How to continue after 1♣

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1, 2 or 3?1, 2 or 3? *1, 2 or 3? **1, 2 or 3? ***

How to continue after 1♣ - 3♣? **

Which South hand fits the bidding best?

North	South
—	1♣¹
3♣²	3♥

¹ Minimum three-card suit
² Invitational: 10-11 HCP, no four-card major, at least five clubs

South 1		South 2		South 3
♠	10 7	♠	Q J 5	♠	A J 4 3
♥	K J 7 5	♥	K Q 10 7	♥	A Q
♦	A Q	♦	5	♦	8 7
♣	A Q 7 6 4	♣	K Q 8 7 6	♣	K Q J 5 4

Solution

South should pass if he has a minimum hand.
If he has sufficient extra strength, he will start by investigating the possibility of 3NT. After all, a 4-4 fit in a major suit has already been ruled out and bidding five in a minor is our last option: we only consider to do so after 3NT and four in a major have been proven wrong.

South 1 should bid 3♦, not 3♥. In this situation (once more: South knows there is no 4-4 fit in a major) bidding his second suit is pointless, so he should bid guards (stoppers) in other suits, in order to investigate 3NT. He does so up the line. So a 3♥ bid would deny a diamond guard.

South 2 should pass. His hand is a minimum, so game is not on.

South 3 is the one to bid 3♥. He shows a heart guard and denies a diamond guard. He hopes that North has a diamond guard, so NS can play 3NT after all.

For connoisseurs:
Suppose South bids a guard (so he has sufficient extra strength, since the bidding is now game forcing) and it turns out that North and South both lack a guard in a specific suit. Still it isn't 100% certain then, that they will play five in a minor now. Sometimes four in a minor in a 4-3 fit is a possibility. Important then is that the hand with the three-card trump suit is short (maximum a doubleton) in that suit. That way declarer can ruff that suit with the short trump suit and draw trumps later with the four card suit:

S/EW	♠	A 6 2
	♥	K 8 5
	♦	7 6
	♣	K 10 7 6 2


	♠	Q J 7 4
	♥	A Q J 3
	♦	2
	♣	A Q 8 3

West	North	East	South
—	—	—	1♣
pass	3♣	pass	3♥¹
pass	4♣²	pass	4♥³
pass	pass⁴	pass

¹ Heart guard, no diamond guard
² No diamond guard either (note that North should not bid 3♠: that bid would show a diamond guard — by staying below 3NT, he continues to show interest in that contract — and deny a spade guard!)
³ 'I have a four-card heart suit; if you have three-card support, this might be a good spot'
⁴ 'Suits me fine'

Of course, 5♣ is a fine contract as well, but on the assumption that NS don't want to venture 6♣ (which depends on the spade finesse), 4♥ is superior to 5♣, especially at match points.
If the finesse for the ♠K succeeds, declarer will make twelve tricks (+420) in 5♣ and eleven tricks (+450) in 4♥ (if, against 4♥, EW start off with two rounds of diamonds, South discards a spade at the second diamond trick!).
If the finesse for the ♠K fails, declarer will make eleven tricks (+400) in 5♣ and ten tricks (+420) in 4♥.

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