Cy the Cynic is a confirmed bachelor. He asserts that after a man says “I do,” he quickly discerns a whole list of things he had better not do.

Cy isn’;t my club’s best declarer, but he knows one thing that declarers had better not do: draw trumps without considering the entire play. When Cy played at today’s six hearts in the club’s penny game, West led the king of spades, and Cy took dummy’s ace and counted 11 tricks. To get one more, he might reasonably have drawn trumps, then finessed with the jack of diamonds or played for the A-K of clubs to drop the queen.

Instead, the Cynic chose a different plan: an &”incomplete strip.” He took only the A-K of trumps, cashed the A-K of diamonds, ruffed dummy’s last diamond and took the A-K of clubs. Then, leaving the last missing trump undrawn, Cy exited with a spade.

West won and had to concede the slam. Whether he led a diamond or another spade, Cy would ruff with dummy’s ten of trumps and discard his jack of clubs.

Daily question: You hold: ? J 6 ? A K Q J 7 4 ? A J ? J 8 2. Your partner opens one club. South in today’s deal responded one heart with this hand. Do you agree with that call?

Answer: I don’t. South was worth a strong jump-shift to two hearts, planning to bid three hearts next to show a strong hand and strong suit. Many pairs use “weak jump-shifts,” a treatment I dislike. Slam-bidding is smoother when you can tell partner promptly that you are interested.

North dealer

Both sides vulnerable

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