“I fear the man has a loose screw somewhere,” I said to Cy the Cynic in the club lounge.

“Loose screw?” Cy snorted. “He’s missing the whole tool box.”

Cy was talking about Millard Pringle, a quiet little man who can get lost in the maze of defensive “rules.”

“I was declarer at four spades,” Cy said, showing me today’s deal, “and West cashed three clubs and shifted to a diamond when East discarded a high diamond. I took the ace and got to my hand with the king of hearts. Now how would you attack the trumps?”

Cy had made a good play by leading the TEN. He planned to finesse, of course, but if West happened to hold the singleton king, Cy would capture it with the ace and finesse with his eight next.

“Well done,” I said.

“West was Millard,” the Cynic growled, “and he believes in covering any and all honors with an honor. So I couldn’t be sure what to do. I finally led a trump to my queen — and went down.”

Poor Cy was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Daily question: You hold: ? A 2 ? A Q 7 3 2 ? A J 5 ? 7 6 3. Neither side vulnerable. The dealer, at your right, opens one spade. What do you say?

Answer: To overcall two hearts is certainly not safe. If the next player has some hearts and some points, you could suffer a telephone-number penalty. But to pass isn’t safe either since you might have a game. I believe most experts would try two hearts. The hand isn’t strong enough to double, then bid hearts later.

North dealer

Both sides vulnerable

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