DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

“My wife and I have been wed for 37 years,” a club player told me, “and I’ve always tried to make her happy. When we got married, I said, ‘I do,’ and she said, ‘You’ll do.’ How could you not try to please someone like that?”

My friend was East in a duplicate event. He opened one spade, but North-South bid to four hearts.

“My wife led a spade,” East said, “and I took the ace. When declarer played the 10, I decided my wife had led from a doubleton. If I returned a spade, declarer would win, lead the queen of trumps, pick up the trumps and make his bid.

“So I led the ace of diamonds at Trick Two. If my wife had led a singleton spade, she would signal low, and I would shift back to spades.”

West signaled with the nine, so East led another diamond. West won and led a third diamond.

“I ruffed with my 10 of trumps,” East said, “which pleased my wife to no end. South had to overruff with an honor, and West’s K-8-5 of trumps were worth a trick. Down one.”

DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ K10 ♥ QJ942

◆ J6 ♣ AK J 5. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids one spade. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: You have 15 high-card points, nearbalanced pattern and the unbid suit well stopped. Place the contract: Bid 3NT. You need not bid two clubs. Even if partner has heart tolerance, you should prefer to play at notrump.