finesse was futile. On the bidding, West surely had the king.”

“I had no option,” Cy growled.

Cy had one “sole” legitimate chance. West was likely to have four spades as well as the king of clubs. If Cy takes all but one of dummy’s trumps, discarding the four and queen of clubs, the shoe will be on the other foot. With five tricks to go, dummy has the K-5 of spades, a trump and J-6 of clubs. Cy has the A-9-7-4 of spades and ace of clubs.

If West saves three spades and the K-10 of clubs, Cy takes the K-A of spades, ruffs a spade and wins the last two tricks with the ace of clubs and a good spade. If instead West keeps four spades and the singleton king of clubs, Cy cashes his ace of clubs and wins Trick 13 with dummy’s jack.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S K 5

H K J 10 8 5 4 3

D 8 2

C J 6

WEST

S Q J 8 3

H 7

D A J 7 4

C K 10 9 5

EAST

S 10 6 2

H None

D K Q 10 9 6 3

C 8 7 3 2

SOUTH

S A 9 7 4

H A Q 9 6 2

D 5

C A Q 4

South West North East
1 H Dbl 4 H 5 D
5 H 6 D 6 H(!) All Pass
Opening lead — D A

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