Contract Bridge
1. One spade. Since you must respond with six or more points, the only problem is whether to bid one spade, one notrump or two clubs. First, you can’t bid two clubs, which would promise 10 or more points. That being the case, the one-spade response is best, largely because partner might have four spades, or three spades headed by one or two honors, and you might miss a spade contract altogether if you bypassed a chance to show the suit.
Note that one spade does not indicate any more values than a response of one notrump. Both promise at least six points, the big difference being that the spade response is forcing, while one notrump is not.
2. Three clubs. With 19 highcard points facing an opening bid, you are in the slam zone. The customary way of showing this is by a jump-shift.
True, your clubs are not overly robust, but this is a small consideration compared with the value of alerting partner to a potential slam. The immediate jump-shift could also alleviate a potential bidding problem at your next turn.
3. Two hearts. There is a temptation to respond one spade, but that would be the wrong bid. The hand fits the requirements for a raise to two hearts, which indicates adequate trump support and six to 10 points in distribution and high cards.
A one-spade response could create a later bidding problem if partner were to rebid, say, two hearts. In that case, the question of whether to bid again would arise. To pass would conceal your excellent heart support, while to raise to the three-level would be bidding twice on a hand worth only one bid. The easiest way of avoiding such problems is by raising partner immediately.
4. One spade. As in the first problem, the choice lies between one spade and one notrump. Despite your balanced distribution and stoppers in the unbid suits, the spade response is better, as it still leaves room for a low-level notrump contract while exploring the possibility of a spade fit. A one-notrump response bypasses the opportunity to find a spade fit if it exists.
Tomorrow: A tall tale.