Articles by Andrew

Robson
Principle of Restricted Choice
If one opponent plays a critical card in a suit, his partner is twice as likely to have the adjacent card in the
same suit. This is because of the Principle of Restricted Choice (“PRC”) - a mathematical theory that was
found to have relevance at the bridge table by Terence Reese. He first expounded the theory in his epic
book “The Expert Game”, written in 1958 - an inspirational read for any ambitious player.

South Deals ♠ A 10 5 3 2
N-S Vul ♥AQ3
♦AQ3
♣KQ
♠Q98 ♠J
N
♥ 10 9 8 6 ♥542
W E
♦ 842 S
♦ 10 9 6 5
♣975 ♣ 10 8 4 3 2
♠K764
♥KJ7
♦KJ7
♣AJ6
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♠
Pass 4 N Pass 5 ♦
Pass 5 N Pass 6 ♠
Pass 7 ♠ Pass Pass
Pass
7 ♠ by South
North used the Blackwood convention (4NT) to ask for aces, and when his partner’s 5♦ response (one ace)
revealed that all aces were present, he bid 5NT to ask for kings. South’s 6♠ response indicated possession
of the three missing kings so North bid the Grand Slam.
West’s ♥10 lead ran to declarer’s ♥J and declarer cashed ♠K. East’s ♠J fell and declarer used PRC to
deduce that West was now twice as likely to hold the adjacent card - ♠Q. Thus when he followed by leading
♠4 and West played ♠9, he crossed his fingers and inserted ♠10. East discarded a ♣ so he breathed a sigh
of relief, cashed ♠A felling West’s ♠Q, and claimed his Grand Slam.
ANDREW’S TIP: When one opponent plays a critical card in a suit, play his partner to have the
adjacent card in the same suit.
Watch those cards!
Guessing which opponent holds a missing queen is a crucial ability in one’s quest to be a
successful bridge player. The odds - with no other clue - are that if you and dummy are
missing five cards including the queen (but no other picture card) you should finesse, but
if you are missing four cards you should bang down the ace and king and hope for the
queen to “drop”.
South Deals ♠ J 7 5
N-S Vul ♥AK98
♦Q76
♣A86
♠AKQ ♠9432
N
♥Q76 ♥4
W E
♦ 852 S
♦ 10 9 4
♣ 10 5 4 3 ♣QJ972
♠ 10 8 6
♥ J 10 5 3 2
♦AKJ3
♣K
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♥
Pass 4 ♥ Pass Pass
Pass
4 ♥ by South
West cashed ♠AKQ then switched to ♣3. Declarer won ♣K and had to avoid losing a trick to ♥Q to make his
game. The odds told him to bang out ♥AK and hope for ♥Q to fall. But after leading to dummy’s ♥K, he did
not cash ♥A. Instead he crossed back to ♦A and led ♥J, running it successfully when West played ♥7. He
then drew West’s ♥Q with ♥A. Why had he played against the odds?
The reason was quite simple. After following with ♥4 to the first round of trumps, declarer had noticed East
re-sort his hand. This strongly implied he was now void of ♥s and was alternating the colours of the
remaining suits in his hand.
Note that declarer is not allowed to stare at an opponent or his cards but he is allowed to notice such
obvious movements as were made by East; and note that East is not allowed to deliberately mislead
declarer by feigning a re-sort when he is not void.
ANDREW’S TIP: Do not re-sort you hand when you have run out of a suit or declarer may use the
fact that you are void to his advantage!

Preference or Support?
When a player has bid two suits, he is asking his partner to give a preference. Frequently
the partner will be choosing the lesser of two evils with no great enthusiasm. A preference
bid must not be confused with genuine support.
 South Deals ♠ 7 2
N-S Vul ♥73
♦KQ876
♣J954
♠J984 ♠ Q 10
N
♥J9 ♥ K 10 5 2
W E
♦ A 10 9 3 S
♦J52
♣KQ3 ♣ A 10 8 2
♠AK653
♥AQ864
♦4
♣76
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♠
Pass 1 N Pass 2 ♥
Pass 2 ♠ Pass 3 ♠
Pass Pass Pass
3 ♠ by South
South, believing that his partner held genuine ♠ support - three cards - invited game with 3♠. This was an
error. North was merely giving preference back to South’s first choice trump suit, holding equal length.
3♠ was not a happy contract. West led ♣K then switched accurately to ♠4, trying to remove dummy’s trumps
so that declarer could not trump ♥s. Declarer won East’s ♠Q with ♠K and led ♦4. West rose with ♦A, cashed
♣Q and led ♣3, to dummy’s ♣9, East’s ♣10 and declarer trumped. He now cashed ♠A and led a third ♠
hoping for an even split. Not so - West won ♠9, cashed ♠J, drawing declarer’s last trump (East discarding ♦5
and ♦J), then switched to ♥J. This ran to declarer’s ♥Q; he cashed ♥A and exited with ♥4. East won ♥10,
cashed ♥K and his last card was ♣A. Declarer had scored just three trump tricks and ♥AQ - down four.
ANDREW’S TIP: Do not confuse genuine support with mere preference.

The importance of planning

When planning a trump contract, count up the number of sure tricks you have outside the
trump suit.
Provided you have no possibilities of extra tricks in those suits, you can calculate the
number of trump tricks you need in order to fulfill your contract.
South Deals ♠ K 9 5 3
N-S Vul ♥J652
♦ K Q 10 4
♣4
♠8762 N ♠—
♥ K Q 10 9 W E♥874
 ♦32 ♦98765
S
♣KJ9 ♣ Q 10 5 3 2
♠ A Q J 10 4
♥A3
♦AJ
♣A876
Nort Eas
West South
h t
2♠
Pass 4 NT Pass 5 ♣
Pass 7 ♠ Pass Pass
Pass
7 ♠ by South
After South opened a Strong 2♠ North simply used the Blackwood convention, found South held all four
aces - a 5♣ reply to 4NT shows either 0 or 4 aces - and “punted” the Grand Slam. How should South plan
the play on ♥K lead from West?
South took stock before playing from dummy - admirable technique - and counted one ♥ trick, four ♦ tricks
and one ♣; with no chance of any extra tricks in those suits, he thus needed seven tricks from trumps; that
meant trumping two ♣s in dummy.
He won ♥A, cashed ♣A and trumped ♣6 with ♠9. He crossed to ♠10, East discarding a ♦, and trumped ♣7
with ♠K. He led ♠3 to ♠J, drew West’s two remaining trumps discarding two ♥s from dummy, cashed ♦A,
overtook ♦J with ♦Q, and cashed ♦K and ♦10 discarding ♥3 and ♣8 from his hand. He took the last trick, his
thirteenth, with ♠4. Grand Slam made.
ANDREW’S TIP: By counting your sure tricks outside trumps, you can plan how many trump tricks
are required for your contract.

