2008-03-13 07:36

Hand Evaluation – Discards

PITBULLS:

Discards are a theme in itself. Kelsey devoted ½ his book “More Killing defense” just on discards !! Discards are based on applying patterns & the same Bridge logic applies as any other counting tool. Think before you make discards & train yourself to watch partner’s discards. Soaking all this in is “being at the table” or knowing what is going on.

Discards can be informative. Discarding honours follow the same rules as opening leads. You discard the highest of a sequence to show that sequence. Interior sequence holdings are shown by discarding the card you would have led. The rule of 11 can help you make informative discards. You can discard an honour because the rule of 11 says that declarer has no higher card so you show partner that her suit is ready to go.

Unblocking discards is seizing the chance of disposing of unwanted honour cards . A defender who sees the threat of a throw in play may find a means of escape by discarding an honour. Alternatively , when partner has tricks to cash but lacks an obvious entry , a defender may create an entry by jettisoning a high card.

Discarding under pressure occurs when declarer is running a long suit. As usual the remedy is counting declarers tricks & using other inferences. Pseudo squeezes are like real squeezes or can become real squeezes. Let partner guard one suit & you the other. Since bridge is played in a clockwise direction , let partner guard the suit behind declarer if possible & you match the number of cards in suit on the board. Knowledge of squeezes is helpful but not necessary.

Anticipating a discard problem needs a knowledge of squeezes. Not rectifying the count for declarer is a theme that occurs quite often. Attacking entries that are needed for the squeeze to operate is another way to thwart the squeeze. More advanced squeezes need more advanced defensive plays. Attacking the “B” suit is a well known defense against double squeezes.

Odd even discards should be mandatory for experts. The size of the spot card can not get in the way. A card is either even or odd , quite simple. Suit preference built in to the even discards is a bonous for guiding your defense. Ilya Kuzkin discarded the heart 2 against 3NT today . This told me he had a preference for the lower ranking suit so I could safely discard a club & hold onto a spade as I was in the grips of a pseudo squeeze. This one play was worth a 1/2 a board in matchpoints.

These headings above are all chapters in Kelseys book “More Killing Defense” . Both of his books on defense are a “good read” for any Bridge player serious about his game. In Kelseys own words “Hundreds of volumes of books have been devoted to declarer play , and yet the most diligent search on discards is likely to end in disappointment. It seems strange that Bridge writers should take discarding so much for granted , since it is not only a highly skilled art but a vital one. Without some measure of mastery of this art , no player can hope to become a competent defender. Just think of how many contracts you have made thanks to a careless discard by a defender. For that matter , think of all the defense you have ruined by unguarding a critical suit at the wrong time. The foundations of correct end-play defense are laid in the early stages by sound discarding, which must be a result of a high degree of forethought.