001hans

Nobody mentiones the 3♣ bid. I guess 2♣ may also be bid on a 4-card suit (say xxx, xx, AHxx, AHxx). So the correct rebid after 1♥ - 2♣ is 2NT. Now N bids 3♣, showing length. South 4♣, agreeing trumps. Neanderthal or homo sapiens, any North would now bid 4♦. After that missing slam is out of the question. In the given sequence, up to 3♣, what can possibly be wrong with 4♣ ? Even if showing second controls (kings, singletons) is beyond agreements, a 4♣-bid, followed by 5♣ after South bids his ♦Ace, tells South that he has useful values besides long and good clubs.

Interesting problem. Usually multi-2D includes strong hand(s). 2S would be my choice: if partner has spades, we may escape if opps' spades are 4-3. But the main problem lies elsewhere. Suppose your multi-2D includes a 22/23 NT and that you open 2NT with 20/21 or 2Clubs with 24/25. With a 22/23 NT-hand partner needs time to do his counting: 1 point more or less is of vital importance for the choice of opening bid. So, often your partner can conclude from the time you need before you open 2D (if weak with 6 spades or 6 hearts only a few seconds; with 22/23 significantly longer) whether you have a weak or a strong hand. And that may influence his choice of response. For example: if you have xxx, Jxxx, Hxxxx, x, you respond with a preemptive 3H if you can be pretty sure that partner has a weak hand with a 6-card major, but 2H/S if he needed some time to do his counting …. The same applies to other Multi-type opening bids, like 2 Clubs as either a specific strong NT-hand or weak with both majors. Therefore I propose to use the STOP-rule (one's left hand opp. has an obligation to pause for 10 seconds before taking action) also BEFORE placing an 2X-opening bid on the table, so as to make it impossible for his partner to draw conclusions from the time used to assess his hand. HvdH

Considering 5D with a hand with no aces and opposite a 11-14 NT hand is looking for the (near)-perfect South hand: something like Axx, xx, Axxx(x), Axx(x). With just about any other hand 3NT is a better shot. After 3S (showing D-fit) North should propose 3NT, assuming that partner, with a perfect hand for 5D, will convert 3NT to 5D, or bid 4C with Axx, Qx, Axxxx, Axx, implying that he does not exclude slam-possibilities. HvdH

Depending on agreements what 2NT (vulnerable) promises, 5C seems like a good bid: south may assume that it has a good chance of making. He missed a good chance though telling N that he was assuming that: he should have bid 4S: defensive values in spades in case opps compete on the 5-level. Now N knows that 5H does not stand a chance + that 6C/D is a phantom save: even if only 1 off, then against 5H also 1 or more off. So, the best N/S auction is 1S - 2NT - 4H - 4S 5H - D (S has either clubs or diamonds, but OW have no source of running tricks apart from trumps) In case west passes, N bids 5C, and sees S passing or bidding 5D. In the given auction 6C by N is nonsens: if 5H is making, he can expect 6C to go 2 down.