Andrew’s favourite lead

Against a trump contract the best opening leads are singletons or sequences of two or more touching high
cards in a suit (lead the top card). Generally the singleton is a more dynamic choice but when the sequence
is ace-king, the latter choice is advisable. Why?
You retain the lead after dummy is revealed and can continue or switch to your singleton as seems fit. If
you lead your singleton you are likely to lose the lead and so cannot switch to the ace-
king suit.
North Deals ♠ J 8 6
N-S Vul ♥ 10 8 4
♦ AJ32
♣AQ9
♠ AK54 N ♠ Q97
♥ A65 W E ♥73
♦4 S ♦ 10 9 8 5
 ♣ K 10 8 6 4 ♣J752
♠ 10 3 2
♥KQJ92
♦ KQ76
♣3
West North East South
1 N Pass 3 ♥
Pass 4 ♥ Pass Pass
Pass
4 ♥ by South
West led ♦ 4 and declarer surveyed the mediocre dummy. With four obvious losers (three ♠s and ♥ A) as
soon as he lost the lead, he needed to risk the ♣ finesse. He won ♦ Q and played ♣ 3 to ♣ 4 and ♣ Q. When
♣ Q won, he cashed ♣ A, discarding ♠ 2 and led ♥ 10, losing to West’s ♥ A. West cashed ♠ AK - had he had
the courage to have led a low ♠ his partner could have won ♠ Q and played a second ♦ for him to trump; he
then led ♠ 4 to ♠ Q and declarer trumped. Declarer drew the remaining trumps and cashed his ♦s. Ten tricks.
West should have led ♠ A - implying ♠ K. East would have encouraged by playing ♠ 9 and so West would
continue with ♠ K and ♠ 4 to East’s ♠ Q. West’s ♥ A would take the setting trick.
ANDREW’S TIP: Defending a trump contract, generally lead ace from ace-king in preference to any
alternative opening lead - including a singleton.

Responding to Preempts
When partnerhas opened at the three level - showing less than opening points and a good
seven card suit, you should discount your queens and jacks outside his suit. You should
expect to make a minimum of ten tricks (with his suit as trumps) if you have 12+ such
“useful points” (UP’s), eleven tricks with 15+ UP’s and twelve tricks with 18+ UP’s.
South Deals ♠ A853
None Vul
♥ A7
♦ A4
♣Q6543
♠ K Q 10 6 ♠ J942
N
♥53 ♥ 10 2
W E
♦ Q 10 7 2 ♦ KJ95
S
♣KJ8 ♣ A 10 9
♠7
♥KQJ9864
♦ 863
 ♣72
West North East South
3 ♥
Pass 4 ♥ Pass Pass
Pass
North discounted his ♣ Q but still had 12 UP’s - enough to have a go for a ten trick contract. How should
declarer plan the play in 4 ♥ on West’s opening lead of ♠ K?
He could count nine easy tricks - seven trumps tricks, ♠ A and ♠ A. Can you spot the risk-free route to a tenth
trick?
It will come from trumping his third ♦ in dummy. Accordingly he must delay drawing trumps. He wins ♠ A and
immediately plays ♦ A and ♦ 4. East wins ♦ K and finds the best return of ♥ 2.
Declarer plays ♥ 9, winning the trick, and now leads ♦ 8, trumping it with ♥ A (this is his crucial extra trick). He
trumps ♠ 3, draws the two outstanding trumps and loses two ♣ tricks at the end. 4 ♥ bid and made.
ANDREW’S TIP: Discount queens and jacks outside trumps when responding to a preempt.

If you are short of spades beware

When the opponents stop bidding at the one-level, you should be loath to let them play undisturbed. They
would have kept bidding if their hands were strong so your partnership must hold almost half the high cards
or more; you should generally attempt to find a playable contract or at least push the
opponents a level or two higher. But a word of warning - the part-score battle is likely to
be won by the side holding the highest ranking suit ♠s. If you are short in ♠s - beware!
South Deals ♠ J 6 5 3
None Vul ♥ K 10 8 7
♦6
♣ 10 7 5 4
♠ Q98 ♠ 10 4
N
♥J95 ♥ AQ642
W E
♦ KJ97 ♦ Q 10 8
S
♣KJ8 ♣Q32
♠ AK72
♥3
♦ A5432
♣A96
West North East South
1 ♦
Pass Pass 1 ♥ 1 ♠
2 ♥ 2 ♠ Pass Pass
3 ♥ Pass Pass 3 ♠
 Pass Pass Pass
A 1 ♦ contract by South would not have fared well - probably ending up one down. But East protected with 1 
♥ and North-South’s ♠ fit was unearthed. Despite West boldly pushing his opponents to 3 ♠, the contract
could not be beaten.
West led ♥ 5 to ♥ 7, ♥ Q and ♥ 3. East switched accurately to ♠ 4 and declarer won ♠ K. He cashed ♦ A,
trumped ♦ 2 with ♠ 5, crossed to ♣ A, trumped ♦ 3 with ♠ 6, trumped♥ 8 with ♠ 2, trumped ♦ 4 with ♠ J,
trumped ♥ 10 with ♠ 7, cashed ♠ A and conceded the last three tricks. He had scored no less than seven
trump tricks to go with the minor suit aces.
ANDREW’S TIP: Be wary of letting the opponents uncover a ♠ fit - adoptcautious part-score tactics
with short ♠s.

The power of the thirty point pack

Let us say that there is a suit in which partner has no cards (a void) and you have no honours in that same
suit. Assuming your side declares in a reasonable trump fit, there are only 30 out of the 40 points in the pack
that will play a role in taking tricks (the 10 points in that suit, all held by the opponents, will be useless). Only
about 18 points will be required to make Game (instead of the normal 25) and only about 24 points will be
required for a Small Slam (instead of the normal 33).

West Deals ♠—
N-S Vul ♥KJ65
♦ K Q 10 4 2
♣KJ65
♠ K Q 10 9 7 3 2 ♠ AJ
N
♥3 ♥974
W E
♦3 ♦ 9765
S
♣8742 ♣ A Q 10 9
♠ 8654
♥ A Q 10 8 2
♦ AJ8
♣3
West North East South
3 ♠ Dbl 4 ♠ 6 ♥
Pass Pass Pass
West’s 3 ♠ opener showed a weak hand with seven decent ♠s; North’s double was for “take-out” - showing
an opening hand with short ♠s and support for the other three suits; after East raised the ante with 4 ♠, South
deduced - holding four ♠s - that his partner was void and therefore he was playing with a “thirty point pack”
of which his partnership held at least 24; his jump to 6 ♥ was thus an excellently judged bid.
West led ♦ 3 and declarer counted ten easy trick in the red suits. He needed to trump two ♠s in dummy to
bring his total to the required twelve. He won ♦ J, trumped ♠ 4 with ♥ J, led ♥ 5 to ♥ 10, trumped ♠ 5 with ♥ K,
led ♥ 6 to ♥ Q and drew East’s ♥ 9 with ♥ A. He cashed ♦ A, led ♦ 8 to ♦ 10 and cashed ♦ KQ discarding ♠ 86.
He conceded a trick but was left with two trumps in hand.
ANDREW’S TIP: Are you playing with a “thirty point pack”? If so - be bold!
Which card should declarer play
When declarer possesses two (or more) cards that are adjacent (eg a king and a queen) then they have
equal value. It may seem of little relevance which one he chooses to play. Not so!

South Deals ♠ 754

E-W Vul
♥KQJ
♦ A J 10 9 8
♣42
♠ AK6 ♠ Q932
N
♥ 10 8 7 5 4 2 ♥6
W E
♦ 64 ♦ KQ2
S
♣87 ♣ Q J 10 9 5
♠ J 10 8
♥ A93
♦ 753
♣AK63
West North East South
1 N
Pass 2 N Pass Pass
Pass
West led ♥ 5 and declarer overtook dummy’s ♥ J with ♥ A to lead ♦ 3 to dummy’s ♦ 8. East won ♦ Q and,
realising from observing dummy’s ♥ KQ that there was no future in returning partner’s lead, naturally
switched to his fine ♣ suit. He led ♣ Q - top of a sequence - but declarer played ♣ K which held the trick and
led ♦ 5 to ♦ 9. East won♦ K and paused to reflect. His ♣ switch had not worked too well - it was clear declarer
also held ♣ A because his ♣ K had won the trick (if West held ♣ A he would have beaten ♣ K with it). There
was only one suit left for East to lead - ♠s. He led ♠ 2 and West beat ♠ 10 with ♠ K, cashed ♠ A and led ♠ 6.
East won ♠ Q and cashed ♠ 9 - the setting trick.
But it would all have been different if declarer had won East’s ♣ Q switch with ♣ A (not ♣ K). Now East would
have had no way of knowing who held ♣ K and might easily have persisted with ♣s when he won ♦ K. And
then declarer would have made his contract - three ♥s, three ♦s and ♣ AK making up his eight tricks.
ANDREW’S TIP: As declarer, play the highest of touching cards to leave the defenders in the dark.

