Bridge: Feb. 28, 2021

“Did you keep that dental appointment you had scheduled?” I asked Cy the Cynic in the club lounge.

“I kept it,” Cy said grumpily. “The dental technician asked me whether I flossed regularly. I said I did.”

“Did she believe you?”

“She said lying through one’s teeth does not constitute flossing,” Cy growled.

In that afternoon’s penny Chicago game, Cy fell victim to a little prevarication. As South in today’s deal, he opened one club. When North responded one diamond, Cy could have bid one spade next, or perhaps stretched a bit to jump to two spades (forcing to game). Instead, he bid 2NT to show a balanced 18 or 19 points, and North correctly raised to the nine-trick notrump game.

West led the king of spades, and the Cynic ducked twice and won the third spade with his ace. He next led a diamond to dummy’s queen and returned a club to his king — and West played low as if he had never heard of the ace.

Cy could still have made the contract with an end play. He also could have led a second diamond to dummy and returned a heart to his queen. But Cy had no reason to think that East had the king of hearts and good reason to place him with the ace of clubs instead. So Cy went to dummy with a diamond and led a second club to his queen.

This time West produced the ace … and the jack of clubs and a high spade for down one.

Cy makes 3NT if West wins the first club. West could cash his good spade and exit with a diamond, but then Cy would have no choice but to finesse in hearts for his ninth trick. West’s deception offered him a losing option.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S J 3

H 7 5

D A Q J 9 2

C 9 8 6 5

WEST

S K Q 10 9

H J 8 3 2

D 8 4

C A J 4

EAST

S 6 5 2

H K 10 6 4

D 7 6 3

C 10 3 2

SOUTH

S A 8 7 4

H A Q 9

D K 10 5

C K Q 7

South West North East
1 C Pass 1 D Pass
2 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass

Opening lead — S K

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