“I’ve got her dead to rights this time,” Cy the Cynic fumed. “I saw her out shopping — wearing sunglasses.”
Cy the Cynic meant Minnie Bottoms, who wields old bifocals that make her mix up kings and jacks, often to her opponents’ dismay. Cy is Minnie’s chief victim.
Minnie was today’s East, and West led the deuce of hearts against Cy’s lusty 3NT. Cy took the queen and led the ten and another club. West threw a spade.
“Minnie won,” the Cynic told me, “pondered and led … the king of diamonds! She thought she had J-10-8-6-4, of course. That did me in. When West got in with the ace of spades, he led a diamond, and Minnie ran the diamonds.”
LOGICAL
Glasses or not, Minnie made a logical play. She knows South had five clubs and, from West’s opening lead, three hearts. If West had five spades, he would have led a spade; so South has four spades — and one diamond!
“She’s not fooling me,” Cy says. “Her vision is 20-20. She’s an expert disguised as a little old lady.”
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S K Q 10 2 H A Q 5 D Q C K J 10 7 4. You open one club, your partner responds one heart, you bid one spade and he returns to two clubs. What do you say?
ANSWER: Partner’s preference bid at the minimum level typically shows seven to nine points. Since game is possible, you should make a try. Bid two hearts. He should expect you to have three-card support and extra strength. If your values were minimum, you wouldn’t bid a third time.
South dealer
Both sides vulnerable
NORTH
S J 7 4
H 8 6 4
D A 9 3
C Q 9 8 2
WEST
S A 6 5 3
H K J 7 2
D J 7 5 2
C 5
EAST
S 9 8
H 10 9 3
D K 10 8 6 4
C A 6 3
SOUTH
S K Q 10 2
H A Q 5
D Q
C K J 10 7 4
South West North East
1 C Pass 2 C Pass
3 NT(!) All Pass
Opening lead — H 2
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