1. Improvers • Week 17 • Playing in Defence • In Suit Contracts

2. Defensive Play in Suits • Opening Leads • Obviously Key • So another look at Opening Leads • Then • General Defensive Plays • And Good Practise

3. Opening Leads • Standard Leads • Top of an Honour Sequence • AKx • KQ • QJT • JT9 • T98 • AQJ

4. Opening Leads • Standard Leads • 4th Down from suit headed by Honour • Kxxx • Qxxx • Jxxx • Txxx • T9xx

5. Opening Leads • Standard Leads • High – Low from Doubleton • Kx – only if partner has bid this suit • Qx • Jx • Tx • xx • Exception AK

6. Opening Leads • Standard Leads • MUD – From 3+ suits without an honour • Middle, Up , Down • xxx

7. Which Suit? • Active • or • Passive

8. Active Leads • Attacking • May make life difficult for Declarer • May set up Defensive Tricks • High Risk – often gives tricks away • Made from Suits containing honours

9. Passive Leads • No problem for Declarer • Low Risk - Will not give away a cheap trick • Usually from suits without honours • Can be top of an honour sequence • A trump lead is usually a Passive lead

10. When to make an Active Lead • If the contract looks pretty secure • Make an active lead • Guidelines: • Against a Grand Slam • Against 6NT • Against 1 or 2NT when you do not have a 5 card suit • Against suit contract when dummy is unlikely to hold a 5 card suit

11. When to make a Passive Lead • If the contract looks marginal • Make a Passive lead • Make Declarer do the work • Guidelines • Game contract when dummy has a long side suit • Part score contracts • Small slam in a suit • Pre-empts • Against 3NT when dummy has a long suit

12. Active and Passive Leads  A  3 • Contract is 3 • Active lead? • A • Passive Lead? • 4  4  Q  8  5  4  3  Q  J  6  5  2

13. Active and Passive Leads  T  8  A  Q • Contract is 2 • Active lead? • J • Passive Lead? • 7  7  3  K  7  6  3  J  T  6

14. Active and Passive Leads  8  4  3  T  9 • Contract is7NT • Active lead? • 3 • Passive Lead? • T  5  3  K  T  5  4  6  3

15. Active and Passive Leads  3  2 • Contract is 6 • Active lead? • 5 • Passive Lead? • 3  8  5  3  K  T  Q  6  4  3  9  7

16. Active and Passive Leads  A  K • Contract is 4 • Active lead? • K • Passive Lead? • K  2  9  7  5  4  2  6  3  9  8  5

17. Active and Passive Leads  5  4  A  Q • Contract is 3 Pre-empt • Active lead? • 4 • Passive Lead? • 5  7  4  K  J  5  3  4  7  5

18. Opening Leads • First decide • Active or Passive • Then select suit and card • Try not to underlead K’s or Q’s • Especially do not lead from KJx or QTx • Remember partner’s bid suit • or implied (e.g TOX or Lead Directing *)

19. Other Defensive Plays • Remember • Declarer Play is about keeping Control of the Trump Suit • Defensive Play is about thwarting Declarer’s Cunning Plan

20. What is declarer up to? • If Declarer gets in and does not lead trumps • WHY? • What can we do about it?

21.  8  4  3  A  9  5  K  T • Contract 4 • You lead4 • Declarer wins withK • And leads 3  6  2  Q  J  K  4  A  7  2  6  3  A  7  6  2 • What is your best defensive play? • WinA, leadA then7 • Avoiding short side ruffs  4  T  9

22. Are there ruff chances in dummy? • If dummy is the short trump hand • With another short suit • And Declarer Plays the short side suit first • The cunning plan is to ruff on the short side • If you get in lead trumps until all dummy’s trumps are gone

23.  8  4  T  9  5  3  2  K  T • Contract 4 • You lead4 • Declarer wins withK • And leadsA then3  6  2  K  Q  J  Q  7  2  6  3 • What is your best defensive play? • WinJ, lead7 • Wincontinuation, playQ  A  7  6  2  4  T  9

24. Declarer is trying to set up a Cross Ruff • You think this is the case • Because declarer is cashing all top honours in side suits • And not drawing trumps • Lead trumps as many times as you can • Each trump you lead will save 1 trick

25.  8  4  3  K  J  5  K  T • Contract 4. You lead4 • Declarer wins withA • Cashes K and A trumps • And leads9  Q  4  6  A  T  2  6  3  6  8  7  A  7  6  2 • What is your best defensive play? • Declarer may have 2losers • WinA, then play your last  4  T  9

26. The Insurance Trump • Declarer cashes 2 rounds of trumps • Leaving 1 in dummy • And 1 in your hand • Declarer is trying to avoid an extra loser in hand • If you get in lead trumps to remove the last 1 from dummy • Decide which is declarer’s weak suit • And maybe set up a defensive trick

27. RULE OF THUMB • If Declarer does not draw trumps defence should force them • If Declarer is drawing trumps then do NOT lead trumps yourself

28.  5  4  2  A  6  5  K  T • Contract 4 • You leadK • Declarer wins withA • Draws trumps, leads2  K  4  J  8  7  K  Q  2  6  3  9  7 • What is your best defensive play? • Duck first, WinA • Lead‘s from the top • Forcing declarer to ruff in hand  A  7  6  4  T  9

29. Ruffs on the long side • Remember • Ruffs on the long side are not extra tricks for Declarer • If you have a long suit • And Declarer is out of this suit • And Dummy does not have top cards • Play the suit each time you get in to make Declarer use up trumps • You may give partner trump control or set up winners in your long suit

30. Finally • Pay attention to Partner’s cards • There may be a helpful signal there • Successful Defence is about playing as a TEAM • Defence goes wrong if you just play your own hand regardless