Cy’s wrongful defense
“Wendy is still on your case?” I asked Cy the Cynic.
Cy, a chauvinist, and Wendy, my club’s feminist, are adversaries even when they are partners.
“After the penny game,” Cy bit out, “she asked me what I wanted for lunch. When I told her, she said I was wrong.”
The two were today’s East-West.
Wendy led the jack of diamonds against South’s game.
“Dummy played low,” the Cynic said, “and I signaled with the seven. South won and led the A-Q of trumps. Wendy won and led another diamond, but South ruffed the third diamond, drew trumps and claimed. Wendy said I was as slow as next-day delivery in a nanosecond world.”
BEST CHANCE
Since Wendy probably has four trumps, Cy’s best chance is to try for a forcing defense. To duck the first diamond is unlikely to gain. Cy must grab his ace and lead the KING and a low club. To lead low first won’t do.
South must ruff, and when Wendy takes the king of trumps, she leads the ace of clubs. South must ruff again and has lost control.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: 4 3 2 10 5 K 8 4 Q 10 8 3 2. Your partner deals and opens one spade. The next player passes. North in today’s deal bid 1NT. Do you agree?
ANSWER: To respond was reasonable, both to preserve game chances and to prevent the opponents from coming in cheaply. Some players might have bid two spades, but a psychologically encouraging call with such a weak hand would be questionable. I sympathize with the 1NT response.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable