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
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  Q  8  4  5  4  3  Q  J  6  5  2

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

14. Active and Passive Leads T  9  8  4  3
Contract is 7NT
Active lead? 3
Passive Lead? T  K  T  5  3  5  4  6  3

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

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

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

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

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. Contract 4 You lead 4 Declarer wins with K And leads A then 39  8  4  K  T  5  3  2  Q  J  6  2  K  Q  7  6  3  2
What is your best defensive play?
Win J, lead 7
Win  continuation, play Q  A  7  6  2  T  9  4

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

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. Contract 4 You lead K Declarer wins with A Draws trumps, leads 26  5  4  2  K  T  5  K  4  K  Q  J  8  7  9  7  6  3  2
What is your best defensive play?
Duck first , Win A
Lead ‘s from the top
Forcing declarer to ruff in hand  A  7  6  T  9  4

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