Leads after a pre-emptive bid by Matthias Huberschwiller

A: ♠2 - North has raised his partner after his pre-emptive opening bid and as your partner has passed, you know that North has a good hand.

The biggest risk when one of your opponents has made a pre-empt is that his losers can be discarded, given that dummy has a strong hand.

In order to try preventing this, you need to lead aggressively, that is to say from your own strong suit. Here it is the fourth best in Spades that you need to lead.


Your result so far:

A: ♥8 - Your partner, after having tried to play game in Spades has doubled your opponents’ sacrifice.

This means that your side has the majority of the points. How will your opponents take their tricks?

By ruffing! Therefore, you need to lead a trump, limiting the number of ruffs that they can take.


Your result so far:

A: ♥J – Your partner has bid a weak two in Spades. Is it possible to set up his suit?

The opponents have promised to stop Spades and you have only one. In addition, your opponents are strong enough to play game, your partner’s hand is probably very weak and he will not be able to get on lead, even if you set up his Spades.

Your best shot is to establish tricks from your length in Hearts.


Your result so far:

A: ♠7 – You partner has doubled 3NT, even though he could not bid in the first round. This means that his double is a Lightner double. It means “partner, I think that the contract can go down if you find an unusual lead”.

Often, a Lightner double asks for a lead in dummy’s suit. Your singleton Spade confirms that partner must have the Spades behind North and wishes for you to play through dummy. Later, he can play a Heart through South’s holding in Hearts.

Don’t forget to congratulate partner for his brilliant bid at the end of the deal!


Your result so far:

A: ♠7 – You have nearly zero points. Your chance of establishing your Hearts and to get back on lead to cash them is completely zero.

Your only chance of getting many tricks is to lead partner’s suit and hope that he can get on lead at least once in order to get some Spade tricks.

If he holds for example:
♠ KJ10983
♥ 53
♦ A3
♣ 965
and the Spade Queen is in dummy, declarer might even be held to eight tricks and go down, despite your weak hand.


Your result so far: