SUPER CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Small percentage of the public who’ll wear a mad hair style? (7,6)

8 Getting me soon to point out a certain individual (7)

9 Flushing at the “Hi there!” (7)

11 Go back into an ever more vertiginous spin (6)

13 A hole is made in case, possibly, it requires holes (8)

15 Reminder to give the artist’s model the key to get in (5)

16 One friend I accommodated is stony! (7) 18 Is fish right to start with, as food? (7) 19 Would a mister be going in to see that old fossil? (5)

21 Calling by name, sing it out (8)

23 Going through Asia, missing out a country (6)

25 Understand, as before beer is to go in it (7)

26 The following occupation (7) 28 Thinking unkind thoughts? (6,7)

DOWN

2 In the same position, is dry-eyed and indifferent (7)

3 An incitement that creates a stir (3)

4 How the yokel told you he was cross, the beast! (4)

5 After being set free, the shrew ran in for a drink (5,5)

6 The first person to name the woman (5) 7 Forbidding one to show one’s face (7) 8 Does your temperature jump when you get it? (6,5)

10 What the majority of greedy people go for in a share-out (7,4)

12 Dances somewhere else (5)

14 As a good sinker will with a fisherman? (2,4,4)

17 Where you see an example of a vowel, silly! (5)

18 It’s royal property, you say again (7) 20 A fattening colour? (7)

22 Do or don’t stick (5)

24 Water-side fight (4)

27 Again putting in “O deer”! (3)

SCENE FROM A MARRIAGE

“A fool and his money are soon married.” — Cy the Cynic

Cy is no fan of matrimony. A hand that includes a K-Q doubleton reminds him of marriage, and he expects disaster.

Cy was today’s South, and when West’s preempt was passed around, Cy doubled and converted North’s three-spade response to 3NT.

West led a spade, and East played low. Cy took the king and led the queen of hearts. East won and shifted to the ten of clubs: four, king, three. Cy won the club return, cashed his diamond tricks and queen of spades, and led another heart. West claimed the rest: down two.

“I knew it,” the Cynic sighed.

Ace Of Clubs

In fact, West gave Cy a chance. A club opening lead would beat 3NT. With a spade lead, Cy can win with the king, overtake his queen with the ace, and lead the ten — discarding his ace of clubs.

Then the defense must let Cy into dummy with the queen of clubs for the winning spades or give him time to set up his hearts. Either way, Cy makes his game.

Daily Question You hold:

♠ KQ ♥ Q J 10 9 4 ♦ A K Q J ♣ A 4. You open two clubs (strong, artificial), your partner responds two diamonds (negative), you bid two hearts and he raises to three hearts. What do you say?

Your hand was worth a forcing opening bid, but only just. You had nine winners and barely adequate defensive values. Bid four hearts. Partner may have as few as six points and only a bit of heart support, so you should make no move toward slam.

Answer: West dealer Both sides vulnerable