“I’ve gotten forgetful lately” Cy the Cynic told me in the club lounge. “I’ve checked into one of those online “improve your memory” courses.”

“Are they really effective?” I asked doubtfully.

“I’ll admit,”Cy said, “that it didn’t inspire a lot of confidence in me when they wanted me to pay in advance.”

In a penny game, Cy was today’s East, and West led the jack of clubs against four hearts. Declarer played low from dummy, and the Cynic took the king and ... returned a club.

Declarer won with the queen and cashed the A-K of trumps. He threw his diamond loser on the ace of clubs and let the queen of spades ride. West won and cashed his queen of trumps, but South had the rest and made his game.

Cy had a memory lapse; he forgot the bidding. South showed 10 cards in the major suits, so at Trick Two Cy must cash his ace of diamonds. If West has tricks in spades or hearts, he will get them regardless, but Cy’s diamond trick will go away if he doesn’t take it.

Daily question: You hold: ? Q 8 ? K 6 5 ? K J 8 7 4 ? A 7 2. Neither side vulnerable. The dealer, at your right, opens one spade. What do you say?

Answer: Don’t even think of bidding (or doubling for takeout). You would have opened the bidding as dealer, but to overcall two diamonds on a ragged five-card suit would be begging for trouble. Your queen of spades is probably a wasted card, and your hand is full of losers and defensive in nature. Pass.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

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