Bridge

Cy the Cynic was sitting morosely at a corner table in the lounge.

“He lost another match to Minnie’s team,” Rose told me. “Cy is starting to think it’s not just her glasses. Minnie found a good line of play that he missed.”

Minnie Bottoms wears old bifocals that make her mix up kings and jacks, often to her opponents’ dismay. Cy is Minnie’s chief victim. Both Minnie and Cy played at four spades, and West led a heart. East won and returned a heart to the king.

“Cy took the ace of trumps next,” Rose said. “He didn’t want to go to dummy to lead a trump since he needed the ace of diamonds as an entry to finesse in clubs. But when West discarded, the Cynic lost two trumps. Down one.”

Minnie did better: At Trick Three she led ... the jack of trumps!

“Thinking it was the king,” Rose sighed.

East won and led another heart, but Minnie ruffed, led a diamond to the ace and picked up the trumps. When the queen of clubs fell under the A-K (!), she made the game.

Daily Question: You hold: & KQ8h AJ873 ( Q102 $ Q 8. Your partner opens one diamond, you bid one heart and he rebids two diamonds. What do you say?

Answer: This problem is awkward. You have enough strength to commit to game. To leap to 3NT might work, but it would be painful to get a club opening lead and be greeted with a dummy such asA76,2,AKJ765,765.Bidtwo spades. If your partner bids 2NT next, raise to 3NT. Otherwise, steer clear of notrump.