Bridge >> By Frank Stewart

“I’m going home,” Cy the Cynic told me, “to fix myself a large stiff drink. I’ll see you tomorrow, unless I decide to give up the game.”

“Minnie got him again,” Rose sighed.

Minnie Bottoms, my club’s senior member, wears old glasses that make her mix up kings and jacks, often to her opponents’ dismay. Cy has been Minnie’s chief victim.

Cy played at today’s four hearts after Minnie, West, bid both minors. She led the jack(!) of diamonds, and Cy’s ace won.

FINESSE

“Cy led a spade next,” Rose said, “planning to finesse. If Minnie plays the jack, and dummy’s queen wins, Cy can place her with a singleton trump. So Cy will lead the queen and a second trump. If East plays an honor, Cy can win and continue with the ace of spades, spade ruff, ace of clubs, spade ruff, club exit. He scores his A-9 of trumps.”

“I see what happened,” I said. “Minnie played the king(!) on the first spade. Then Cy took the Q-A of trumps, expecting Minnie to have 1-2-5-5 pattern, and down he went.”

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ A Q 865 ♥ Q 3 ♦ 754 ♣ A 5 2. Your partner opens one heart, you bid one spade and he rebids two hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s rebid promises six or more hearts. If he had a five-card suit, he would have a more descriptive second bid available. To raise to four hearts would be reasonable. Since 3NT might be your best or only makeable game, you can bid three clubs to look for that contract. Partner might hold 2, A K 10 7 6 5, A 6 3, J 4 3.

West dealer

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