Cy Takes his Lumps

Dealer: South
N-S vulnerable

North

A J 8 2

A J 4

A K 4 2

Q 3

West

K 7 4

J 7 6 5

J 10 9 8 7

East

Q 10 6 5

10 7 6 2

Q 3

6 5 2

South

9 3

K Q 9 8 5

10 9 8

A K 4

South	West	North	East
1�	Pass	2�	Pass
2�	Pass	6�	All Pass

Opening Lead:� J

Cy the Cynic says he’ll risk getting a lump of coal in his Christmas stocking in order to have fun the other 364 days. Cy’s approach to dummy play is carefree; he plays without planning.At six hearts, Cy won the first club with dummy’s queen — a natural-looking start — and drew trumps. He next let the eight of diamonds ride.

East won and switched to a spade: three, king, ace. The Cynic then led a club to his hand and returned the nine of diamonds, but West alertly covered with his jack. Cy won, but the suit was blocked; he couldn’t get three diamond tricks and lost a spade.

“You get a lump of coal for that one,” I scolded.

FIRST CLUB
Cy should win the first club in his hand and pass the eight of diamonds. If East takes the queen and returns a spade to dummy’s ace, Cy draws trumps and leads the nine of diamonds.If West covers, Cy can win and take the ten of diamonds. He reaches dummy with the queen of clubs to cash the last high diamond to pitch his spade loser.DAILY QUESTION�
You hold:

9 3

K Q 9 8 5

10 9 8

A K 4
. Your partner opens one spade, you bid two hearts, he rebids two spades and you try three clubs. Partner then bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER�
This is an uneasy situation, but to pass — though it might be best — would be undisciplined. Your partner may have only a doubleton heart; with three-card support he would often have raised directly. Bid three spades. He may hold A J 10 6 5 4, A 3, A 2, 7 6 5.