DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Cy the Cynic keeps on struggling with his weight.

“I read in some medical journal,” Cy told me as we had lunch in the club lounge, “that each piece of chocolate or each slice of pizza you eat shortens your life by five seconds.”

“Do you believe that’s true?” I asked doubtfully.

“If it were,” the Cynic shrugged, “my calculations show that I would have been dead since 1843.”

Cy isn’t much good at counting calories, nor is he adept at figuring out the best percentage line of play in a demanding contract. (He just seizes on the first line of play he sees.) Cy was declarer at today’s four hearts. He was well worth his jump to game, but North had scraped up a raise to two hearts with a feather-light hand, and the contract was no laydown.

Cy won the first spade and led a high trump, noting with approval the appearance of the queen from East. But Cy next led a trump to dummy’s jack and returned a club for a finesse with his queen. West took the king, and the defense cashed two spades and shifted to a diamond. Since the Cynic had no way to avoid a diamond loser, he went down one.

Cy gave himself a 50% chance for a 10th trick. Could you do better?

After Cy wins the first trump, he should cash the ace of clubs and lead the queen. West wins, and the defense takes two spades and leads a diamond, as before. Cy wins, ruffs a club high, leads a trump to dummy’s nine and ruffs a club high. He can then draw West’s last trump with the jack and take the good fifth club.

Cy succeeds if the clubs break 3-3 or 4-2: about an 84% chance. South dealer

N-S vulnerable