DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

“I heard you tried to advise Wendy about her dummy play,” I said to Cy the Cynic. Cy, a chauvinist, and Wendy, my club’s feminist, are fierce adversaries.

“Never give a woman advice,” Cy growled. “Don’t give her anything she can’t wear.”

Wendy had played at six spades. She took the ace of diamonds, came to her ace of clubs and led a heart to the queen. East took the king and led a club, and Wendy ruffed, took the A-K of trumps and ace of hearts, and ruffed a heart in dummy. When East discarded, Wendy threw a heart on the king of diamonds but still lost a heart.

“I remarked that the slam was cold,” the Cynic sighed. “Wendy said her play was fine and unlucky to fail, and who did I think I was anyway?”

At Trick Two South must take the king of diamonds and pitch her ace of clubs! She next leads the queen of clubs and discards a heart. West wins, but South can ruff the diamond return, draw trumps ending in dummy, and throw three more hearts on the high clubs. DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S 8 H J 9 6 2 D J 10 9 2 C K 7 4 2. The dealer, at your left, opens one club. Your partner doubles, you respond one heart and he bids one spade. The opponents pass. What do you say?

Answer: This problem is awkward, but I’d be reluctant to strand partner at one spade when the opponents might have more trumps than he did. Moreover, partner’s bidding shows substantial extra strength. Bid 1NT or two diamonds, looking for a better place to play.