When I watched today's deal at the club, declarer was Cy the Cynic, a shameless chauvinist who thinks a woman's place is in the home - and she should go there straight from work. East was Wendy, our feminist, who asserts that all men are animals but some make better pets.

At four spades, Cy took the ace of hearts and led a club to his queen. He drew trumps and sneakily led another low club from dummy. Wendy paused, then sneered at the Cynic and played low again. West's jack won, after which the defense got a heart and two diamonds for down one.

NICE DEFENSE

"Nice defense," I said.

"Men are like Ziploc bags," Wendy sniffed. "They hold everything in, but you can see right through them."

A careless defender might have fallen for Cy's ruse by playing the ace on the second club, fearing that South had Q-J doubleton. But Wendy knew South had five trump tricks, a heart, a heart ruff in dummy and surely the ace of diamonds. If he had the jack of clubs, the contract was cold.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S K 10 9 7 H A 8 D J 5 4 C K 7 6 2. Your partner opens one heart, you respond one spade, he bids two diamonds and you try 2NT. Partner next bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner's sequence suggests six hearts, four diamonds and extra strength. If he had a minimum hand such as A 5, K Q 7 6 4 2, Q 8 6 3, 8, his second bid would have been two hearts. With A 5, K Q 7 6 4, K 8 6 3 2, 8, his third bid would have been three diamonds to sign off. Bid four hearts.