How's Your Defense?

In this lesson:

Every time I play duplicate bridge, the most prevalent theme in every session is - the defense is awful. An expert friend told me that when he declares a hand in a duplicate game, if the defenders present him with one undeserved trick, he is disappointed! He has come to expect at least two!!

Everyone knows (or should) that defense is the most difficult part of bridge. Accordingly, most players ignore the problem and hope that it will cure itself. They continue to trust their instincts, play a lot and hope for a miracle cure. Guess how that works out.

If instead, YOU are willing to take the time to learn more about defense, no one can guarantee that you'll become a terrific defender. But I bet that those who make an effort will be delighted when they see their opponents make fewer contracts and overtricks.

In this lesson, Marty will explain:

• - How to exhibit detective skills that would impress Sherlock Holmes
• - The wondrous things you can accomplish when you count distribution
• - How to locate missing honors
• - How to resolve the critical question: Active vs. passive defense
• - How declarer's line of play can tell you how to defend
• - How to understand when it's right to shift to a trump
• - How you can cut the declarer's communication
• - What you must know about "alarm clock" leads
• - How declarer's line of play can enable you to locate missing honors
• - When is it 100% wrong to lead "thru strength and around to weakness"

As a bonus, Marty will also discuss some important bidding concepts:

• - What little-known bid will severely disrupt your opponents' auction
• - The real truth about a double of a 4♠ opening
• - When it is correct to double 3NT
• - The correct mindset when your opponent opens 2♣

Here is an example of what Marty will teach:

Contract 3NT

Lead ♦5

You are East - Your partner leads the ♦5 and declarer calls for dummy's ♦2.

Plan your defense.

Answer To Plan Your Defense

Your normal play is to finesse your ♦J. But before you play that card, you should stop and think.

Dummy has 11 HCP and you have 12 for a total of 23. North's 3♣ raise was invitational. For South to accept the invitation, he must have more than a minimum opening bid. So your partner is very weak. Defending one against two is never fun.

How about distribution? South's bidding promised 5+ hearts and 4+ clubs. Your partner led the ♦5 and the 2, 3 and 4 are in view. So your partner has 4 diamonds. You and dummy each started with 3 diamonds. Therefore, declarer also has 3 diamonds.

You now KNOW that declarer has at most 1 spade. Aha! Although you don't know which spade he has, as long as you do the right thing, it doesn't matter!

Instead of making the normal play in the diamond suit by finessing the jack, you need to take the bull by the horns. Go up with the ♦A, and shift to the ♠K! It turns out that declarer's singleton spade is the ♠Q. No problem. Declarer will duck dummy's ♠A. Continue with the ♠2. Partner will unblock by playing his ♠J.

Regardless of when declarer wins dummy's ♠A, you are sure to win 3 spades and 2 aces. Meanwhile declarer has only 8 winners: 5 hearts, 2 diamonds and 1 spade. He will need to lead clubs, and you will run spades. Down 1.

If you had made the normal play at trick 1 of the ♦J, declarer would win and lead clubs. If you now lead the ♠K, it is too late. Declarer will now win 5 hearts, 3 clubs, 1 diamond and 1 spade, and emerge with an overtrick.

Here is the full deal: