The bidding: East, with fourteen high card points, opens one club. The diamond suit is better quality, but better minor opening dictates a one-club opening with three-three in the minors. Even if the club suit is 432 and the diamond suit is AKQ, one club is still the opening.
If partner is using a better minor opening and opens one diamond, he will have four or more diamonds if he cannot raise partner’s major.
South has twelve high card points and both majors. He cannot double because the lengths of his unbid suits are too different. He must overcall one heart.
North has ten points and cuebids clubs. He is asking partner whether he is a full opener (a good 12 high card points or better). South would have rebid his suit to say ‘no.’ Any other bid says ‘yes.’ South bids spades to say ‘yes.’ North now shows heart support and a minimum ten points with a three heart bid. The auction passes out.
The contract: Three Hearts by South
The opening lead: The five of diamonds
A major is not the correct lead because West’s trump is a singleton and he does not want to help declarer with his second suit. A minor bid is not lead-directive so West picks the less objectionable minor lead of a small diamond.
The play: Declarer wins the ace of diamonds and plays a heart. East ducks and the king holds. Declarer goes to the king of spades in dummy and leads another heart. East takes his ace. Declarer loses a club, a diamond and one heart making ten tricks.
The result: Three Hearts making four for +170
Note: How often do you lead partner’s suit when it is a minor only bid once? Probably too often.