DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“That Cy is so lazy,” Rose told me, “it’s a good thing breathing is a reflex action.”

Cy the Cynic never plans his play. He seizes on the first line he sees.

Cy was today’s South. North did well to bid five hearts; West would have made four spades. East judged less well, at least in theory, to double five hearts. West led the king of spades, and Cy took the ace and cashed the ace of trumps. When West discarded, Cy led a club to the ace, returned a trump to his jack, ruffed a club in dummy, ruffed a spade and ruffed his last club.

Cy then ruffed a spade and drew the last trump; he had one left.

When he led a diamond, East won and forced out Cy’s last trump, and West cashed a club when he took the ace of diamonds. Down one.

“The brain is not an involuntary muscle,” Rose sighed.

Cy must take the ace of clubs at Trick Two. Then he can ruff two clubs in dummy and preserve enough trumps in his hand to draw trumps and set up a diamond winner for his 11th trick.

DAILY QUESTION You hold: S K Q J 6 2 H None D A 9 2 C K J 8 7 3. You are the dealer. What is your opening call?

ANSWER: Expert opinion differs, though less now than 30 years ago, on what to open with 5-5 in the black suits. Some open one club, leaving an economical second bid of one spade if partner responds in a red suit. I believe most experts open one spade. They get the major suit mentioned quickly and make it harder for the opponents to come in.