Yield or resist?

Cy the Cynic says you should always be willing to yield to temptation because it may not pass your way again. That philosophy was tested in today’s deal.

Against South’s four spades, West led the K-Q of hearts. Cy, sitting East, signaled with the five and three, so West continued with the ten, hoping Cy could overruff dummy. Sure enough, when declarer ruffed with the nine of trumps, the Cynic smugly produced the queen.

GOOD DIAMONDS

The defenders had their book, but when Cy led a club next, South took the ace, cashed the A-K of diamonds and ruffed a diamond. When the suit broke 3-3, he drew trumps with the ace and jack and threw his club loser and last heart on the good diamonds. Making four.

Cy yielded when he should have resisted. If he discards smoothly on the third heart instead of overruffing dummy, South will go down. Even if South plays Cy for the queen of trumps (he won’t) and takes five tricks in that suit, he can’t use dummy’s diamonds and will be short of winners.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ 10 3 ♥ AKQ104 ♦ Q 10 2 ♣ K 10 8. You open one heart, and your partner bids one spade. What do you say?

ANSWER: Those hearts look worth rebidding, but a bid of two hearts would suggest a six-card or longer suit. To bid 1NT to show a balanced opening bid is correct. But to open one heart was questionable. With a good five-card suit and four tens, West in today’s deal could have upgraded his hand and opened 1NT. West dealer Neither side vulnerable