This hand determined which pair won Wednesday night's game.
Board #15
South dealer
North-South vulnerable
| | North
♠ K Q 5
♥ K Q 8 7 3
♦ Q J 8
♣ 7 3
| | West
♠ A 10 9 4 3 2
♥ J 6 5
♦ K 2
♣ K 10
| | East
♠ 6
♥ 9 4 2
♦ 6 5 4 3
♣ Q 9 6 4 2
| | | South
♠ J 8 7
♥ A 10
♦ A 10 9 7
♣ A J 8 5
| |
|
| | | | |
| South | West | North | East |
| 1NT | 2♠ | 3♥ | P |
| P | P | | |
I sat North. South's 1NT bid showed 12-14 high-card points. West's overcall showed just spades. I don't know if it was part of a convention or not. Like most pairs who play a weak no-trump, we play lebensohl when the overcall is 2♦ or higher. I had two ways to bid hearts. Bidding them directly, as I did, was stronger than the alternative, which was to bid 2NT first as a relay to 3♣. Unfortunately, Ken thought that 3♥ was only invitational, and he passed. So, I ended up playing 3♥. I made it, but 3NT was a clearly superior contract.
I really wanted to show my hearts while forcing to game. Here are the tools that I had available:
1) I could do what I did. I subsequently examined the source material that I have accumulated, and it all says that my bid was forcing. If that is what we agree to play, what should South bid? Since 3NT would surely show a stopper in spades, and 4♥ would show three hearts, I think that he should bid 3♠! What else could it mean? Because I had spade stoppers, I could then bid 3NT. If not, I could start a scramble at the four level.
2) I could make a negative double. This would show four hearts, and it would certainly be forcing. Partner could bid 2NT, 3♦, or 3♣. I could then bid 3♥ to show my fifth heart. Would this be invitational or forcing? We had never discussed it.
3) I could bid 3♠. This would be "Stayman" showing four hearts without a stopper in spades. Since I had a stopper, this was out.
4) I could bid 2NT and then 3♠. This would be "Stayman" showing four hearts and a stopper in spades. This understates my heart holding, but at least it definitely gets us to 3NT.
I am not sure why we have a negative double and a Stayman bid. I suppose that it would be useful if they bid 2♦ or bid at the three-level. In this case and in the case of a 2♥ overcall, it appears to be redundant.
Our main source document describes how to bid in the following situations:
1) Responder wishes to play in a 5+ card suit.
2) Responder has a 5 card suit and game forcing values.
3) Responder has a 4 card major and game forcing values.
4) Responder wishes to raise to 3NT.
5) Responder has no 5 card suit but would like to compete for a partial.
There is nothing about what to do with an invitational hand.
A few years ago I played a system called Rubensohl. In it 3♦ is used to show a transfer to hearts. This gives responder a second bid after opener completes the transfer. Unfortunately, there still does not seem to be a way to show an invitational hand.
Maybe I am making a mountain out of a mole hill. The number of invitational hands with five cards in the other major is not a very large percentage of the imaginable holdings.