This week’s column is written by Paul Laliberte.

Let’s say you hold the following hand as South, with North dealing:

♠️ A K J 4 3
♥️ J 4
♦️ J 4 2
♣️ A 7 2

As dealer, partner opens 1♥️. You bid 1♠️, and partner rebids 2♣️. Since it’s not at all clear where the auction is now headed, you bid the artificial 2♦️ (fourth suit forcing). The message you are sending to partner is threefold. First, the auction will not stop below the level of game. Second, partner must understand that you’re not revealing anything about the diamond suit. (You might have bid 3NT if you had a diamond stopper.) Third, you need more information about partner’s hand. At times, the information partner provides will be all you need to reach the proper contract. But at other times you still won’t know the correct game. You’ll need even more information from partner.

Just rebid the fourth suit, which now becomes the fifth suit.  Fourth-suit game-forcing becomes fifth-suit game-forcing.

Today happens to be one of those days. Over 2♦️, partner bids 3♣️. Although 5♣️ is a possibility, that contract may be tough to make. Besides, 3NT is still in the picture. Maybe even 4♠️! Your best call is fifth-suit 3♦️ — still artificial, still forcing to game. Leave the rest to partner.

Partner’s hand:
♠️ Q 5
♥️ A 8 7 6 2
♦️ 3
♣️ K Q 5 4 3

Partner has one more call available: 3♠️. This implies 2-5-1-5 shape. Yes, partner is marked with a doubleton spade. With delayed, three-card support, the initial response over 2♦️ would have been 2♠️ rather than 3♣️. Despite a 5-2 fit in spades, you should sense that 4♠️ is safer than 5♣️. (3NT is now out of the picture.) Therefore, raise to 4♠️.
The full auction”

North      East      South      West
1♥️        Pass      1♠️         Pass
2♣️        Pass      2♦️•        Pass
3♣️        Pass      3♦️••      Pass
3♠️        Pass      4♠️        All Pass

• Fourth-suit forcing (more information, please)
•• Fifth-suit forcing (still more information, please)

The full deal:

                           NORTH
                          ♠️ Q 5
                          ♥️ A 8 7 6 2
                          ♦️ 3
                          ♣️ K Q 5 4 3

WEST                                          EAST
♠️ 8 7 6                                     ♠️ 10 9 2
♥️ Q 10 9                                  ♥️ K 5 3
♦️ A K 10 9 5                           ♦️ Q 8 7 6
♣️ J 10                                     ♣️ 9 8 6

                      SOUTH
                     ♠️ A K J 4 3
                     ♥️ J 4
                     ♦️ J 4 2
                     ♣️ A 7 2

Opening lead: ♦️A

As the cards lie, 11 tricks are available in either clubs or spades. That notwithstanding, 4♠️ is clearly the optimal contract despite the seven-card fit (fewer tricks needed, higher score). Against proper defense, 3NT is hopeless.

In the future keep fifth-suit forcing in mind.