“Does Wendy have any family?” I asked Cy the Cynic.
“None that I know of,” Cy said shortly.
Cy, a chauvinist, and Wendy, my club’s resident feminist, are relentless adversaries, even when they cut as partners in our penny games.
“Maybe she’ll get married,” I mused.
“Not likely at this point,” Cy muttered. “She says women marry early because the more they learn about men, the less chance they’ll want one.”
The two had a set-to in today’s deal. Cy was South; he opened and rebid in hearts, then bid diamonds to suggest a minimum with 6-4 in his suits. Wendy, North, blasted into six hearts, and West led the ten of spades.
Wendy put down her dummy proudly; the Cynic viewed it with distaste. He took the ace of spades and cashed the A-K of trumps; East-West followed low. Cy then ruffed a spade and conceded a trump. East shifted to the jack of diamonds, breaking up a potential double squeeze, and Cy had to lose another trick.
Commenced the argument.
“You bid too much,” Cy told Wendy.
“I agree,” she growled, “since you would be declarer. Also, it might help if you had an opening bid.”
Cy should ruff a spade at Trick Two, take the ace of trumps and ruff a spade. He goes to the king of trumps, ruffs the last spade, takes the A-K of clubs and A-K of diamonds, and cashes the queen of clubs. At the 12th trick, he leads dummy’s last club, and whether East ruffs with his queen or discards, Cy scores his last trump.
“So you think Wendy will never marry?” I asked Cy.
“She’s so single,” Cy shrugged, “her emergency contact is the pope.”
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S A J 6 2
H A K
D A 6 2
C Q 7 4 3
WEST
S 10 9 8 3
H 7 3
D Q 9 4
C 10 8 6 5
EAST
S K Q 7 4
H Q 6 2
D J 10 8
C J 9 2
SOUTH
S 5
H J 10 9 8 5 4
D K 7 5 3
C A K
South West North East
1 H Pass 1 S Pass
2 H Pass 3 C Pass
3 D Pass 6 H All Pass
Opening lead — S 10
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