Wendy, my club’s ardent feminist, thinks that most men are about as sharp as a bowling ball.

“Haven’t you ever had a serious relationship?”I asked Wendy in the lounge.

“For a while I dated a guy who thought he was God’s gift to women,” she shrugged.

“So what happened?” I wanted to know.

“I exchanged him.”

When Wendy played at today’s slam in a penny game, she demonstrated how to exchange one loser for another effectively. West led the nine of spades, and Wendy won with the ace, drew trumps and cashed the A-K of diamonds.

Wendy next took the king of spades and led the jack from dummy. When East’s queen covered, Wendy did not ruff but discarded her last diamond — a loser on a loser.

Then East had a choice of leads, all losing. If he led a club, Wendy would get a free finesse; if East led a spade, Wendy would pitch a club and ruff in dummy. If East had held a third diamond to lead, Wendy could ruff, and dummy’s last diamond would be a winner.

Daily question: You hold: ? Q 5 4 3 2 ? 5 ? J 9 ? K 10 9 8 4. Neither side vulnerable. Your partner deals and opens one spade. The next player bids two hearts. What do you say?

Answer: You can’t be sure who can make what, but bid four spades, showing good support and a shapely hand but limited high-card strength. If partner plays there, he may make the contract. Meanwhile, your opponents must guess. With K 5 4 3 2, A 5, J 9, A J 8 6, you would cue-bid three hearts.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

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