What’s in a name?

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

“This should interest you,” I said to Cy the Cynic. “I read that J.M. Barrie invented the name Wendy just for his book ‘Peter Pan.’”

Cy, a chauvinist, and Wendy, my club’s feminist, are constant adversaries, even when they cut as partners.

“That’s appropriate,” Cy growled. “The woman is straight out of Neverland. She never helps me on defense and never apologizes when a misdefense is her fault.”

Wendy and Cy were today’s East-West, defending against four spades. Cy led a heart, and Wendy took the ace and led her singleton diamond.

FIRST DIAMOND

“I had to guess,” the Cynic said. “To have a chance, I had to assume Wendy had the ace of trumps. If she had a doubleton diamond, I had to duck the first diamond to keep communication. That was the wrong defense — South made his game — and Wendy said I was an idiot.”

Wendy was at fault. She must cash the ace of trumps before leading a diamond. Cy will have no choice but to win and give his partner a diamond ruff.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: K 8 7 4 6 K Q J 4 A K 9 4. You open one diamond, your partner bids one spade, you raise to three spades and he bids four hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s four hearts is an ace-showing cue bid to show slam interest. He might have cue-bid the ace of diamonds first if he had it. Still, you can make a slam if he has good trumps. I would not be willing to jump to six spades, but I would cue-bid five clubs to encourage him. North dealer E-W vulnerable