June 2, 2024 at 3:00 a.m.

“If I make any more bad decisions this week, I’ll collect the whole set,” Cy the Cynic grumbled to me. “I’ve already misplaced a missing queen, mishandled a single-suit combination, mismanaged my entries and mistimed a crossruff. And this morning, I mislaid my keys.”

Cy was today’s South in my club’s penny game, and he and North bid to four spades. Their range for a 1NT opening bid was 15 to 17 points, but North sensibly opened one diamond because he had an aceless hand.

West led a trump. Cy drew trumps and led a diamond to dummy’s queen, winning, and a second diamond. When West took the ace, he led the five of hearts, and the Cynic had to guess. He squirmed, consulted the ceiling and played … the king. East won and returned a heart, and West took the queen, and then the ace of clubs. Down one.

“You can add another misplay to your list,” I said.

“I admit I had misgivings about playing the king of hearts,” Cy growled, “but I had little to go on. I thought West was unlikely to lead from the queen. He might have saved me a guess.”

Do you have misgivings about Cy’s play?

Cy put himself to a guess he could have avoided. After the queen of diamonds wins, Cy can lead dummy’s king of clubs. If East had the ace, Cy would have to guess well in hearts. But when West takes the ace of clubs, Cy can place East with the ace of hearts: West would have opened the bidding with three aces. So if West leads a low heart next, Cy plays dummy’s jack. If East holds the queen as well as the ace, too bad.

West dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S K J 7 3

H K J 6 2

D Q 10 4

C K Q

WEST

S 6 5

H Q 9 8 5

D A 8 5

C A 10 9 2

EAST

S 4

H A 10 7

D 9 7 6 3

C J 8 5 4 3

SOUTH

S A Q 10 9 8 2

H 4 3

D K J 2

C 7 6

West North East South
Pass 1 D Pass 1 S
Pass 2 S Pass 4 S
All Pass
Opening lead — S 6

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