FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

POWER-SAVING PLAY

Cy the Cynic denies that he’s lazy. He maintains that he just operates in power-saving mode.

“I don’t care what he says,” Rose told me in the club lounge. “He never thinks about his play as declarer. He just seizes on the first play that occurs to him.”

In a penny game, Cy was declarer at today’s four spades. He ruffed the second heart, drew trumps and led a diamond. West signaled with the nine, and East correctly let dummy’s king win. The Cynic then ruffed a heart and led a second diamond: three, queen, ace. East cashed his jack and led a fourth heart, and Cy had to lose a club to West. Down one.

Money

“I was North,” Rose sighed. “Cy’s ‘power saving’ cost him — and me — a chunk of money.”

Cy’s play might have produced an overtrick on a lucky day, but after Cy draws trumps, he should lead the ace and a second club. When West has the king, dummy’s queen provides the 10th trick. If East had the king of clubs, Cy would still be safe if he won two diamond tricks.

Daily Question

You hold: ♠ 842 ♥ K Q 8 5 ♦ 93 ♣ K 10 7 6. Your partner opens one diamond, the next player overcalls one spade and you double (negative). Partner then bids two hearts. The opponents pass. What do you say?

Answer: Your negative double showed enough strength to respond with heart length plus diamond support or club length. Partner’s two hearts is not a strength-showing “reverse” here. He has simply “raised” the suit your double suggested. Pass.

North dealer

E-W vulnerable