Somewhere in the middle by Bobby Wolff

A: 1NT: Your partner's double is takeout, more about high cards than extra shape, perhaps because he can always bid hearts or clubs naturally at his second turn. Your hand looks more like a rebid of one no-trump than a two-diamond call, though both bids are acceptable. With this hand, I'd say seven tricks in no-trump may be easier than eight in diamonds.

Your result so far:

A: Pass: It is tempting to move to two no-trump, hoping to find a better spot, with an outside chance of making game. I'd prefer to pass, even when vulnerable at teams. Unless partner has a seventh heart, or six solid hearts, game seems somewhat unlikely to make. Ensuring the plus score is an underrated art.

Your result so far:

A: 2♠: On this auction, calls in the minors should be natural, not an artificial relay. With forcing or even invitational values, you might have redoubled initially. In any event, with this hand, I'd be tempted to repeat my spades -- this is a suit that looks like it should be trump.

Your result so far:

A: 2♦: Had East not bid, you might have produced a constructive heart raise if playing forcing no-trump (where weak raises go through one no-trump). That doesn't apply in competition; the real choice now is whether to bid two hearts and compete again, or bid two diamonds first, then raise hearts to suggest invitational values. I prefer the latter approach, but if you took away the diamond 10, I'd go the other way.

Your result so far:

A: 4♠: Are you happy jumping to four spades here? You should be, since the call is basically pre-emptive rather than a strong call. With a better hand, such as the spade ace instead of the four, one can use a jump to three no-trump to show a raise to four with some defense. I prefer that meaning for the call rather than having it show a balanced 13-15.

Your result so far: