Cy the Cynic disdains percentage play.

“You can use numbers to show that more people die of heart trouble than in buffalo stampedes” Cy says. “I rely on instinct.”

At today’s six spades, Cy drew trumps and led a heart from dummy: jack, king, ace. West returned a heart, and Cy took the queen, led a diamond to dummy's king and let the queen of clubs ride, winning. He pitched a heart on the ace of diamonds but still lost a heart to East.

“Your play was wrong,” I told the Cynic.

“I felt like it was right,” Cy shrugged.

Cy makes the slam if East has the ace of hearts and the king of clubs (or if Cy guesses to play East for A-x-x in hearts). Better is to take the Q-J of trumps, lead a diamond to dummy's king and let the queen of clubs ride. Then discard the ace of clubs on the ace of diamonds and lead the jack and ten of clubs through East, throwing hearts if he plays low.

Declarer succeeds if only the club finesse wins and West has at least three clubs.

Daily question: You hold: ? A Q J 10 9 8 ? K Q 5 3 ? 6 ? A 4. You open one spade, and your partner responds two hearts. Say you try 4NT, and he bids five hearts: two aces. What do you say?

Answer: You might bid 5NT next to ask for kings, but in any case, bid seven hearts. A grand slam may be cold and will depend at worst on winning a finesse. A factor is that if the opening lead is a club, and partner has 7 6, A J 1 0 8 7 4, A J 7, J 5, he will make either five or seven.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable

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