Cy the Cynic was late (as usual) for his penny game. He'd been cooling his heels in a doctor's office.

"If I'm early for a 1 p.m. appointment," Cy growled, "the receptionist is still at lunch. If I'm late, every other 1 p.m. appointment has signed in ahead of me."

Cy has a knack for imprecise timing. When he was today's declarer, East took the ace of diamonds and led a trump. The Cynic took the A-Q and then tried the A-K of clubs. West was Unlucky Louie, with one of his usual hands, and with disbelief he ruffed. Cy threw dummy's jack of clubs on a high diamond later; down one.

DISCARDS

Cy needs entries to his hand, hence he can't afford to draw trumps early. He must start the clubs. He wins Trick Two in dummy, cashes the ace of clubs, leads a trump to his hand and discards the K-J of clubs on his K-Q of diamonds.

Cy ruffs a club, draws trumps and ruffs a club. He ruffs a spade and runs the clubs, winning four clubs, dummy's five trumps, a spade ruff and two diamonds.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A Q 10 8 H 2 D A 10 9 8 2 C Q 7 4. Your partner opens one club, you respond one diamond, he bids one heart and you try one spade. Partner then rebids two clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner seems to have six clubs and four hearts. His values may be minimum, but a hand such as K 7, Q 7 6 4, 7, A K J 9 6 2 will offer a play for slam. Jump to four clubs. If partner offers any encouragement, as with a cue bid of four hearts, you can bid six clubs.