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“I heard you split with your latest girlfriend,” I remarked to Cy the Cynic. He dates at least three women a week and has had countless “permanent” relationships.
“We’re back together,” Cy said matter-of-factly. “I broke up with her on the 13th and made up on the 15th. I saved a fortune on money for roses and candy.”
| Dlr: East | ♠ 9 8 | |||||||||||||
| Vul: All | ♥ J 5 3 | |||||||||||||
| ♦ A J 7 | ||||||||||||||
| ♣ A K 10 6 2 | ||||||||||||||
| ♠ Q 7 2 | ♠ 10 | |||||||||||||
| ♥ 7 6 2 | ♥ K Q 10 9 8 4 | |||||||||||||
| ♦ 10 5 4 3 2 | ♦ Q 6 | |||||||||||||
| ♣ J 4 | ♣ Q 8 7 3 | |||||||||||||
| ♠ A K J 6 5 4 3 | ||||||||||||||
| ♥ A | ||||||||||||||
| ♦ K 9 8 | ||||||||||||||
| ♣ 9 5 | ||||||||||||||
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Opening lead — ♦K
Cy’s sense of timing isn’t that good at the bridge table. As today’s South, he landed at 6♠ after East opened a weak two-bid in hearts. West led a heart, and the Cynic took the ace and cashed the A-K of trumps. When East showed out, Cy continued with the top clubs and a club ruff, hoping for a 3-3 break. This time, West discarded.
Out of options, Cy took the ♦K and finessed with dummy’s jack. He lost to East’s doubleton queen, and West’s high trump won the setting trick.<?p>
Cy could afford to buy his girlfriend a nice Valentine’s gift with more careful play. After he takes the top trumps, he leads a club to the ace, ruffs a heart, goes to the ♣K and ruffs the last heart. Cy then exits with a trump.
West has no more hearts. If he had a third club and led it, Cy would ruff, and dummy’s clubs would be good. As it is, West must lead a diamond, and dummy plays low. East must play the queen, and Cy is home.
This line of play offers many chances. Cy would succeed if West held, say, Q-x-x-x in clubs and either the 10 or queen of diamonds. If West had Q-J-x-x in clubs and could exit safely when he took the queen of trumps, Cy could hope to guess well in diamonds.