Signals, Discards and Ducking in Defence Generally, We Feel Comfortable and Confident When Playing Honour Cards

Signals, Discards and Ducking in Defence High Generally, we feel comfortable and confident when playing honour cards – they are there to win tricks. Some players believe the smaller cards in a pack are there just to Even follow suit. If you take this attitude, then you are losing out on the opportunity to show your partner more about what cards you will hold. Low Remember you are twice as likely to be a defender as a declarer. And that the vast majority of cards in your hand, as a defender, are likely to be small ones. So, this is dd something that occurs very, very frequently. Use your small cards wisely. O

Partnerships play a variety of systems of signals and discards. When faced with an So if declarer leads a suit we show partner our length in it: unknown partner, it is usually best to stick to traditional signals. However, we do not With an odd number of cards in a suit, we play the smallest first to show an odd want to impose a system on you, and it is up to you and your partner to play a system number to partner. Partner can usually work out from the bidding and/or play up to this with which you and your partner are comfortable. point whether we hold five or three or a singleton of that suit.

On Partner’s Lead With an even number of cards in a suit, we “peter” to show that even number. This When partner leads a suit we normally play: means we play a higher card on the first round of the suit, followed by a lower one on the second round. You must watch carefully. Sometimes this is the four followed by the three. Make sure you are watching what partner plays. Again, by thinking of the bidding High and/or play up to this point, partner can usually work out whether we hold two or four (or even six) of the suit. Encouraging Suit Preference Signals Low Sometimes we can show partner where our strength lies or where our entry is by use of suit preference signals. In this case it does not particularly matter which of our small Discouraging cards we play, so we use the idea that if we play a high ‘irrelevant’ card it tells partner that our strength or entry lies in the higher of the other suits and if we play a low So if partner plays a suit we like, then we can encourage partner to continue with that ‘irrelevant’ card it tells partner that our entry or strength is in the lower of the other suit by playing a high card. If we don’t like partner’s lead we can discourage partner by suits. playing a low card. Suppose this is your hand

♠ A 9 6 5 2

♥ 7 5 On Declarer’s Lead ♦ T 6 3 This generally works well, but what about when declarer plays a suit and we are ♣ A 7 2 defending. In general, we do not want to encourage a suit that declarer is playing on and so the above is not useful. The opponents have bid and supported spades, but, unfortunately have ended up in a contract of 4 ♥. You are on lead. How should you defend?

You can see two black Aces for your side. Anything else? Well, partner will have some Instead we show our length in a suit when declarer leads it, by using length signals on sort of spade shortage (possibly a void), and so will be able to ruff a spade hopefully. declarers lead: So you lead the ♠A, and partner follows with the ♠2, an obvious singleton. So now you can give partner a ruff for the third trick for the defence. If partner were to lead a Suppose this were the situation: club back you could give him a second ruff. How do you ensure this? By playing the two ♠ 3 of spades at trick two, showing partner that your entry is in the lower suit (clubs). Ace of spades, spade ruff, club back to the Ace and another spade ruff takes the contract ♥ K J 5 3 one off. ♦ K J 6 4 Suppose you hand had been: ♣ K J 7 3 ♠ A 9 6 5 2 ♠A lead Dummy ♠ 9 7 6 5 4 2 ♥ 7 5 Contract 5 ♦ You ♥ 7 6 4 ♦ A 6 3 ♦ 8 ♣ T 7 2 ♣ A Q 2 With the other circumstances the same, this time at trick two you lead ♠9, showing This time you want partner to switch to clubs, so you should play the ♠2 as your suit partner your entry is in the higher suit (diamonds). Now, when he ruffs, partner will preference signal. lead a diamond back and you can give him a second ruff to get the contract down. Suppose this were the situation: What if you Ace had been the Ace of hearts? Well now it doesn’t matter which card you give partner a spade ruff with, because when trumps are played by declarer you will ♠ 3 immediately go up with the Ace and (hopefully, if partner holds three trumps) give your ♥ K J 5 3 partner a second spade ruff. ♦ K J 6 4 Suppose you are the defender not on lead against a 5 ♦ contract. Partner leads the ♠A. ♣ K J 7 3 This is what you can see: ♠A lead Dummy ♠ 9 7 6 5 4 2 ♠ 3 Contract 5 ♦ You ♥ 7 6 4 ♥ K J 5 3 ♦ 8 ♦ K J 6 4 ♣ 6 5 2 ♣ K J 7 3 Now you can see you have no defence to offer partner. Many people automatically play ♠A lead Dummy ♠ 9 7 6 5 4 2 the ♠2 now, without thinking about it; but as we have see this will encourage partner to Contract 5 ♦ You ♥ A Q 7 switch to a club. It is much better to play the ♠5 or ♠6, so that you are not particularly encouraging any continuation, so that partner is best informed as how to continue with ♦ 8 the defence. ♣ 6 5 2

You are keen for partner to switch to a heart. If he does so now, you will be able to Signalling with your discard take two tricks in the suit, for one off. How do you signal to him that you want a heart? On the ♠A lead, you play ♠9. This is clearly not encouraging a spade continuation, There are many different methods you can use to show partner information when you because dummy can ruff, so it must be suit preference asking for a heart. If partner discard. Again we do not want to impose a system on you – you should play what ever does not lead a heart now, you will find that declarer can get rid of one of his losing system you are most comfortable using, but it is still important that you give partner hearts on dummy’s club suit, after drawing trumps. information when you discard. The simplest way to show encouragement for a suit is to play in exactly the same way Ducking you would have if partner had led it. So we are back where we started. In the same way Ducking is the process by which you are able to win a trick, but instead you choose not that we encourage on partners lead we can show the same information with a discard. to, and play a low card, thereby ducking out of winning the available trick. It is likely, of course, that you will still win a trick with the card you could have played to the trick, later in the hand. igh H Why might you duck? – there are a variety of possible reasons, but essentially the logic is that, by ducking, you will win a trick or tricks that you would not have done so Encouraging otherwise, or alternatively prevent declarer from winning tricks that he might have done, had you not ducked.

Low

Ducking To prevent declarer setting up a long suit in the dummy. Discouraging Suppose this were the situation: Suppose this were the situation: ♠ 8 5 3 ♠ 8 5 3 2 ♥ K Q J T 9 ♥ K J T 9 3 ♦ 8 6 3 ♦ K J ♣ 9 4 ♣ K J Dummy ♠ 9 7 2 ♠A lead Dummy ♠ 9 7 You ♥ A 7 3 Followed by ♠K and ♠Q You ♥ 7 Contract 3NT ♦ 9 5 4 Contract 4 ♥ ♦ 9 8 5 4 2 ♣ J T 7 3 ♣ A Q 4 3 2 Declarer is playing in 3NT and will, at some point, play a heart towards dummy. If you What do you discard on the third spade? take your Ace immediately you will score a trick. But then declarer, assuming he has at The best card is ♦2, showing you are not keen on diamonds. In this case partner can least two hearts, will be able to make four heart tricks in dummy. So you should duck. work out that you want a club, and should lead one. (If partner does not lead a club now How many times should you duck? That is up to partner. He must give you a length you find that dummy’s club losers are thrown away on declarer’s diamond suit). signal. If partner plays ♥8 on the first round then it is either a singleton or top of a doubleton. If it is top of a doubleton then declarer must hold three hearts. Hence you must duck twice, and win the third round of the suit, preventing declarer scoring more than two heart tricks. (If partner held a singleton, you cannot prevent declarer, with his four hearts, winning four heart tricks. It still does no harm to duck though as it is much more likely that partner is playing the 8 from a doubleton. If it were a singleton, why are they playing in 3NT holdins a 5-4 heart fit?)

Suppose partner plays the ♥2 on the first round. For the reasons given above it is unlikely to be a singleton, so it will be bottom card of three. In this case declarer will hold only two hearts so you should win the second round of the suit, and let declarer heart, win the second round and give him a ruff. If you do decide to duck, you should have only one heart trick. certainly encourage the club lead by playing the ♣8.

A similar situation: So has partner led from a singleton or doubleton club holding? The bidding (or lack of it) may give you some indication. Statistically doubletons are more likely than ♠ 8 5 3 singletons, although people do tend to be keener to lead a singleton against a suit ♥ K J T 9 8 contract than from a small doubleton. But if it is a singleton, declarer must hold a five card club suit – why hasn’t he mentioned it in the bidding?. In this case it is probably ♦ A 6 3 best to hold up the ♣A, in the hope that partner can put you in with it later to give him ♣ 9 4 a club ruff.

Dummy ♠ 9 7 2

You ♥ A Q 3 Ducking by not over-ruffing dummy (or declarer)

Contract 3NT ♦ 9 5 4 In a suit contract, if dummy (or declarer) ruffs something and we are able to overruff, it is often the correct thing to do, meaning that declarer does not win a trick he was ♣ J T 7 3 expecting to. If declarer plays a small heart towards the dummy, and then inserts the ♥8, it is often However, if you hold quite a good trump holding, it is often best to hold up, to not good play to duck this trick. However, you must do so smoothly and in tempo, looking overruff, as then you will often score one more trick. disinterested. If you sit agonising for some time than you are likely to give the game away. Declarer may be fooled so he thinks the ♥Q is onside, and will cross back to his For example: hand to take the finesse again. This may be to his detriment when he holds three small ♠ K J T 6 hearts. If he only holds two small hearts, you taking the ♥8 with the queen means he can win your return in hand, lead another heart towards the dummy, and force out your ♥ A Q T Ace, still holding the ♦A as an entry to the hearts he will be setting up. ♦ 2 Ducking to be able to give partner a ruff ♣ K Q J T 6 Suppose you can see this: Dummy ♠ A Q 9 ♠ K Q Lead ♦A followed by ♦K You ♥ 7 6 4 3 2 ♥ J T 9 8 Contract 4 ♠ ♦ 5 ♦ A 6 3 2 ♣ 8 7 3 2 ♣ Q J 4 Partner leads out the top two diamonds against declarer’s spade game. Declarer ruffs Dummy ♠ 9 7 6 2 the ♦K with ♠T. You need three more tricks for your contract. Surely declarer holds the ♣A and in the unlikely event that partner holds a high heart, then declarer can Lead ♣9 You ♥ 7 3 finesse against it. The only way you will come to three more tricks is in trumps. Contract 4 ♥ ♦ 9 5 4 If you overruff ♠T with ♠Q, you will win that trick, but your only other trick will come ♣ A 8 7 3 from ♠A as declarer still has both ♠K and ♠J to force out your Ace and beat your nine. However, if you decline to overruff, and discard a heart or a club on this trick you will Partner’s lead may be a singleton, or may be top of a doubleton. If it is a singleton, you be left sitting with ♠A Q 9 over the dummy’s ♠K J x (the ♠T having gone) and surely should win your Ace immediately and give partner a ruff. If it is a doubleton, you should duck this first round and then, when partner gets in again, presumably with a high come to three more trump tricks (as long as you don’t lead one yourself), thereby setting the contract by one trick.