Cy going gray

Cy the Cynic’s head of hair is starting to reflect his age.

“You’re getting a few gray ones,” I told Cy. “Soon you’ll have as many as I do.”

“Those are ‘wisdom highlights,’” said Cy.

Gray hairs may come from making mistakes. As declarer at today’s four spades, Cy won West’s trump lead in dummy, took the ace of clubs, led a trump to dummy and threw a diamond on the king of clubs. The Cynic next finessed in hearts, and West took the king and led his last trump. Cy then led the ace and a third heart, but he lost two more hearts and also a diamond. Down one.

SECOND TRUMP

It would have been wiser for Cy to lead a heart to his queen at Trick Two. No doubt West would have led a second trump — a diamond shift would not have occurred to him — and Cy could win, take the ace of clubs and ace of hearts, ruff a heart in dummy and pitch a diamond on the king of clubs.

Cy could then ruff a club, draw trumps, concede a heart and make his game with a trump and his good fifth heart.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: A K J 9 3 A Q 9 6 2 8 3 A. You open one spade, and your partner raises to two spades. In

today’s deal, South bid four spades with this hand. Do you agree with that call?

ANSWER: To take the sure game would be above reproach. Nevertheless, your partner could hold a hand to make slam a reasonable proposition. His hand might be 10 8 4 2, K 5, A 9 5, 7 6 5 4. To test the water, jump to four hearts to show a big two-suited hand with slam interest. South dealer N-S vulnerable