Difficult Choice

14^th July – Board 12. North/South Game. Dealer West.

West has a difficult choice of rebid on the hand shown below and I believe the bid actually chosen was the right one.

	North: S J 10 6 H 9 4 2 D 10 9 8 2 C J 8 3
West: S A Q 8 7 3 2 H Q 3 D Q J C A K 4		East: S K 5 H A 10 7 6 5 D 7 4 C Q 7 6 5
	South: S 9 4 H K J 8 D A K 6 5 3 C 10 9 2

West	North	East	South
1S	No	2H	No
3C	No	4C	No
4S	End

So what would/did you do after partner bids 2H after your 1S opener? To my mind the spade suit is not good enough for 3S and the hand has too many potential losers in the red suits to warrant 2NT – which leaves 3C as a practical shot. It is game forcing of course, leaving East all manner of options. He could bid 3NT with a good diamond holding, rebid hearts with a six-suiter, support spades with three cards or indeed raise clubs, as is the case here. When West now rebids his spades East should get the message and let things be although I note in passing that with the benign break in both black suits that 5C is also ‘cold’.