Which fit is the preferred?

John Ruskin, the leading English art critic of the 19th century, wrote, “In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: They must be fit for it. They must not do too much of it. And they must have a sense of success in it.” In order that bridge players may be happy with their bidding, these three things are needed: They must find the right suit fit. They must not go too high. And the contract must end in success: a plus score. When a partnership has two eight-card fits, if one is 4-4 and the other 5-3, usually the 4-4 is preferable. But what about 5-3 and 6-2, as in today’s deal? South’s two-heart response was game-forcing. North rebid spades to show his good six-card suit, then admitted to three-card heart support on the next round. South went with the 5-3 fit, but should have continued with three spades to let North choose. Against four hearts, West led the diamond jack. When allowed to win the trick, he adroitly shifted to a spade to dummy’s queen to try to cut declarer off from the dummy. South played a trump to his queen, cashed the diamond ace, ruffed his last diamond and led another trump, but East won and returned the spade jack to strand declarer in the dummy. When East got in with the club ace, he led his last spade to promote West’s heart jack as the setting trick. Note, though, that four spades is cold. Declarer takes East’s diamond-king lead, draws trumps, plays a heart to the queen and leads a club to his queen. He loses only one trick in each side suit.