2008-03-13 07:36

Hand Evaluation – Tactics ( Defensive Options )

PITBULLS:

When declarer plays a hand , she exercises options. She tries for a suit to break but if that does not work , she has a fall back position of a finesses in another suit. This is the only time in Bridge where the defender has an advantage over the declarer. The defender knows whether a suit is breaking or not . The defender also knows whether a finesse is going to win or not.

Its up to the defender to remove declarers options. Force declarer to decide on the finesse before trying if the key suit is breaking. Forcing declarer to discard pre-maturely before knowing whether the suit breaks. Sometimes a hold up play removes options.

Sometimes the defender creates losing options for declarer. This is done mainly by deception thru the “standard” false cards. These false cards are an attempt to deflect declarer away from a winning play in a suit combination. Routine hold up techniques are also deceptive & of course hesitations are a no-no so as not to inform declarer.

Methods of controlling declarers options were discussed above but defenders have options of their own to worry about. The defenders must exercise their option of following a passive or active defense. Primarily this decision is a matter of counting declarers potential tricks. Counting declarers tricks is quite often surprisingly simple thru patterns if you just do it. A common mistake is getting too busy and attacking a suit which declarer would have to attack himself anyway. When long suits are about , usually active defense is indicated. Quite often the tendency towards active or passive defense was made on opening lead after listening to the bidding. Balanced hands with their short suits usually means passive defense.

In the course of the early play when an accurate count of the hand is not available , a defender should preserve his options. He prefers to hedge his bet by looking for a play that keeps all the defensive options open. Often this is merely trying everything in the proper order. By not taking an option that may give declarer the contract , you are in effect making a defensive safety play.

Do not forget that you have a partner. Take charge when you see a defense that will defeat a contract. Also make your intentions known to partner & work together to plan & defeat contracts. Defense is true partnership bridge where both of you must be on the same wave length & tuned in. The above options are chapters in Kelseys book “More Killing Defense” . In Kelseys words “Defense remains the dark continent of Bridge. For the most part I have concentrated on two neglected areas. Chapters devoted to the control of options & to the various aspects of discarding. No declarer can play better than the defenders permit. One of the basic skills of defense lies in perceiving declarers options and taking steps to remove one of more of them. This is mainly a matter of timing. Give declarer a guess at an early stage of the play before he finds out the lay of the land.”

Anyway , Kelsey relies on logic based on first principles. He trains you how to think on defense . “The defender constantly finds himself on unfamiliar ground and success can be earned only by the application of clear and logical thinking.” These books are how I learned the importance of patterns & how to think in patterns 40 years ago. You thought I was just making all of this up ??