Bridge Play

Cy the Cynic says that certain keys can’t open locks: monkeys, donkeys and turkeys. Cy could have used a key to his hand when he was today’s declarer.

At 3NT, Cy ducked two spade leads, won the third with dummy’s ace, unblocked the king of hearts, took his A-K of clubs and led a third club.

East won and cashed his high spade, and when he next led the nine of diamonds — jack, queen, ace — the Cynic was locked in dummy. He took two clubs and the king of diamonds, but West won the 13th trick with a diamond. Cy was down one, and North left for a shot of whiskey in the club lounge.

LOW CLUB

North dealer N-S vulnerable

NORTH A653

K

AK6 108643

WEST EAST

J109 KQ87

Q843 J1072 Q1084 97 97 QJ5

Cy turkeyed up the play. After he takes the king of hearts, he can jockey for position by cashing only the ace of clubs, then leading a low club.

East wins, cashes a spade and leads a diamond, but Cy wins in dummy, comes to his king of clubs and discards dummy’s low diamond on the ace of hearts. He can reach dummy with the other high diamond to cash two more clubs, making his game.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ A653 ♥ K ♦ AK6

♣ 10 8 6 4 3. You open one club, your partner responds one heart, you bid one spade and he jumps to three clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: Depending on your agreement, partner’s jump-preference may be invitational or forcing. In any case, your hand calls for a further bid. To try 3NT would be reasonable. A more flexible call is three diamonds, showing diamond strength and painting a picture of your distribution.