The easy life

The following type of misdefence has occurred countless times - which defender was
most at fault?
South Deals ♠ 653
Both Vul ♥653
♦ AK7
 ♣AK82
♠ A Q J 10 9 ♠ 42
N
♥2 ♥ J 10 9 8 7
W E
♦ 8653 ♦ Q 10 9
S
♣754 ♣ Q 10 9
♠ K87
♥ AKQ4
♦ J42
♣J63
West North East South
1 N
Pass 3 N Pass Pass
Pass
West led ♠ Q and declarer - for fear of never making it - correctly won ♠ K. With eight top tricks and several
chances for nine, declarer cashed ♥ AKQ. West discarded ♦ 3 on the second ♥ and ♥ 4 on the third. Declarer
then cashed dummy’s ♦ AK and followed with ♣ AK. Neither queen appeared so his chances seem to have
run out. In desperation he exited with ♠ 8.
West, delighted, won ♠ 9 and started cashing his top ♠s. He led ♠ A and East discarded ♥ 10; he followed
with ♠ J and East discarded ♥ J. His last two cards were ♠ 10 and ♠ 8 and East’s last two cards were ♦ Q and
♣ Q. At this point he led ♠ 10 and East had to make another discard. After much soul-searching East
discarded ♦ Q, and declarer threw ♣ J. West led his ♦ 8 but it was declarer who, out-of-the-blue, made the
last trick (and his contract) with ♦ J.
Superficially East made the blunder - throwing the wrong queen away at the penultimate trick. But West
made a far more culpable error. He knew East’s hand was all winners as soon as declarer did not cash a
ninth trick; he should not have cashed his ♠ 10 at the penultimate trick giving his partner a chance to go
wrong - rather leading ♦ 8 for East to win the last two tricks with ♦ Q and ♣ Q.
ANDREW’S TIP: Make partner’s life easy in defence.

When not to make a penalty double

When the opponents have reached a contract that
you do not think they will make, it might seem
sensible to double, thereby scoring more points. But it is not quite so simple - what if
they then run to an alternative contract?
South Deals ♠ A J 10 9
N-S Vul ♥ A653
♦ J842
♣7
♠ 743 N ♠ K8652
♥7 W E ♥ Q J 10 8
♦ 7653 S ♦—
 ♣KJ983 ♣ Q 10 6 2
♠Q
♥K942
♦ A K Q 10 9
♣A54
West North East South
1 ♦
Pass 1 ♥ Pass 4 ♥
Pass 4 NT Pass 5 ♥
Pass 6 ♥ Dbl Pass
Pass 7 ♦ Dbl Pass
Pass Pass
North bid aggressively to Small Slam via the Blackwood 4 NT convention which asked partner how many
aces they possessed (5 ♥ showed two). But when East doubled 6 ♥, North reassessed. It was clear
East’s ♥s were strong enough to defeat 6 ♥ so North tried the effect of making ♦s trumps - even though it
meant bidding a Grand Slam. East doubled again - perhaps less confidently - and West led ♥ 7.
South won ♥ K, cashed ♣ A, trumped ♣ 4 with ♦ 2, led ♦ 4 to ♦ 9 (noting East discard - ♠ 5), trumped ♣ 5
with ♦ 8, and overtook ♦ J with ♦ Q to draw West’s remaining trumps (North discarding ♥ 65 to leave ♠ AJ109
and ♥ A). He then led ♠ Q to ♠ A and ran ♠ J - a “ruffing finesse”. East covered with ♠ K (South would have
discarded ♥ 2 if East had played low), so declarer trumped, crossed to ♥ A and enjoyed ♠ 109. He had
actually made his doubled Grand Slam! East was left to rue his double of 6 ♥ - he should have passed and
quietly defeated the 6 ♥ contract with his two trump tricks.
ANDREW’S TIP: Do not double a contract unless you will be happy if they run toan alternative
contract.

