Rowan/Buchanan vs Stirling

Anna and I didn't really get the cards in this match, but we still did plenty of bidding. We played more than our fair share of contracts, mostly with me declarer, giving Anna time to eat her dinner and do some yoga. Overbidding nonvulnerable was generally a winning strategy, although I did get a bit tired of trumps breaking 5-1.

On the very last board I faced a classic dilemma of deciding whether to accept partner's 3NT suggestion or insist on my major. My general rule is to always play the major if you know you have at least an eight card fit. But I didn't do that here.

West opened a heavy 3♣ and when it came round to Anna she doubled. I responded 3♥ and Anna bid 3NT, which I left in.

In 3NT you only have three Spades, two Clubs, and two Diamonds, so it's clear you're going to need some Heart tricks. The only way this is going to happen is if Hearts are 2-2 (else you can never get to dummy), and if Hearts are 2-2 you might as well be in 4♥ (barring the Spade ruff).

Here the Hearts did behave, but as West had a surprisingly good hand he got back in twice and 3NT lost lots of Club tricks. If that wasn't the case then 3NT might still have made - and it's also not totally clear when East wins his Heart trick that he must return a Diamond and not a Spade. However, on both the tables that tried 3NT East found the Diamond switch and the result was 3NT-4. The tables that bid 4♥ both made it.

I'm not sure if Anna's decision to double first affected my choice to leave in 3NT, as I wasn't sure what her bidding meant. She thought bidding this way showed a stronger hand, I thought it showed at least one four card major (in this case four Spades). I was mainly put off bidding 4♥ as I thought trumps might split badly or they might get a ruff (and I secretly hoped Anna had a running Diamond suit).

What should it mean to double then bid 3NT here?

Overall honours were about even on our table but we lost to a strong Stirling side 14-2.