If West held the ♦A-K-Q, West
would probably continue to lead
the suit despite East’s discouraging
signal. If West held only the ♦A-
K, West would have initially led a
low diamond instead of a high card.
Therefore, East can easily imagine
South has the ♦Q.
Knowing the location of the high
cards in the diamond suit and
imitating declarer with the defensive
finesse, East ignores the second hand
low maxim and rises with the ♠A.
East then plays back a diamond,
trapping declarer’s ♦Q, to defeat the
contract.
Here’s another declarer play
technique that may be useful for the
defenders to apply.
♠ 8 6 3
♥ J 4 2
♦ A 9 8 7 6
♣ 10 6
LEAD
♠ Q
3NT
n
w
e
s
♠ A K 5
♥ A 10 5
♦ K 3 2
♣ A K 5 3
Declarer has seven sure tricks – two
spades, one heart, two diamonds,
and two clubs – and needs two more
tricks to make the contract. The
diamond suit holds good potential.
If the defenders’ five diamonds
are divided 3-2, declarer can make
two extra tricks by giving up one
diamond trick. With no entries to
dummy outside of the diamond suit,
declarer needs to take the losses early.
A small diamond can be played from
both hands after the opening lead is
won with a high spade. The defenders
now have the lead, but regardless of
what card is returned, declarer can
take two extra tricks if the diamonds
divide as expected. By using length
and taking the loss early, declarer is
able to take enough tricks to make
the contract.
Defenders can also take tricks in a
notrump contract by establishing
long suits. The same principles apply.
It doesn’t do any good to establish
winners in a suit unless you have the
transportation to get to them. You
often need to take the losses early–
letting the opponents win a trick
you could have won – to make sure
you have an entry from one hand to
another.
To illustrate this, let’s look at a
complete deal:
Dummy
♠ Q 7
♥ A 7 3
♦ J 10 8 4 2
♣ Q J 3
You
n
♠ A 9 6 4 3 w
e
♥ K 9 4
s
♦ 6 3
Declarer
♣ 9 8 4
♠ J 10 5
♥ Q J 10
♦ K Q 7
♣ A K 10 2
WEST
NORTH
3NT
Partner
♠ K 8 2
♥ 8 6 5 2
♦ A 9 5
♣ 7 6 5
EAST
SOUTH
1NT
PASS
3NT
ALL PASS
Suppose South opens the bidding
1NT and North jumps to 3NT. You
are sitting West and lead the fourth
highest card, ♠4, against the 3NT
contract.
Declarer plays the ♠7 from the
dummy, and partner wins the first
trick with the ♠K as declarer plays
the ♠5. Partner now returns the ♠8
and declarer plays the ♠J.
It’s tempting for West to capture
declarer’s ♠J and dummy’s ♠Q on
the same trick by playing the ♠A,
and then lead a third round of spades
to establish the spade suit. But see
what happens next. Declarer wins
the ♠10 and leads diamonds to drive
out East’s ♦A. Since three rounds
of spades have already been played,
partner has no spades left to lead.
Whatever partner returns, declarer
wins and takes the rest of the tricks,
finishing with ten tricks: one spade,
one heart, four diamonds, and four
clubs.
How could the defense defeat the
contract? The defenders have to
I t ' s difficult
but important
to take the
losses early
and give up
the lead .
imitate the declarer on this hand.
After winning the first trick with the
♠K, East returns the ♠8 and declarer
plays the ♠J. West should consider
the outstanding spades that haven’t
been played, the ♠10 and ♠2. If
East held the ♠10-8, East would lead
back the top card, the ♠10, to show
an even number of remaining cards
in the suit. If East held the ♠10-8-
2, East would lead back a low card,
the ♠2, to indicate an odd number
of remaining cards in the suit. By
playing the ♠8, it’s clear East doesn’t
have the ♠10. So don’t be deceived
by declarer’s play of the ♠J. Declarer
still has the ♠10.
West must resist the temptation of
playing the ♠A on declarer's ♠J.
With no sure entry, West needs the
♠A as an entry to the long suit.
Just like declarer's technique in
establishing a long suit, West should
take the losses early. Declarer is
always entitled to one spade trick.
Let declarer win this trick and hope
partner can regain the lead.
In the example, declarer can’t make
the contract without promoting
winners in the diamond suit. East
wins the ♦A and will still have the
♠2 as the link card over to West's
carefully preserved ♠A and the two
established spade winners to defeat
the contract.
C onclusion
When defending a contract, make
a plan using the information from
the opening lead, partner’s signals,
and the auction. When considering
options to establish defender's long
suit, don't be afraid to apply declarer
play techniques on defense to defeat
the contract.
B etter B ridge . com
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