Defense 101 – Lesson 8

The Defensive Mind-Set - Answers

Exercise 1 – Before Dummy Comes Down

Pause to consider your objective: You need four tricks to defeat declarer’s 4♥ contract.

Look at your winners and losers: The ♥K will be a trick if the ♥A is in declarer’s hand – Odds are good since declarer has length in the suit. The ♦A is likely to be a trick unless one of the opponents is void. Since declarer bid diamonds, there is no reason to suspect a void or to believe the dummy will be unusually short in diamonds.

Analyze your alternatives: Where can you get the additional tricks you need? The ♦Q has definite potential. Since diamonds were bid, declarer is likely to have the ♦K and it will be best to wait until partner or declarer leads that suit. Spades are the unbid suit. Based on the Rule of 14, there is some possibility that partner may have a trick in that suit.

Now put it all together: You are not exactly sure where all of your tricks will come from, but it looks as thought the best lead is a spade. You are hoping that partner will have a trick in that suit and will be able to lead a diamond, trapping declarer’s ♦K. Together with the ♥K, it looks like you will have four tricks on defense.

After seeing dummy, you may want to revise your plan…

Exercise 2 – After Dummy Comes Down

The Guidelines are Third Hand High and Return Partner’s Suit. But before you mindlessly follow these guidelines, formulate a plan: You need four tricks to set the contract.

Look at your winners and losers: You see two aces.

Analyze your alternatives: There is some potential in the heart suit. If partner has the ♥K, that should be a third trick for the defense. If partner has four hearts (based on the ♥2 opening lead), then declarer will be trumping the third round of hearts. The spade and the club suits do not look promising. However, there is a potential for an extra trick in diamonds.

Now put it all together: Take the first trick with the ♥A. Lead the ♦A next. Now return partner’s suit, leading back the ♥4 to partner’s hoped for ♥K. Partner wins the ♥K and starts to wonder why you cashed your ♦A looking at all of the good diamonds in the dummy. It should occur to partner that you are short in diamonds and lead a diamond for you to trump.