“You write about extra chances as declarer,”Cy the Cynic grumbled to me. “Look what happened to me.”

West had led the queen of hearts against Cy&’;s slam.

& “I discarded a club on dummy’s ace,” the Cynic told me, “and led a diamond to my king. If it lost to the ace, I could win the next heart in dummy, pitching another club, take the ace of clubs, ruff a club, lead a trump to dummy’s nine and ruff a club. If clubs broke 3-3, dummy’s last club would be a winner.”

“So what happened?”

West ducked my king of diamonds smoothly,” Cy growled. “I drew trumps and led a second diamond to my queen — and went down.”

Cy can immediately discard clubs on the A-K of hearts, take the ace of clubs, ruff a club high, lead a trump to the nine and ruff a club. When East-West follow, Cy takes the king of trumps, throws a diamond on the good club and is safe.

If a defender discards on the third club, Cy still has the dummy entries to lead twice toward his K-Q of diamonds.

Daily question: You hold: ? K 9 8 ? A K 6 ? 10 6 5 ? A 7 6 3. Your side is vulnerable. The dealer, at your left, opens two diamonds (weak). Your partner doubles. The next player bids three diamonds. What do you say?

Answer: You can surely beat three diamonds, so to double would be reasonable (assuming partner would treat it as penalty). An option is to cue-bid four diamonds. You should have enough values to make a major-suit game even if partner plays at a 4-3 fit.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable

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