DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:

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In today’s deal, you are asked to bid as South and become declarer at three spades. West leads the queen of diamonds, dummy plays low and East takes the ace! You win the club return and lead a trump: seven, queen, ace. You ruff East’s club return. What next?

Vu-Bridge asks you to figure out East-West’s shape. East had one diamond, and clubs were surely split 4-4. Since East did not open in a major, his pattern was 4-41-4. Lead a heart to dummy and a trump to your nine.

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DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ Q8 ♥ A84 ◆ K 842 ♣ 8 6 4 3. Your partner opens one spade, you respond 1NT, he bids two hearts and you return to two spades. Partner then bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Partner’s three hearts shows game interest. He would not raise the level of the contract just to tell you he has a fifth heart. Your king of diamonds may not be useful, but your honors in his long suits justify a raise to four hearts.