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“I know you won’t talk about your former job,” I said to Cy the Cynic, “but I’ll bet your colleagues were smart people.”
“They were like Christmas lights,” Cy sniffed. “Half weren’t too bright, and the other half didn’t work at all.”
| Dlr: South | ♠ 9 8 5 | |||||||||||||
| Vul: N-S | ♥ K J 6 | |||||||||||||
| ♦ A K 7 2 | ||||||||||||||
| ♣ 5 3 2 | ||||||||||||||
| ♠ Q 7 4 | ♠ 10 6 3 2 | |||||||||||||
| ♥ A 7 4 | ♥ 5 3 2 | |||||||||||||
| ♦ J 10 9 8 | ♦ 6 5 3 | |||||||||||||
| ♣ 10 8 4 | ♣ J 9 7 | |||||||||||||
| ♠ A K J | ||||||||||||||
| ♥ Q 10 9 8 | ||||||||||||||
| ♦ Q 4 | ||||||||||||||
| ♣ A K Q 6 | ||||||||||||||
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Opening lead ♦J
Cy regards bridge partners the same way. Cy was today’s North, and at 6NT South took the ♦Q and started the hearts. When West won the third heart and led a second diamond to dummy, South had a problem: Should he pitch a club or the ♠J on the third high diamond? Since a winning finesse was more likely than a 3-3 club break, South threw a club and then led a spade to his jack. Down he went, and Cy was irate.
High Clubs
“Take your high clubs before you attack the hearts,” the Cynic grumbled. “When clubs break 3-3, you’ll know you won’t need the spade finesse.”
“What if a defender has the ♥A and four clubs?” South retorted.
I can empathize with South, but I like the play Cy proposed. (South could start with two rounds of hearts in case the ace fell.)
Daily Question
You hold: ♠9 8 5 ♥K J 6 ♦A K 7 2 ♣5 3 2.
The dealer, at your left, opens 1♠. Your partner doubles, and the next player passes.
What do you say?