Cy the Cynic is a devout procrastinator. He says work is a noble endeavor, and some should always be saved for tomorrow. Cy’s tendency often helps him as declarer, when he waits to draw trumps.
At four spades, Cy saw a possible loser in each suit, but he could hope to discard a heart from dummy on a second diamond winner. He took the ace of hearts, led a trump to his ace and returned a diamond. West won and led the queen of trumps.
RE-ENTRY
If Cy wins and goes to the queen of diamonds, he has no quick re-entry to his hand. If he leads the ace and a second club, East wins and leads a heart to dummy. Then if Cy tries to return to his hand with a club ruff, West overruffs and cashes a heart for down one.
Cy saw the problem: He procrastinated by letting West’s queen of trumps win. When West next led a second heart, the Cynic won, took the queen of diamonds, led a trump to his hand, threw dummy’s last heart on the ace of diamonds and ruffed his last heart in dummy. Making four.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S 8 7 5 3 H A K 6 D Q 2 C A 10 8 7. The dealer, at your right, opens one heart. You double, and your partner bids (“advances”) two diamonds. What do you say?
ANSWER: Many players would have doubled, risking an unwelcome response in diamonds; a few players would have passed. Now that partner has bid diamonds, you must pass, table dummy and apologize for the inadequate support. A further bid would suggest a much stronger hand.
North dealer
Both sides vulnerable
NORTH
S 8 7 5 3
H A K 6
D Q 2
C A 10 8 7
WEST
S Q J 9
H J 10 5
D K 10 9 4 3
C 5 4
EAST
S 10
H Q 9 8 2
D J 8 7
C K Q J 6 2
SOUTH
S A K 6 4 2
H 7 4 3
D A 6 5
C 9 3
North East South West
1 C Pass 1 S Pass
2 S Pass 3 S Pass
4 S All Pass
Opening lead — H J
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Originally published at Frank Stewart