Posted 2012-July-27, 03:41
It seems like you answered your own question on the bidding. You do not think that opening 2♣ on this hand is a great choice so the only alternative for you would have been 1♣. Personally, I think opening 2♣ and rebidding 4♣ is a perfectly reasonable description of this hand. And if the bidding is going to come back to us in 4♥ then surely 2♣ - (3♥) - P/X - (4♥); 5♣ is at least as good as 1♣ - (3♥) - P - (4♥); 5♣. These kinds of hands are ones where you have to decide whether to treat as a one opener, a strong 2 or a game force. That is more of a style issue than anything so any of the three might be correct for a given partnership.
Finally, I do not understand your Multi auction at all. A 2♠ response to a Multi 2♦ is typically used to say the Responder dislikes spades but would be willing to go to at least 3♥ if Opener has hearts. Some play this as specifically invitational in hearts and others that it can be merely preemptive but it must surely always show a liking for hearts! It is pretty difficult to comment on the rest of the auction too. It seems that West's 4NT is RKCB with hearts agreed which seems like a bizarre choice. It was surely meant as quantitative but whatever, it left West with little choice but to retreat to 6NT. I cannot say I am especially enamoured with the auction - at least it reached a decent resting place though.
My auction would likely be:-
1♣ = 15+ bat/bal or 18+ any
... - 1♥ = 4+ spades, if bal or 3-suited then also 4 hearts, GF
1♠ = relay, usually 18+
... - 1NT = 4+ hearts
2♣ = relay
... - 2♥ = 4 spades, 5+ hearts, not 45(40)
2♠ = relay
... - 2NT = 5 hearts
3♣ = relay
... - 4♦ = 4531, extras, 4 controls
4♥ = relay
... - 4NT = heart control, no spade control
5♣ = relay
... - 5♥ = diamond control, no club control
5♠ = relay
... - 6♦ = ♠Q, 2 of top 3 in hearts, only 1 of top 3 in diamonds
6NT
As a play problem, 6NT by Opener seems to be more interesting on a heart lead than a diamond.
(-: Zel :-)