FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

CY’S VALENTINE’S DAY CARDS

Cy the Cynic has gone through dozens of romantic relationships and treats them all with a dose of disdain. I happen to know that Cy bought multi-packs of Valentine’s Day cards, all of which read “I Love Only You.”

Cy is no less cynical about his partnerships at bridge; his partners invariably let him down. In today’s deal from a penny game, Cy was West and led his singleton spade against four hearts. He struck gold in a way: East took the K-A and led a third spade for Cy to ruff. Inadequate

Alas, that defense was inadequate. Declarer won the diamond return, drew trumps and discarded dummy’s remaining two diamonds on his good spades. Making four.

Perhaps Cy’s opening lead — in South’s first suit — was questionable, but East misdefended. East knows from the bidding that Cy’s opening lead is a singleton. East beats the contract if he leads the eight of spades at Trick Two. Cy ruffs and shifts to a diamond, and the defense cashes a diamond when East gets in with his ace of spades. Daily Question

You hold: ♠ A K 8 2 ♥ 7 ♦ K 10 7 3 ♣ J 9 6 2. Your partner opens one heart, you bid one spade, he rebids two hearts and you try 2NT. Partner then bids three clubs. What do you say?

Answer: Partner suggests six hearts, probably four clubs and minimum opening values. If he held a hand such as 4, A Q 10 8 5 2, A 4, A Q 5 3, his second bid would have been three hearts or two clubs. Pass. If you had A K 8 2, 7, 10 8 7 3, A 9 6 2, a raise to four clubs would be acceptable. South dealer N-S vulnerable