Daily Bridge Club

Not so fast!

Cy the Cynic cites two Axioms of the Road: (1) The driver behind you always wants to go faster than you do; (2) the driver ahead of you is always going slower than you but just fast enough that you can’t pass him.

Cy’s freeway problems extend to the bridge table, where haste is his downfall. The Cynic was declarer at today’s four hearts, and West cashed the K-A of diamonds. East signaled with the ten and six, so West continued with the queen.

Cy hopefully — and hastily — ruffed with dummy’s eight of trumps, but East overruffed and led the king of spades.

DISCARDS

The Cynic took dummy’s ace, and since he couldn’t get to his hand to draw trumps, he tried to run the clubs for spade discards. West ruffed the second club and led a spade to East for down two.

Impulsive play did Cy in. On the third diamond, he must discard from dummy. If West shifts to a spade, Cy can take the ace, draw trumps and return to dummy with a club to discard his last two spades on the good clubs.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ A8 6 3 ♥ 8 ♦9 4 ♣A K Q J 8 3. Your partner opens one heart, you bid two clubs, he rebids two hearts and you try two spades. Partner then bids 2NT. What do you say?

ANSWER: To raise to 3NT would be reasonable, but though partner’s bidding has not been encouraging, slam is still possible. He might hold a hand such as 9 7,A K J 6 4, A Q 5, 10 6 5. Bid three clubs. Your two spades created a game-forcing auction, so partner shouldn’t pass. North dealer Both sides vulnerable