[jillybean]

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2♦ promises 5+

[mw64ahw]

3♠ - opener shouldn't have 4♠ and you don't have a ♣ stopper so lets see what opener's reply is?
Now 3N is to play, 4♣ is a slam try in ♦ with 4♦ denying the ♣ stopper

[mikeh]

Since partner could easily be short in clubs, bidding 3N would be an error. 3S is an ambiguous bid. It is either a cue bid, looking for higher things in diamonds, or showing a stopper and hoping to hear 3N. There is a very useful saying that applies to such ambiguous bids: game before slam. That means that partner should act on the assumption that your bid is a try for game rather than for slam…thus he acts as though 3S was a try for 3N. If it were a cuebid, then you’d pull 3N, should he bid it and that clarifies your intentions.

[jillybean]

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And how should the auction proceed? No agreement on showing 6 hearts, I do have with other partners but not here.

[DavidKok]

East should rebid 2♥, even in a style where that doesn't show 6. Exploring the major suits is more important than confirming the diamond fit, and here it's cheaper too.
I understand that East is looking for a diamond slam, which is reasonable though I prefer showing shape first. However, in that context I don't understand the title.

[Cyberyeti]

You are in a much better place than I am as 2♦ is GF which it isn't for me

I'd be inclined to start:

1♥-2♦
2♥

Not sure on style of 2/1 here, whether 2♠ or 3♦ is the right bid, if you can start with 2♠ and partner bids 3♦ he should have got the 6th heart over too, or he'd have bid 3♦ not 2♥.

[mike777]

I still like the Schuler Shift here
2nt rebid shows 6+ in the major

[mikeh]

Suppressing that heart suit is not a great idea. 2D established a gf and there will almost always be a chance to raise diamonds later, which would gave the salutary effect of revealing that 2H was based on 6 hearts (obviously if 2H already showed 6 that doesn’t apply).

Majors outscore minors. And AKQxxx is a promising potential trump suit plus, if partner has shortness, it’s a suit that can usually be established with one ruff at worst.

With west, if 2H is ambiguous, the hand is worth 2N. I wouldn’t be bidding 3N over a diamond raise but 2N isn’t as committal and allows partner to show long hearts or delayed diamond support. Here, he’ll bid a happy 3D and you can bid either 3S, reverting to where we came in, or 3H, which would be a doubleton due to the implications of the earlier 2N bid.

If 2H promised 6, then west still has options. His hand doesn’t look great for a heart contract…ok, yes, but fine, no. So I’d be inclined to bid 2N anyway.

Using 2N as a stall, promising some values in the unbid suits but otherwise wide range, is a powerful aspect of 2/1. When 2D is not gf, stalling with a presumably non forcing 2N isn’t available with a gf hand.

It’s very difficult to construct a coherent auction that avoids one of the red suit slams after 2D. At imps, I’d not worry much about which suit i chose.

[jillybean]

DavidKok, on 2026-February-25, 11:05, said:

East should rebid 2♥, even in a style where that doesn't show 6. Exploring the major suits is more important than confirming the diamond fit, and here it's cheaper too.
I understand that East is looking for a diamond slam, which is reasonable though I prefer showing shape first. However, in that context I don't understand the title.

The auction 1H 2D 3D 3NT, hence the title

mike777, on 2026-February-25, 11:23, said:

I still like the Schuler Shift here
2nt rebid shows 6+ in the major

Yes, unavailable here. Opener holding a 6 card major after a 2/1 undiscussed.

As 2H was undiscussed, I thought it best to show the diamond fit. The auction didn't end there, I bid 6nt/3nt for a top, everyone else in in 4 or 6H, but still a damn awful auction.

[akwoo]

East should not pass 3N. I can't imagine 4N being a problem if you decide not to play a slam.

[mw64ahw]

mike777, on 2026-February-25, 11:23, said:

I still like the Schuler Shift here
2nt rebid shows 6+ in the major

That works well when 5♦ is GF
You can play
2♥ min.
Now with extras
2♠ ♣ or ♠; 2N asks for shape.
2N unbalanced 6♥; 3♣ asks for the splinter or 4-card black suit
3♣ semi-balanced; 3♦ asks for the fragment
3♦ 3+♦
3♥ self-sustaining
3♠ 18-19 with 3♦
3M 18-19 3523

[pescetom]

DavidKok, on 2026-February-25, 11:05, said:

East should rebid 2♥, even in a style where that doesn't show 6. Exploring the major suits is more important than confirming the diamond fit, and here it's cheaper too.
I understand that East is looking for a diamond slam, which is reasonable though I prefer showing shape first.

I'm not distressed by 2♥ even though in our style it does not promise 6 (and 2NT is balanced 12-14), but we do have available 3♥ showing 6 and willing to play opposite a singleton, this seems the time to trot it out.
After either it is relatively trivial to bid to slam.

[jillybean]

akwoo, on 2026-February-25, 14:54, said:

East should not pass 3N. I can't imagine 4N being a problem if you decide not to play a slam.

I did not pass 3nt, but it makes for an awkward auction

[akwoo]

For those who play Kickback, is 1H-2D-3D-3N-4H kickback? Is 1H-2D-3D-3N-4D-4H kickback?

[mike777]

akwoo, on 2026-February-25, 22:32, said:

For those who play Kickback, is 1H-2D-3D-3N-4H kickback? Is 1H-2D-3D-3N-4D-4H kickback?

Yes to both, however:

The second example is clearer

I give up the ability to back into suits to keep it clear, many expert level players do not give up that ability.
On the first I would probably show my long h first rather than support D.