DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

In a penny game at my club, North-South were Wendy, our feminist, and Cy the Cynic, a shameless chauvinist.

Cy was declarer at six spades after both he and Wendy bid boldly. West led a heart, and the Cynic scowled when he saw dummy. He took the ace, drew trumps, led a diamond to the ace and returned a diamond. East showed out, and Cy conceded a diamond and a heart.

“Why did you bid slam?” Cy demanded. “Your hand was a minimum 1NT opener.”

“So you embrace Mrs. Murphy’s Law,” Wendy growled. “If something can go wrong, it will. And a woman will always get the blame.”

Cy should cash the king of trumps at Trick Two, then take the ace of clubs and ruff a club. He draws trumps with the ace, discards a heart on the king of clubs and ruffs another club.

When East-West follow suit, Cy can place East with 2-6-1-4 pattern. So Cy takes the king of diamonds and exits with a heart. The defender who wins will be end-played.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ KQJ53 ♥ A52

◆ KJ93 ♣ 4. You open one spade, your partner bids two clubs, you try two diamonds and rebids three clubs. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner has long clubs but minimum values for a two-level response. Game chances are poor; at 3NT, partner would be unlikely to set up his clubs and get back to cash them. Pass.