Bridge by Frank Stewart

Cy the Cynic doesn't date as much as he used to. As he's aged, he's gotten uneasy about being alone with women.

"Most of them want a relationship with a giant ear," Cy says.

Cy's discomfort extends to the bridge table, where he hates to have a woman alone: His least favorite holding is a singleton queen. When he has one, he figures something terrible is bound to happen.

When I watched today's deal in a Chicago game at the club, Cy was West and bid boldly.

When East sacrificed at five clubs over North's raise to four hearts, South should have passed, since North's hand was unknown. North would have doubled five clubs for plus 300 points, but South was in jeopardy at five hearts.

Cy led the king of clubs, and South threw a spade on dummy's ace and drew trumps (not best). On the third trump, Cy had to discard - and with obvious relief, he shed his queen of diamonds!

South next led a diamond, and East captured dummy's king and shifted to a spade. Cy got his king, and East's 10-9 of diamonds produced the setting trick.

South would make five hearts if Cy were still a connoisseur of women and kept his queen of diamonds. Say Cy discards a club on the third trump. When South leads a diamond next and Cy's queen appears, South plays low from dummy - an "avoidance" play. Cy can't lead a spade effectively and instead exits with a club. South ruffs, leads a diamond to the king and ace, wins the spade return, and runs the diamonds to discard his queen of spades.