Cy’s pet peeves

CY the Cynic has a pet peeve or three. For one, he hates to see someone profit from a bad bid.

Cy was today’s West. North’s first two bids showed about 11 points; South’s three hearts signed off. North’s four hearts was wrong. He had bid his hand and needed to respect the signoff.

“No such bidding,” Cy snorted, but then he had to lead. He had spade tricks to protect but feared dummy would produce good clubs that South would use to discard diamond losers. So Cy led the queen of diamonds.

SECOND SPADE

South took the ace and led a spade: six, jack, queen. The Cynic cashed a diamond, but South ruffed the next diamond, led a trump to dummy (perhaps wrongly) and returned a second spade: eight, nine, ten. He won Cy’s trump return, ruffed a spade in dummy, came to his ace of clubs, drew trumps and claimed.

Cy guessed wrong on lead. If he leads a trump, he can lead two more trumps when he gets in with high spades. South loses a third spade.

North misbid and got away with That’s bridge.

it. DAILY QUESTION: You hold: 876 76 K964 K Q 10 4. Yourpartner opens one heart, and the next player bids one spade. What do you say? ANSWER: This is another situation that “negative” doubles handle. You can’t bid a minor suit at the two level, but if you pass, the next player may raise the spades, and you will never get to show your values. A negative double, by agreement, shows some points and length in the unbid suits. Discuss with your partner. South dealer Both sides vulnerable

NORTH AFRIC, FACING, FAIN, FAIR, FANG, FARCING, FAUN, FISC, FRANC, SCARF SCURF, SNAFU, SUFI, SURF, SURFACING, SURFING, UNFAIR