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STRONG PRE-EMPTS

Back even before I started playing bridge, rumour has it that one opened at the 3 level with a hand one trick short of game. I think most players’ 3 level openers today are generally more than one trick short. First or third in hand 3 level openers, especially at favourable vulnerability, have about as much chance of making 10 or 11 tricks with their suit as trumps as Mike Cornell did of making a single trick in last week’s 3NT effort. (9 light, if you remember!).

However, there is a time and a place when a pre-empt should be respectable and after opening 3 in second seat at favourable vulnerability in second seat, I felt my partner would have no problems when their first bid was 3NT. A second in hand pre-empt should be reasonable no matter what the vulnerability. I had 3 controls, chunky clubs, even a 7 card suit. How could 3NT fail? “Very easily” was the answer, even though partner held a 16 count!

 

 

Most West players led the 10 with the contract dying a quick death as declarer lost  three heart tricks and two in clubs or a club and the K. West need not have had plenty of outside entries, five hearts and most missing high cards except for the Q. One can make 9 tricks but playing more than one round of clubs was a way to do so. An immediate diamond to the 9 at trick 2 works a treat but why would you? South may well try a club at trick two with West staying down in case South has a doubleton. When the J scores, it is hard to imagine a lie of the suit which is going to benefit declarer. Maybe diamonds are 3-3.Declarer gets two tricks in hearts, four in diamonds, a club and two top spades. Not today.

The second strong pre-empt came in an unusual situation, after three passes. Would you raise an opening 3 to game when the pre-empt came vulnerable in fourth seat? This is what the pre-emptor’s partner held:

A982

 A

 KT76

9652

You could hardly have much more for a passed hand, except for a second heart. The lack of that small card was a negative as 9 tricks were the legitimate limit as these were the four hands:

 

 

 With no over-attractive lead, East might try their top spade. That’s great for the defence though any lead bar a club would see game defeated. The game is quite good needing a doubleton Q (without East getting a promotion which after a spade lead could have been the situation here) or else a successful guess in clubs. Patient defence sees this game defeated while the conservative pass of 3 is rewarded. A fourth in hand pre-empt should be something like a minimum opener, to frighten the opposition from bidding while having a reasonable expectation of a plus score. Not strong enough for game this time!

Our third strong pre-empt was probably not a popular choice, and wisely so as this time, it would push the opponents into a thin making game which they would be unlikely to have bid under their own resources. Would you consider the South hand below a reasonable first in hand pre-empt with both sides vulnerable?

 

A bit strong for you? Why? J or perhaps because of the potential of the three card spade suit or maybe the K? Were South to start with 3, West will certainly bid 3 giving East-West the opportunity to reach 3NT which will make on extremely thin values as long as declarer starts off with either A or a small diamond from the East hand.

Only one pair bid and made 3NT with most of the rest making their diamond partial. Not maybe then a great night for strong pre-empts, though in the first example, the declaring side would have got to their non-making game contract irrespective of the opening. Maybe we should stick to gross looking weak hands to open at the three level. ..or in truth, keeping them favourable as to seat, vulnerability and perhaps even mood!

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

 

 

 

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