“I bought a microwave oven online,” Cy the Cynic told me, “and I messed up the transaction. They wanted a credit-card number, and I gave them the one on my organ-donor card by mistake.”
“Did your oven come?”
“I got it, but I’m afraid it’ll cost me an arm and a leg.”
In a penny game, Cy was today’s South. He speculated by bidding a grand slam, hoping North held KQ5,8763,K2,9852 to jump to six spades. But when West led the queen of clubs, North put down a dummy with one more diamond and one fewer trump.
The Cynic still had a chance. He ruffed and peeled off six rounds of trumps, pitching the remaining clubs and a diamond from dummy. West kept his three diamonds, and East saved all four hearts. Cy then cashed his A-K-Q of hearts and the K-A of diamonds, but he lost the 13th trick to West’s queen of diamonds.
Cy’s play was costly — to the tune of 2310 points. Cy must lead a trump to dummy at Trick Two, ruff a club, lead a trump to dummy and ruff a club. Then only West can guard against dummy’s last club. Cy next takes his high hearts and his last two trumps.
With four tricks to go, dummy has a heart, a club and the K-4 of diamonds; Cy has a trump and A-9-5 of diamonds. When he leads his last trump, West must pitch a diamond, saving a high club. Dummy discards the club. Then East must pitch a diamond to save his high heart, and Cy takes the K-A of diamonds and wins the 13th trick with his nine.
Any lead but a club or the queen of diamonds beats seven spades.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S K Q
H 8 7 6 3
D K 4 2
C 9 8 5 2
WEST
S 7 5
H 10 5
D Q 8 6
C Q J 10 7 6 3
EAST
S 8 4
H J 9 4 2
D J 10 7 3
C A K 4
SOUTH
S A J 10 9 6 3 2
H A K Q
D A 9 5
C None
South West North East
2 C Pass 2 NT Pass
3 S Pass 4 S Pass
5 D Pass 6 S Pass
7 S All Pass
Opening lead — C Q
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