Cy’s shaky judgment

Cy the Cynic’s former job, if ever he had one, is a source of mystery at my club. Cy refuses to talk about it (maybe he worked for the CIA) except to supply gag answers to queries.

“Cy, were you a massage therapist?”

“I rubbed too many people the wrong way.”

“Did you serve as a faith healer?”

“I applied. They said I lacked hands-on experience.”

“Were you employed as a seismologist, Cy?”

“They wanted someone who was a fault-finder.”

“Did you manage an art gallery?”

“Never got the hang of it.” “Any chance you were a dermatologist?”

“I made too many rash judgments.”

Cy’s judgment was lacking when he was declarer at today’s slam. (Cy’s bidding suggested six clubs and five spades, but North’s leap to six spades was bold; Cy’s spades might have been Q-J-x-x-x.) Cy won the first heart with the ace and led a trump, finessing with his queen. West took

his king and led another heart, and Cy won and led a second trump to his ace, scowling when West discarded. The Cynic later won a club finesse with dummy’s queen but was down one.

Cy’s first-round trump finesse was rash. He should lead a diamond to his ace at Trick Two and return a club to the queen. If the finesse lost, Cy would need to find East with K-x in trumps.

When the club finesse wins, Cy can play safe in trumps: He leads a trump to his ace. If both defenders played low, Cy would go to dummy with a high diamond to lead a second trump toward his queen, succeeding whenever the lie of the cards allowed.