Bridge: July 28, 2024

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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