DAILY BRIDGE CLUB
In an effort to improve his results, Cy the Cynic has been reading the horoscopes in our local paper. (I would bet he is a Pisces or a Capricorn.)
In my club’s penny game, Cy played at today’s four spades, and West led a heart. Cy took the ace and cashed the king, ace and queen of trumps. He next took the king of diamonds and finessed with dummy’s jack. East produced the queen, cashed a heart and shifted to the jack of clubs. Cy won in dummy and led the ace of diamonds, but West ruffed and cashed a club for down one.
“The stars are aligned unfavorably,” the Cynic shrugged.
No shortage: Cy demonstrated that no shortage of fault is to be found amid our stars. After he takes his high trumps, he must cash the A-K of diamonds, refusing a finesse (which, on the bidding and play, is likely to lose).
The Cynic then concedes a diamond to East’s queen, and when East shifts to clubs, Cy can take the ace and pitch his last club on a good diamond. He loses a trump, a diamond and a heart.
Daily question
You hold: ♠ A85 ♥ 10 8
♦ AJ542 ♣ A 8 7. Your partner opens one heart, you respond two diamonds and he rebids two hearts. What do you say?
Answer: You have enough values for game, but which game to bid is unclear. Since partner has not promised more than five hearts, to raise to four hearts would be speculative. If you bid 3NT, a black-suit opening lead may be damaging. Temporize with a bid of two spades to hear more from partner.
West dealer
N-S vulnerable