Right on Cue by Foxymoron

This phrase, roughly meaning just at the right time, seems to stem from the theatre, and the etymology is 16th Century; probably from the name of the letter q, used in an actor's script to represent the Latin quando (when). A cue was a signal for an actor to enter the stage.

Both Chantal and Stefanie produced identical auctions today to balance with a natural 2S bid. They were partnering good players, and had no hesitation in trusting their partner with a cue bid of the opponent's suit. The word "cue" is interesting, and is a form of "queue" as a way of representing the letter. I sometimes throw in at the end of a party the poser as to which Welsh word is pronounced the same way as its English equivalent, but has no letters in common. That is CIW, the Welsh for QUEUE, seen on road signs in Wales. The poser normally triggers other guests to look at their watches and say, "Is that the time? I must get my coat".

But I digress. This cue today was not a mystery:

Some play an immediate 2S as natural, but on the next round it is unambiguous. 2S is always making 9 tricks for a joint top, and both Wests led a trump, a poor choice, which should cost the second overtrick. Chantal won and ran the jack of hearts which Robot East won to return another heart, but this allowed South to get a club away on the third heart while East ruffed with a trump trick. 2S+2 was worth all the matchpoints. Stefanie was in the same position, and when East ruffed with the nine of spades she overruffed instead of discarding the ten of clubs. Now she should play a diamond and can later gain entry to dummy to take another spade finesse to share a top. When she didn't, she only made one overtrick. So Chantal had the honours on this board, but Stefanie came out on top overall with a fine win with Ken Rolph on 67%.