BRIDGE

“You never compliment your opponents on a good play,” I scolded Cy the Cynic. “Don’t you appreciate good bridge?”

“I’ll give credit when it’s due,” Cy replied. “What I mind is giving payment when it’s due, and that happens every day with Ed.”

Ed, the club expert, takes Cy’s money in our penny games. Ed was declarer at today’s six spades, and Cy, West, found a good trump lead.

“I thought I had him for once,” Cy told me. “It looked as if I would win a diamond trick eventually. Then I could lead a second trump, and Ed’s crossruff would come up a trick short.”

DIAMOND SHIFT

Ed won the first trump with the king and led a club: seven from the Cynic, ten (!) from dummy. East won and led a diamond, but Ed took the ace and played thus: ace of hearts, heart ruff, king of clubs, heart ruff, ace of clubs to pitch dummy’s last diamond.

Ed had won seven tricks and still had three trumps in dummy and two in his hand. He crossruffed the rest and pocketed some more of Cy’s money. spade, your partner responds two clubs, you bid two diamonds and he tries 2NT. What do you say?

ANSWER: To pass might be right, but it’s hard to imagine making exactly 2NT but no other contract. Bid three clubs. Since your bid of two diamonds did not limit your strength, your three clubs now is forcing in theory. You will hope for the best whether partner bids again or passes. North dealer Both sides vulnerable