DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

“It’s a lost cause,” the Queen of Diamonds told Alice as the players at the Mad Hatter’s took a tea break. “My cousin the Queen of Hearts will never abide being captured.”

“But Your Majesty knows that losing a trick can be better than winning one,” Alice sighed.

“Deal and you’ll see,” the Queen said. So Alice dealt and opened one heart. The Dormouse and the Hatter, North-South, then bid to four spades.

Alice carefully led the queen of hearts, winning. When dummy hit, Alice saw that the March Hare, East, would have to produce a trick for the defense to have a chance, but they would also need two diamonds.

Giving the Queen of Diamonds a nod, Alice shifted to the queen of diamonds. The Hatter took dummy’s king, cashed the A-K of trumps and started the clubs. The Hare ruffed the third club to return a diamond, and Alice took the nine and ace. Down one.

“See what I mean?” the Queen of Diamonds murmured.

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ AK93 ♥ 9 ◆ K72 ♣ K J 10 7 4. You open one club, your partner bids one spade, you raise to three spades and he tries four diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s four diamonds is an ace-showing cue bid to invite slam. For you to cue-bid four hearts or five diamonds would be defensible, but since this hand is a minimum for a raise to three spades, I would sign off at four spades. If there is a slam, partner may make a move.