Cy the Cynic told me that a friend had written his autobiography.
“He was proofreading the manuscript,” Cy said, “and in the process he accidently knocked over a bottle of superglue. Now the pages are semi-permanently attached to his hand.”
“Baloney,” I snorted.
“That’s his story,” Cy said blandly, “and he’s sticking to it.”
Today’s South might have bid 3NT over North’s one spade, suggesting solid hearts and no interest in a spade contract. But South bid four hearts, and when North tried for slam with a cue bid of five diamonds, South leaped to six hearts.
West led the king of spades, and South took dummy’s ace and cashed his A-K-Q of trumps. When West pitched a club, declarer conceded the fourth trump to East. East then led the eight of clubs, and South put up his ace and cashed the K-Q of diamonds. If East-West had followed, South could have claimed. But East discarded, and South had to lose a club for, as the saying goes, one in the glue.
“You booted it,” North grumbled.
“I played the percentages,” South said. “A 3-2 diamond break was more likely than a winning club finesse. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.”
After South takes the top trumps, he should lead the K-Q of diamonds. If East-West followed, South would concede the fourth trump and take the rest. When instead East discards on the second diamond, South knows he needs a winning club finesse. He concedes the fourth trump, ruffs East’s spade return and goes to dummy’s ace of diamonds to finesse in clubs.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S A 6 3 2
H 7
D A 7 5 3 2
C Q J 4
WEST
S K Q 10
H 8 3
D J 9 8 6
C 9 6 5 3
EAST
S 9 8 7 5 4
H J 10 9 6
D 10
C K 8 7
SOUTH
S J
H A K Q 5 4 2
D K Q 4
C A 10 2
South West North East
1 H Pass 1 S Pass
4 H Pass 5 D Pass
6 H All Pass
Opening lead — S K
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