What   went   wrong ?

You pick up the following hand as North, E-W being Vul, and you are first to speak.

A 9
A Q
Q 10 8 5 4
§ 10 6 4 2

You venture an opening of 1 Diamond, your LHO overcalls 1S, partner makes a negative double, and your RHO now bids 1NT. What do you bid ?

You decide to pass, and your LHO bids 2S. Partner now bids 3H. Pass to you. Yes ?

You have visions of pard having something like

x x ,     J 10 x x x x,   K x,   § K 9 x

and you decide to pass. This is what I did. However, pard made 5 !!!!!

What went wrong ?

Dlr: North Vul: E-W 6 5 4 K 10 5 K J 7 6 § Q J 5

A 9 A Q Q 10 8 5 4 § 10 6 4 2   K 2 J 9 8 6 4 3 - - - § A K 9 8 3

Q J 10 8 7 3 7 2 A 9 3 2 § 7

Contract = 3 Lead : 6 Partner chalked up +200 for -5.38 IMPS. Yuk.

This is a classic case of the misuse of the negative double.

Here, all South has to do is to bid 2 Hearts over 1 Spade, and after bidding clubs next time, you will be in either 6C (makes!!!), 5C, 4H, or 3NT. Ludicrous is to use the negative double - and hide the club superfit. Ludicrous.

Use the negative double only when no alternative bid caters for the situation.