Do You Know?

Do You Know?

13th July – Board 6. East/West Game. Dealer East.

Are you fully conversant with your actions when an opponent preempts? Do you know what you do when your partner bids 3NT after a three-level opening? It may not happen very often but that’s no reason not to be prepared.

	North: S K 9 8 6 5 3 H 9 8 3 D 7 C K 9 4
West: S J 10 7 4 H Q 10 6 5 D 3 C Q 7 3 2		East: S A H J 7 2 D K J 10 9 8 5 2 C 8 5
	South: S Q 2 H A K 4 D A Q 6 4 C A J 10 6

West	North	East	South
		3D	3NT
No	4H	No	4S
End

I suppose East has a fairly routine pre-empt of 3D even if it does look a little on the heavy side to me but what is poor South supposed to do? Well 3NT is a stand out although this bid can range from about 15 points to about 24. With so much bidding space taken away North might well be in some difficulties. Suppose for instance he had a decent hand with four cards in a major, or indeed both majors. With such a hand how should he proceed? A good policy is to have 4C as asking for four card suits upwards until a fit is found. And if not the partnership stops in 4NT. 4D and 4H are red suit transfers to the majors while 4NT is ordinary Blackwood. If you want to make a limit raise in no-trumps you can bid 4S, which is otherwise redundant. Got it? Of course here both 3NT and 4S are easy makes.