Overall Defense Strategy – Hands 33 to 40
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Overall Defense Strategy – Hands 33 to 40 Defending a part score usually calls for “Active” defense whether it is doubled for penalty or not. If left alone, declarer may be able to formulate the best line of play and fulfill the trick taking potential of their combined assets. The defense can never lose sight of the defensive tricks needed to defeat the contract and how to win them. Active defense is exciting but also fraught with danger. Players tend to panic when their partner doubles a part score contract for penalty and then she is counting on you to find the right defense! These are “Top or bottom” situations at any form of scoring; if they make the doubled contract, you get a zero and if you defeat them, it is usually a good result for you. With so much at stake, both defenders need to muster as much composure as they possibly can. Still, it’s only a game. Occasionally, a lucky lie of cards may let the doubled contract slip through your fingers but such is life. Forget that hand and go on to the next one. The double may not be costly after all. It may be a bad board anyway even without the double. Worse yet, they make an overtrick. Well, that doesn’t matter either. A bottom is still a bottom. Here are a few general guidelines that should help the defense. Partner’s double tells you something about the whole hand. She thinks enough defensive tricks should available based on what is in her hand and what you promised during the bidding in order to defeat the contract. Trust your partner. The task for both of you is to focus on the number of tricks that are required to defeat the contract and go after those defensive tricks. Start by placing high cards in partner’s hand that will win tricks for you. Don’t forget ruffing tricks for the defense. During the play, be even more diligent about keeping track of tricks won, tricks lost and how many more are needed. And, most importantly, don’t panic. Your side has the tricks; you just have to win them! Vinay Apte Page 1 of 10 Copyright © Year 2017 Overall Defense Strategy – Hands 33 to 40 Hand 33 This is a match point tussle. There are several lessons on this hand. West opens a little light in the 3rd seat hoping partner does not go crazy West East W N E S ♠ A Q J 7 4 ♠ 9 6 2 P P ♥ Q J 3 2 ♥ K 8 7 1♠ X XX 2♦ ♦ 9 7 2 ♦ K Q 10 6 P P 2♠ 3♣ ♣ J ♣ K 8 6 P P 3♠ P P P When North makes a marginal double in the 4th seat (reasonable at pairs), East hand gains some “positional” values because most of the points should be on her right. Re-double by East promises about 10 points and says nothing about spade support. There are not too many points left in the deck for South (0 to 6?) so she is free to bid her 5-4 minor suit hand, 2♦ first then 3♣. She does have two places to play assured in the knowledge that partner will not take it as a sign of strength. North In case you are not aware, when partner makes a take-out ♠ K 5 3 double, always bid your higher suit first then the lower one ♥ A 10 9 6 even if they are equal in length. You promise two places to ♦ J 8 play, giving partner a “pass or correct” option without ♣ A 9 5 4 raising the level of the contract. That’s what South did. South North is strong enough to double 3♠ for penalty but decides against it. Since 3♣ is not likely to make, defeating 3♠ by ♠ 10 8 one or two tricks should be good enough even without the ♥ 5 4 double. If 3♠ makes, you might still get an average score. ♦ A 5 4 3 ♣ Q 10 7 3 2 Holding trump control, North decides to lead ♦J from the doubleton. Although partner may have a doubleton heart, North can never be sure. But he “knows” about the ♦J8 of diamonds in his hand. It is South’s turn to think about the overall defense before playing to the opening lead. North made a take-out double so it is not at all likely that ♦J is a singleton. Besides, South lacks a quick entry outside of diamonds, so she ducks the opening lead to maintain communication with partner. Sooner or later, North wins ♠K, plays ♦8 to partner and obtains a ruff. That is three tricks for the defense with two aces still to cash. 3♠ is down one for a well-deserved +50 for NS. As you can see, 3♣ by South can be defeated if West finds the trump lead (he should). East wins the first diamond to take out two more rounds of trumps with his ♣K and ♣8 limiting the declarer to only one ruff in the North hand. Defense scores five tricks: ♣K, ♠A, one heart and two diamonds. Vinay Apte Page 2 of 10 Copyright © Year 2017 Overall Defense Strategy – Hands 33 to 40 Hand 34 You are West. South opens 1♥; you double for take-out but partner passes but then doubles 3♥, a reasonable action at match points.. West (You) Partner figures 3♠ is not going to make so the N E S W ♠ A K 10 6 double should not cost too much. 1♥ X ♥ 5 4 2♥ 2♠ 3♦ P ♦ A J 5 NS think that 2♠ is making and game is out of 3♥ X P P ♣ J 9 8 4 the question based on your take-out double. You make the obvious lead of ♠A; partner drops the ♠9. Since dummy on your left (North hand shown below) has ♠Q73, attitude is irrelevant, count is not important because partner’s 2♠ bid. Besides, the second spade trick is not going anywhere. Therefore, partner’s ♠9 is suit preference for diamonds. North (Dummy) Before you go any further, you should figure out what partner has. ♠ Q 7 3 Opponents did not bid game so they have fewer than 24 points ♥ K Q 3 giving partner 3 to 5. The question is where. For starters, you ♦ 10 9 3 cannot cash ♠K because ♠Q will be established for the opponents. ♣ 10 6 5 3 A safe switch is a trump; start with the ♥5 then play the ♥4. Your trump plays may or may not help partner (she can’t have a quick entry) but they should show suit preference promising diamond values in your hand. The real benefit comes from partner’s trumps; ♥6 then the ♥2 showing something in diamonds. Having drawn trumps, East plays ♠J from his hand obviously looking for a discard on the ♠Q. In with the ♠K, what do you do next? You don’t need x-ray eyes to see weak diamonds in declarer’s hand since partner told you she has the ♦K, twice! Both plays, the ♠9, and ♥6 followed b the ♥2, point to ♦K in her hand. You can safely play the ♦5 away from ♦AJ5 and win two more diamond tricks on the diamond return. Opponents had a 9-card fit with a total of 22 points but you still managed to defeat 3♥ by one trick. Well done! North (Dummy) ♠ Q 7 3 ♥ K Q 3 ♦ 10 9 3 West (You) ♣ 10 6 5 3 East (Partner) ♠ A K 10 6 ♠ 9 8 5 4 ♥ 5 4 ♥ 6 2 ♦ A J 5 ♦ K 7 6 2 ♣ J 9 8 4 ♣ Q 7 2 South (Declarer) ♠ J 2 ♥ A J 10 9 8 7 ♦ Q 8 4 ♣ A K Vinay Apte Page 3 of 10 Copyright © Year 2017 Overall Defense Strategy – Hands 33 to 40 Hand 35 You may not agree with the bidding but East ends up in 3♥ and, sitting South, you lead the singleton ♦2. Partner wins ♦Q then ♦A and returns ♦7. South Surprisingly East follows with the ♦J as you W N E S ♠ 8 6 3 2 ruff. Who has the ♦K? Partner must have 2♥ P ♥ 10 8 5 that card but then why didn’t she cash it? 3♥ P P P ♦ 2 ♣ J 10 9 7 4 It seems she desperately wants to get to your hand. That can only mean she has two more tricks to cash if only you could find the right switch. Partner returned the ♦7 for you to ruff so partner wants a spade switch. North ♠ A Q 5 West ♥ 9 East ♦ A K Q 7 5 3 ♠ K J 10 7 ♠ 9 4 ♣ 8 5 3 ♥ Q J 3 ♥ A K 7 6 4 2 ♦ 9 6 4 ♦ J 10 8 ♣ A Q 2 South ♣ K 6 ♠ 8 6 3 2 ♥ 10 8 5 ♦ 2 ♣ J 10 9 7 4 She wins the ♠AQ when you return the ♠8 through dummy’s ♠KJ107 defeating 3♥. Since your side cannot make 3♠ or 4♦, that defense earns you a fine match point score of +50 when it could easily have been -140. Vinay Apte Page 4 of 10 Copyright © Year 2017 Overall Defense Strategy – Hands 33 to 40 Hand 36 Forcing defense is called for when: Declarer has shown a two-suited hand Dummy takes a preference for the first suit You are weak in declarer’s second suit (otherwise, you lead a trump) Your trump length is one shy of declarer’s.