Bridge: Aug. 1, 2024

“Seen your psychiatrist lately?” I asked Cy the Cynic.

“Yesterday,” Cy said.

“Did you tell him you dreamed you were a pair of curtains?” I asked.

“He said I had to pull myself together.”

“What about your dream about being covered with gold paint?”

“He told me I had a gilt complex,” Cy shrugged.

Cy was declarer at four hearts in a penny game. He ruffed the third diamond, took dummy’s ace of trumps and led a trump … to his king. He lost a trump and a spade and went down.

“No guilt feelings,” the Cynic said. “I would play the trumps the same way again.”

LAST CLUB

I didn’t want to make Cy remorseful, but after he ruffed the third diamond, he might have taken the K-A of spades, cashed the A-K of clubs and ruffed his last club in dummy. Next Cy would take the ace of trumps and lead to his jack.

Cy would be home if the finesse won or if West had no more spades. And with 3-2-5-3 pattern, West would have been more likely to pass or double over Cy’s one heart.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S K 7 4 H K J 9 8 4 D 7 2 C A K 7. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids one spade. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: Since you have balanced pattern and two winners in the unbid suit, to jump to 3NT would not be an error. Still, you might belong at four hearts (or even at slam if partner has a suitable hand). Bid two clubs, forcing, and let him tell you more. He might hold AQ32,A32,AQ865,6.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S A 10 6 5 2

H A 7 5 2

D 9 5 4

C 9

WEST

S 8 3

H 10

D A K Q 10 6

C Q 8 4 3 2

EAST

S Q J 9

H Q 6 3

D J 8 3

C J 10 6 5

SOUTH

S K 7 4

H K J 9 8 4

D 7 2

C A K 7

South West North East
1 H 2 D 3 H Pass
4 H All Pass
Opening lead — D K

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