'The most interesting questions of visitors from the Dutch sister site (Bridgevaria.nl)'. 

Dear Ed and Peter,

My partner and I open four-card majors. As South I had: 

I assumed partner's 3♠ bid was Splinter (slam try, singleton or void in spades, Ed/Peter) with hearts as the agreed trump suit.
However partner thought his 3♠ bid asked for a guard in spades, in order to play 3NT.
I bid 4♦, control-showing, and the sad ending was 6♥ doubled, down two and a solid bottom.
What is the most practical meaning for the 3♠ bid in this situation?

Thanks, Léon Bijnsdorp

Reply Ed Hoogenkamp (South)

Dear Léon,

I think here Splinter is by far the most practical meaning for the 3♠ bid, since it conveys very specific information in one bid. Especially since you cannot convey this information later.

If partner wants to ask for a spade guard, he should not be in such a hurry. He can easily do so later. After all, he will be inclined to ask for that guard on many different types of hand, therefore many different contracts are still possible.
He should begin by bidding 2♣ or 2♦, forcing and natural, or double (negatively) or bid 2♠ (unless this bid has a different systemic meaning, like a heart fit for instance). After any of these bids he can easily ask for a spade guard later and end up in 3NT (or he may hear partner bid notrump on his own anyway).

I somehow sense your partner has mixed up the actual bidding situation with this one:

In this case West has opened (instead of overcalled, as in your auction). Now this is a case where North indeed enquires after a spade guard, in order to play 3NT. He shows a solid minor suit and some strength in hearts and the other minor.
(Rumour has it, that there is a Polish inverted version of this agreement: North's 3♠ bid now means: 'Partner I have a spade guard, please bid 3NT if you have a solid seven-card minor suit.')

Un saludo desde Barcelona
 

Reply Peter van der Linden (North)

Dear Léon,

Ed must be having a field day, since I have to agree with him (he needs it, the poor sod: he is a nervous wreck since FC Barcelona is only one point ahead of Real Madrid, with one match to go).

If 3♠ were to have the meaning your partner suggests, he is playing solo-bridge. What if you have solid extra strength and/or a good long second suit (like here)? Should you then show discipline and bid 3NT, risking to miss a slam if you turn out to have a fit in your second suit? Or should you do the naughty thing by bidding your second suit, only to find out that there is no fit there and that 3NT was the place to be?
The point is that any bid that consumes a huge amount of bidding space (as North's 3♠ bid does) should either show a fit or, if not, a very specific hand. The reason is that you have not yet had the chance to describe your hand. As it is, North's 3♠ bid here locks out South, he cannot co-decide since he knows little of North's hand...
Observe the difference with Ed's example (second bidding diagram): there it is easy for South to paint a picture of North's hand: a solid minor and (semi-)guards in hearts and the other minor.

Since Ed came up with an anecdote, I cannot but follow suit.
At MP-pairs I once faced the following problem:

After a long huddle I decided to change my explanation and retract my alert: 'On second thought I think 3♠ was natural and pre-emptive, but I am not certain...' I said, at the same time of course allowing West to take back his pass and bid.
However, he stuck to his pass. I passed as well (consistent to my explanation) and so did East.
So partner became declarer in 3♠... in a 1-1 'fit'. Of course his bid was Splinter after all (always follow your first impulse...).
He made two tricks (aces) and the seven trick defeat (-350) gave us a fine score, since the opponents could make 5♠ (and 6♥ would have been defeated by three tricks, −500; yes, partner's Splinter was somewhat optimistic...).
West's acting (remember his bored expression?) was better than his judgement: his 'cleverness' in passing with seven spades was wasted on the vulnerability...

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