Daily Bridge Club

FRANK STEWART TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY

Cy the Cynic says you should never put all your eggs in one basket — unless they’re chocolate, and it’s his basket.

Cy was declarer at 6NT. Playing with his usual impulsivity, he won the first club in dummy and let the queen of hearts ride.

West took the king and placed all the missing points from the bidding. He shifted astutely to the nine of diamonds, and the Cynic had to guess. He could succeed if the ten of hearts fell under the A-J or if a diamond finesse won, but he couldn’t try both chances. He took the ace of diamonds and relied on the hearts, and down he went. LOW HEART Cy should put his eggs in more than one basket. He wins the first club in his hand and leads a low heart. If West takes the king, Cy has 12 tricks. If West plays low, the queen wins, and Cy finesses in diamonds for 12 sure tricks.

If East had the king of hearts, Cy would still have two chances: He could try to drop the ten of hearts, and if that chance failed, he could finesse in diamonds.

Questions and comments: Email Stewart at frs1016@centurylink.net