I found Cy the Cynic, a chauvinist, and Wendy, my club’s feminist, arguing about wedding plans. The battle lines were drawn: Wendy favored long engagements; Cy was opposed to marriage.
“Engagements,” Cy sniffed. “Showers for the bride, curtains for the groom.”
Later, the two were North-South in a penny game. Cy doubled West’s preemptive three diamonds, and when Wendy bid three spades, Cy raised. West led a diamond, and Wendy surveyed the Cynic’s dummy with less than her usual distaste.
“I’ll show him what a good woman can do,” she whispered to me. She took the ace of diamonds and led dummy’s queen of spades.
LOUD CRASH
East reflexively covered with the king, and there was a loud crash. Wendy later led a second trump toward her ten, losing two trumps and a heart.
Wendy gave herself the only chance. She placed East with only two hearts — West would have led a singleton — so East had three trumps.
“A woman,” Wendy told Cy, “wouldn’t cover the queen.”
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S Q 7 4 3 H A Q J 6 D A 4 C A K 6. Both sides vulnerable. Your partner deals and opens three diamonds. The next player passes. What do you say?
ANSWER: This is not an easy guess. To bid 3NT would be a winning call if partner’s hand is 82,3,KQJ10853,Q54, but might be disastrous if he holds 2,K5,QJ109853,732. Bid five diamonds. Partner should have a chance at that contract if he has any kind of reasonable three-diamond bid.
East dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S Q 7 4 3
H A Q J 6
D A 4
C A K 6
WEST
S A
H 8 7
D 10 9 8 6 3 2
C 10 9 7 4
EAST
S K J 9
H K 5
D K Q J 5
C Q J 8 3
SOUTH
S 10 8 6 5 2
H 10 9 4 3 2
D 7
C 5 2
East South West North
1 NT Pass 3 D Dbl
Pass 3 S Pass 4 S
All Pass
Opening lead — D 10
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