Should you double a slam with two aces

To bid and make a Small Slam, only one trick can be lost. But a defender holding two
aces should not necessarily double a Small Slam - the opponents are likely to have a void
somewhere so one of your aces may not win a trick. That said, you have to feel sympathy
for this week’s East who, holding no less than three aces, watched his opponents bid and
make a Small Slam. Here is the hand:
South Deals ♠ K7542
None Vul
♥K76
♦—
♣KQJ76
♠ Q J 10 8 ♠ A963
N
♥3 ♥98
W E
♦ Q9532 ♦ AJ74
S
♣985 ♣A32
 ♠—
♥ A Q J 10 5 4 2
♦ K 10 8 6
♣ 10 4
West North East South
4 ♥
Pass 6 ♥ Dbl Pass
Pass Pass
West led ♠ Q and dummy and East played low, declarer trumping. Correctly resisting the temptation to
trump ♦s, declarer realised that by far the easiest route to 12 tricks was to draw trumps then - assuming
trumps split 2-1 - establish ♣s by knocking out ♣ A. He cashed ♥ Q and ♥ J then led ♣ 10. East ducked his ♣ 
A, then won ♣ 4 to dummy’s ♣ J. He had no sensible return so simply exited with ♣ 3. Declarer was able to
enjoy dummy’s three established ♣s discarding ♦ 1086 from hand, trump ♠ 4, trump ♦ K with ♥ K, then table
his remaining cards, all trumps.
Last week we saw that it was a mistake to double a Slam if you would be unhappy should the opponents
remove themselves to an alternative contract. This week we see that holding two - even three - aces is not a
good enough reason to double.
ANDREW’S TIP: Do not double a freely bid Small Slam on the basis of holdingtwo - even three -
aces.

The Rule of Twenty

In the early days of bridge a full thirteen point hand was required in order to open the bidding. Now
standards have dropped to twelve. In addition there is a very useful rule - taking distribution into account -
that sometimes allows you to open the bidding with even less. Add your total points to the number of cards
in your two longest suits; if the total is twenty or more then it is winning bridge to open the bidding. Using
The Rule of Twenty, an eleven point hand with a five-four shape or with a six card suit will be opened; as will
a ten point hand with a five-five or six-four shape.
This week's South must have been a trifle nervous - having opened the bidding with just nine
points he heard his partner had put him into Slam. How did he fare?
South Deals ♠ Q4
None Vul ♥ K Q 10 9
♦ AJ86
♣J64
♠ A8 ♠ 10 9 2
N
♥7 ♥432
W E
♦ Q943 ♦ K 10 7
S
♣ A K 10 8 7 3 ♣Q952
♠ KJ7653
♥ AJ865
♦ 52
 ♣—
West North East South
1 ♠
2 ♣ 2 ♦ 3 ♣ 3 ♥
5 ♣ 6 ♥ Pass Pass
Pass
East-West's vigorous ♣ bidding convinced North - correctly - that his partner was almost certainly void of the
suit. So his 6 ♥ bid over 5 ♣ was not quite the wild leap it first appears.
West led ♣ A and declarer trumped. He crossed to ♥ Q, cashed ♥ K and led to ♥ A, drawing the four opposing
trumps. He then led ♠ 3 to ♠ Q and ♠ 4 to ♠ J and West's ♠ A. West switched to ♦ 3 - too late. Declarer won
dummy's ♦ A, trumped ♣ 6, cashed ♠ K and his three remaining ♠s and took the last trick with dummy's
remaining trump.
West can hardly be blamed for his ♣ A lead but the opening lead of a ♦ would have established a ♦ trick for
the defence, which they would have been able to cash when in with ♠ A.
THE RULE OF TWENTY: Open the bidding when your total points added to the number of cards in
your two longest suits equal twenty or more.

