DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Cy the Cynic says that on April 1, you should believe nothing and trust nobody — just like on any other day.

When I watched today’s deal in a penny game at my club, Cy was South. North’s bid of 5NT was the “Grand Slam Force,” an old gadget that asked Cy to bid a grand slam with two of the top three honors in clubs, the agreed trump suit.

Cy couldn’t oblige, but six clubs looked like an odds-on contract. West led the three of diamonds, and the Cynic put up dummy’s ace. To safeguard the slam, he planned to play safe in trumps: He would lead a trump from dummy, and if East followed with the three, Cy would play the ten to make sure he lost no more than one trump.

Unfortunately for Cy, East was Ed, my club’s best player. Under the ace of diamonds, he followed smoothly with the queen!

Now Cy was afraid to adopt his safety play: If West won a trump trick, he might give East a diamond ruff. So Cy led a trump to his ace at Trick Two and found himself April fooled. DAILY QUESTION You hold: ♠ Q 5 2 ♥A J7 ♦8 6 ♣ A 10 9 7 4. Your part

ner opens one diamond, you respond two clubs, he rebids two diamonds and you

try 2NT. Partner then rebids three diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your 2NT showed about 11 points with stoppers in the unbid suits and invited game. Your partner has rejected and wants to play at his long suit. You must trust him and pass. To persist with 3NT is tempting but would be a breach of bidding discipline. North dealer Neither side vulnerable