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As we previously discussed, being a good defender requires a variety of tactics to take all your tricks.   Top favorites include: making the right lead, third hand play, signaling on opponents leads, considering inferences, etc.

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In this session, some of the common themes we will use include:

Uppercuts – On a good day, occasionally when both the opponent (declarer or dummy) are void in a suit and our partner sitting behind the void player are also void, our partner has the option to either over-ruff or not when opponent plays high.  However, when the opponent plays a high honor, in some situations partner’s intermediate honor might be promoted.   Or perhaps when partner ruffs (declarer sluffs) or partner over-ruffs, our partner may be able to return a favorable lead back to us (finesse or ruff in another suit).

Unblocking – Just like when we are declarer and need to be careful leaving an entry to the other hand (promotion, future finesse play, ruff/cross-ruff, etc.), as defenders we should also be on the lookout to unblock partner’s suit.   Unblocking clues include the situation when partner leads the top of a sequence suit, Ace from Ace-King (or vice-versa for those who lead King from Ace-King), or an earlier suit preference signal by partner when you have few cards in the given suit.  Incidentally, when we return a shorter suit requested by partner (or not), we typically show count in the suit.  So with a doubleton we return the high card and with three we begin with a low card.   One notable exception is when we have a bust hand and should consider leading a Jack from a three card holding since we will no longer have an opportunity to gain the lead. Hopefully partner has “counted out the hand” in High Card Points and realize we may not have a doubleton, understanding we are trying to help partner pin an honor by our Left Hand Opponent.

Communication – Effective communication is paramount to mounting an effective defense.  Once we realize the importance of teamwork to gain the maximum number of tricks, we’re all ears (okay, eyes) watching partner’s signals.  Leads, attitude signals, length count signals, suit preference signals all provide important clues on how to play the hand.

Inferences – What is partner doing during play?  How about the declarer?  What happened during the bidding phase?  Did the opponents hesitate and if so, what inference should we make from the change in tempo?  How about our hand – how does that contribute to the evidence of what’s going on during play?   What have we learned when we saw the dummy?   After viewing the dummy and looking at our hand, what inferences can we make about partner and the declarer’s hand?  Inquiring minds are very busy pondering these and other questions on the opening lead, once the dummy comes down, third hand play, how the declarer plays the hand and more.
 
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Good defenders make use of numerous tactics to ensure they take all their tricks.   Top among the favorites include:

1. Opening Leads – For better or worse, the opening lead often determines the outcome of the hand.  And while no one always makes perfect leads, the players who make the best lead most of the time score more tricks in the long run.

2. Third Hand Play: Signals – After partner has led, in third seat there’s far more to the game than remembering the general axiom “third hand – high.”  Aside from the third hand’s duty to immediately take tricks, good players always strive to effectively communicate various signals with their partner using an assortments of signals depending on the situation at hand.

3. Playing on Opponents Lead: Possible Signals –  Even when the opponents have lead, in either second or fourth seat on occasion we have the opportunity to communicate with partner using signals.

4. Inferences: Bidding, Play, Hand Evaluation – Entire Bridge libraries have been written about the plethora of logical deductions associated with evaluating one’s assets and deducing other players cards (honors and length) based on everyone’s bidding and play.

Opening Leads

1. Top of Honor Sequence 
2. Ace from Ace-King, etc. 
3. Count: Fourth Best, Top of Doubleton, etc. 
4. “BOS-TON” Bottom Of ‘Something’ – Top Of ‘Nothing’ (promise an honor) 
5. Lead Partner’s Suit

Third Hand Play

1. Analyze Partner’s Lead 
2. Win – Lowest of Equals (bottom of sequence) 
3. If Unable to Win, Show Attitude/Count/Suit Preference 
4. Dummy Becomes “Boss,” Count or Suit Preference 

Special Situations – Unblock, Underlead Request, etc.

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Jacoby Transfers help ensure the stronger Notrump hand is declarer, regardless of the fact responder has a long major suit.  Then there’s a second use of transfers to a minor suits with similarities to major suit Jacoby transfers with a few new wrinkles.  So what’s the big deal with the Texas Transfer bid – do we really need yet another convention to do something different when partner opens with 1 or 2 Notrumps? 

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Well, like the big State of Texas, the Texas Transfer bid makes a jump to the four level when responder has 6+ cards in a major suit.  It turns out having more than one method to accomplish a task allows refinements in the application of our beloved Jacoby Transfer bid.  And additionally, when responder jumps to the four level, it certainly keeps the opponents from cheaply entering the auction and make a mess of things. 

Review: Jacoby Transfer bids after Opener bids 1 Notrump:

1.   0-7 Distribution Points – Transfer & Pass

2.   8-9 Dist. Points – Transfer & Invite 2N or 3H/S

3.   10-14 Dist. Points – Transfer & 3NT or 4H/S

4.  6+ Card Minor –Transfer/Signoff/Invite or NT

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