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A weak response with five-four in the majors

The bidding: North, with 13 high card points, opens one club, his better minor. South will bid his suits up the line except when he has a five-card suit. South bids spades, his five-card suit. North, without four-card support, bids one notrump.
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Both vulnerable

The bidding:

North, with 13 high card points, opens one club, his better minor. South will bid his suits up the line except when he has a five-card suit. South bids spades, his five-card suit. North, without four-card support, bids one notrump.

South could bid two hearts if he had ten plus points and a four-card suit. However he does not have ten points, therefore he rebids spades and partner passes. The partnership will miss a four-four heart fit if there is one, but with a weak hand, South can only show one new suit.

The contract: Two spades by South

The opening lead: The queen of diamonds

The play:

Declarer wins the king of diamonds and leads a spade to dummy. East wins the king. He exits a diamond. South leads a club to his queen, and East wins the king. East cannot exit a diamond as that would give declarer a sluff-and-a-ruff. He exits with a spade. West wins the ace and also exits with a spade.

Declarer loses the lead twice with hearts and has to ruff diamonds twice. He has just enough trump. Declarer loses two spades, two hearts and a club, making his contract.

The result: Two spades making for +110

Note: Against one notrump, east leads a diamond. It is a very weak suit but it will eventually give defense three tricks. One notrump should be set two.

-South would not have repeated a weak five-card suit if declarer had given a choice of two suits.