DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

“Are you still trying to ask Wendy out?” I asked Cy the Cynic in the club lounge. I’ve told Cy, a chauvinist, that he and Wendy, our club’s feminist, might actually like each other if they knew each other better. “She won’t go,” Cy said. “She’s playing hard to get,” I suggested.

“She’s playing hard to get along with,” the Cynic growled.

Cy was East in today’s deal, and Wendy, West, led a trump against four hearts.

“I took the ace,” Cy said, “and shifted to the king of spades. Declarer took the ace, drew trumps and let the queen of diamonds ride. When I won, I cashed my queen of spades, and South claimed.

“Wendy told me I had a room-temperature IQ,” Cy went on. “I can’t see us going out any time soon.”

When Cy takes the ace of trumps, the defense needs three more tricks before South sets up the diamonds for discards. Cy’s best chance is to lead the four of spades at Trick Two. If South misguesses by playing low, the defense prevails.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ AJ7 ♥ K10954

◆ Q4 ♣ K J 2. You open one heart, and your partner responds one spade. What do you say?

ANSWER: A raise to two spades would be acceptable; auctions are often more comfortable when a possible trump suit is set early. Since the pattern is balanced and the hand has honors in every suit, bid 1NT. If partner has a diamond holding such as A-5-3, you should be declarer at a notrump contract.