A 100% choice by Frank Stewart

A: 1♠: This problem is awkward. You would like to act again -- you have 17 points, and your partner may have eight or nine -- but no action is attractive. A raise to two hearts would strongly suggest four-card support (since partner's hearts may be ragged). I would reluctantly recommend a bid of one spade.

Your result so far:

A: 4♥: Your partner's second bid is forcing; he has at least opening values, a diamond suit and spade support. Slam is quite possible, but since you have two low clubs, you can't take control with a 4NT Blackwood bid. Cue-bid four hearts to show the ace and slam interest.

Your result so far:

A: 3NT: Your partner shows six hearts with minimum values for a two-level response. To pass would be disciplined, but if he has 3, K Q J 10 7 3, A 6 5, 6 4 2 or 3, K Q J 10 7 3, 6 5 2, A 4 2, you might make a game. Since there is more to gain by bidding, I'd try 3NT and apologize if it worked poorly.

Your result so far:

A: 2♠: Most pairs treat a new-suit response to a weak two-bid as forcing. (They also treat a 2NT response as forcing.) Bid two spades. Your partner will know you won't have opened two diamonds with four cards in spades. He will assume you're showing a stopper in the suit.

Your result so far:

A: 2♣: Some players would have avoided the problem by opening 1NT, but that bid might have created other problems. A jump to 2NT now would be a misbid, but you have two reasonable options: a jump to three spades, pretending you have a fourth spade, or (my choice) a temporizing bid of two clubs.

Your result so far: