Cy the Cynic says that if you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs, you may be the executioner.

Cy was West in a duplicate event. Against five diamonds he led the ace of clubs, and South's king fell. How should Cy continue?

It would have been easy to lead another club, but Cy kept his head. He needed two more tricks and doubted that South had a hand such as Q 8 3, Q 2, A K Q 10 9 7 3, K, leaving East with the A-K of spades. If South had solid diamonds, he might have risked 3NT even with the bare king of clubs.

So Cy judged that his best chance was to find East with a "slow" spade trick. At Trick Two the Cynic led a heart.

SECOND HEART

South took the queen and led the queen of trumps. East won and came through by leading a second heart, and dummy was executed. South took the ace and tried to cash the king, but when East ruffed, South had to overruff and lose a spade.

Most North-Souths reached five diamonds, but Cy was the only West to beat the contract.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S K 9 5 3 H 5 4 D A 7 C Q 8 7 6 4. The dealer, at your left, opens two hearts (weak), and your partner doubles. The next player passes. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner's double is for takeout and suggests opening values and support for the unbid suits. (Since you may need to respond at the level of three, he probably has extra values.) Game is quite possible, hence jump to three spades to invite game in the most likely strain.