DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

As the players at the Mad Hatter’s took a tea break, the Red Queens, who were kibitzers, kept up their bickering.

“I’m the most powerful card in Wonderland,” the Queen of Hearts boasted. “No ace or king dares capture me.”

But the Queen of Diamonds insisted that losing a trick could be better than winning one.

Against the Hatter’s five spades, West, the Dormouse, led the seven of hearts. Alice, East, played the queen.

“Good!” the Queen of Hearts crowed.

The defense surely needed a diamond and a club. But since dummy’s clubs would provide discards, Alice had to lead a diamond quickly. Giving the Queen of Diamonds a nod, Alice led ... the queen. The Hatter took the ace and drew trumps, but when Alice took the king of clubs, she led a diamond to West for down one.

If Alice leads a low diamond to the king and ace at Trick Two, declarer succeeds. He draws trumps, ruffs his last heart in dummy and exits with a diamond. When Alice wins, she is end-played.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ 10 ♥ AQ1063

◆ Q874 ♣ K 9 2. Your partner opens one spade, you bid two hearts, he rebids two spades and you try 2NT. Partner next bids three diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner suggests six spades, four diamonds and minimum values. Pass and accept a plus.