[riverwalk3]

How would you find such a stopper, when both sides have partial stoppers that combine into a stopper? Does the person with Qx just take a chance (rightsiding the contract if partner has something like Kxx or Axx)?

[apollo1201]

Depends a lot on the auction. Sometimes you discover that only when dummy tables their hand, like 1NT-3NT

More seriously, a repeated 4SF after one hand denied the stopper often means « can you cooperate a bit, pls, with a half stopper? »

The repeater of the 4SF probably has one half stopper themselves, and just want to be sure the 1st 5 tricks are not cashed by the defense after the lead, or maybe they have Axx and fear it won’t be enough, therefore right siding the contract into partner’s hoped Qx.

Something like

1D - 1H
1S - 2C*
2D - 3C*

By not fitting 2H, and not bidding 2NT, partner almost denied a C stop (with a 6-4 hand and Kx C, it is indeed better to rebid D, then bid NT).

The 3C bid is now help me a bit, please. As if I had a strong 2-suiter, I’d have bid 3C and not 2C before.

It is now an « easy » bid of 3NT then with

KJxx
x (or xx)
AKxxx
Jxx (or Qx)

The harder « stopper » to discover is actually xxx facing xxx, as with this holding in a suit, the alternative game contract of 5m is doomed, and 3NT is the only realistic possibility (4-3 split, blockage…).