jophorst

Personally I don't like showing minors when having only four of it. I already have learned that an 1NT-opening often can be done on two 2-cards (either 5-4-2-2 or 6-3-2-2). So even a 5-5 doesn't guarantee a fit. Another interesting question is how to show your minor suit. I'd like to show it by bidding my other minor. That increases the odds the 1NT opener becomes declarer.

- Minor Suit Ask after 1NT and 2NT openings. - Whether you may bid small slems on a finesse or an 9-card fit missing the queen. - Whether you may bid grand slam in an 8-card fit missing the jack. - How to do research for grand slem after the answer to a keycard ask. - (Non)serious 3NT. - Splinters, at what strength to bid? - Exercises to bid slam without using Blackwood.

Then I think I disaggree with wests 5♦ bid. With opponents bidding to 4♠, he can count you are void in spades, or in a rare case you have one. So he should bid 4NT, with at most one spades loser and maybe another loser. Especially when you agreed to play Roman Keycards. If he didn't like 4NT, another option was 5♠ (if this is agreed to "make a choice between 6♦ and 6♥") or even 5♥, inviting you to slam if you are short enough in the spades. In this case you are, and bid 6♦ (of even 7♦ if you trust him to have no losers outside ♦K and spades) to give partner the option to end in diamonds rather than in hearts.

That is only part of the plan. Opponents have the option to let you win the second ♦ trick. Then you play ♠J, they take the ace and cash two diamonds (otherwise you have nine tricks), and you discard ♣A. - If they play clubs, you let the queen win and play hearts: Either declarer wins ♥10 and ♠10, or dummy wins ♣K and a free diamond. - If they play spades, it is your seventh trick. Take ♣Q over with ♣K from dummy and cash a free diamond.