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1. Three notrump. Partner’s notrump overcall indicates about the same values as an opening bid: 15 to 18 points, balanced distribution and at least one spade stopper.
Had partner opened as dealer with one notrump, you presumably would have raised to three on the basis of your strong diamond suit. You should take the same action here, even though it was West who opened the bidding.
2. Four hearts. Again, you respond as though partner had opened with one notrump. Opposite that bid, this is a game-going hand, and you might just as well bid game now as later. Alternatively, you could bid three hearts, planning to continue to four hearts if partner rebids three notrump, but there is nothing to be gained by taking the slower route.
3. Two notrump. You can’t tell whether this is a game-going hand, so you should leave the decision to partner, who knows whether he has a minimum or a maximum for his one-notrump bid. If he is on the lower end of the range, he’ll probably pass, while if he is on the upper end, he’ll carry on to three notrump.
4. Two diamonds. This response instructs partner to pass, which is certainly what you want him to do. The two-diamond bid tells partner that you have a very weak hand and that you believe the combined hands will offer a better chance of making two diamonds than one notrump.
Unfortunately, in some circles this signoff response might fall on deaf ears when the player that bid one notrump keeps right on bidding because he doesn’t realize that his partner has a terrible hand. If that is what your partner is apt to do, you should perhaps pass one notrump and let partner suffer there in order to forestall a potentially greater disaster.
Tomorrow: Vanishing act.