DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Cy the Cynic told me that he was having lunch at a deli when there was an incident at an Apple store across the street.

“I think I saw a robbery in progress,” Cy said. “Does that make me an iWitness?”

When Cy was today’s South, he and North bid boldly to a game. West led the queen of hearts, winning, and continued hearts. Cy ruffed the third heart and led the jack of trumps. West took his ace and led a fourth heart, which the Cynic had to ruff in his hand.

Cy then picked up the trumps, but next he led a diamond from dummy to his jack. West took the queen and cashed a heart: down two.

Cy had witnessed enough to make a winning play. East had failed to respond to West’s opening bid, so after East showed the ace of hearts, West had to hold both minor-suit queens.

After the Cynic draws trumps, he should take the K-A of diamonds. When the queen falls, Cy leads the jack of clubs for a backward finesse: queen, ace. Then a club toward his K-9 lands the contract.

DAILY QUESTION You hold: S J 10 9 6 3

H 4 2 D A J 5 C K J 9. Your partner opens one club, you respond one spade and he bids two hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner has “reversed.” He shows longer clubs than hearts and extra strength — in some styles, enough to expect to bid game or slam. To bid three clubs or 2NT would be reasonable. In some systems, you might rebid the five-card spade suit. The important thing is to realize that you won’t stop below game.