Why Cy is “the Cynic”

“The guy everybody here calls ‘the Cynic,’” a player who had recently joined our club said to me: “How did he acquire that name?”

“Cy was born under a perverse star,” I replied. “When he plays in a team match, he is faced with seven opponents: four on the other team, his two teammates and his partner. Somebody always lets him down.”

I showed our newcomer today’s deal, in which Cy had found himself as declarer at five hearts.

“South might have opened 1NT,” our new member observed, appraising the auction, “and surely North should have doubled four spades when he had lots of defensive tricks, shaky heart support and maybe two fast losers in spades.”

“I agree,” I said, “and Cy said as much when he saw dummy.”

When West led a spade, Cy took the ace and judged to take a safety play in trumps: Instead of going to dummy to finesse with the queen, he cashed the ace — and West’s king fell. Cy then took the jack and queen and conceded the

fourth trump to East.

“East cashed his king of spades,” I went on, “and led another spade at Trick Seven. The Cynic ruffed with his last trump. On that trick, West was squeezed: He couldn’t keep both four diamonds and a guard to his queen of clubs, so Cy made his contract.”

“He played it well,” said our new member.

“Certainly,” I said. “At the other table, Cy’s teammates also sacrificed at four spades. But North-South doubled, defended to best advantage and beat the contract four tricks for plus 800. So for being plus 650, Cy lost four IMPs.”

“I begin to understand,” our new member sighed.