Openers bidding stratergy

If you open the bidding in a suit, you undertake to make a second bid - a rebid - if partner changes the suit.
So be prepared! On the other hand if you open 1NT, you have described your hand so accurately to partner
that you can leave further decisions to him.
This week’s South fell into the trap of opening 1♥ then found that he did not have a rebid after his partner
responded 2♦. In desperation he rebid 2♥ but partner assumed his ♥s were far better and bid 4♥ - a contract
that stood no chance whatsoever.
We replay the deal as it should have gone:
South Deals ♠ 4 2
N-S Vul ♥J7
♦AJ9532
♣AQJ
♠KQ98 ♠ J 10 7 3
N
♥ A 10 8 ♥K95
W E
♦ 10 8 7 6 S
♦Q
♣84 ♣ 10 9 5 3 2
♠A65
♥Q6432
♦K4
♣K76
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1N
Pass 3 N Pass Pass
 Pass
3 NT by South
After South correctly opened 1NT - 12-14 points - North raised to 3NT; there was little future in bidding ♦s as
game in a minor suit is tough to make.
West led ♠8 to East’s ♠10 and declarer withheld his ♠A. East continued with ♠3 to ♠6 and West’s ♠9 and
declarer won his ♠A perforce on the third round. He then led ♦K, felling East’s ♦Q and led ♦4 to West’s ♦7.
Reflecting that East would not have played ♦Q unless he had to, declarer placed all the remaining ♦s with
West. He played ♦9 from dummy and East discarded a ♣. Declarer then led ♦AJ drawing West’s ♦108 and
enjoyed ♦53 and three ♣ winners. Ten tricks.
ANDREW’S TIP: If you open the bidding in a suit, you must make a second bid if partner changes the
suit.

What do you want to win

you have found a good move, see if you can find a better
The chess player’s motto - “When
one” is equally applicable to bridge. Here West’s defence was theoretically sound - he
had made a clear signal to partner. But East, as partners can be, was blind or ignorant, and
the contract was allowed to make. East’s fault? Yes - but only in part. West had an idiot-
proof way to defeat the contract. Cover up East and South’s hand and see if you can find
it.
South Deals ♠ J 8 7 6
E-W Vul ♥ Q J 10
♦KQ6
♣KQ6
♠4 ♠Q
N
♥AK843 W ♥92
E
♦ A874 S
♦J9532
♣ 10 8 7 ♣J9532
♠ A K 10 9 5 3 2
♥765
♦ 10
♣A4
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♠
Pass 4 ♠ Pass Pass
Pass
4 ♠ by South
West led ♥A and East remembered to signal with ♥9 to encourage a continuation. West duly played ♥K and
carefully led ♥8 to the third trick - a “suit-preference signal” for partner - after trumping - to return the higher
ranking of the other suits - here ♦s. If West had wanted a ♣ return, he’d lead his lowest ♥ to the third trick.
Such signals are most useful in trumping situations - but only if partner is aware of them. Evidently this East
was not, for after much agonising and mental coin-tossing, East returned ♣3. Declarer gratefully won ♣A, led
♠A, and cashed dummy’s ♣KQ discarding ♦10. Contract made.
West criticised East for failing to obey the suit-preference signal, but West had an idiot-proof defence - he
should simply have cashed ♦A before leading the third ♥ for East to trump.
ANDREW’S TIP: A victorious defence is better than a victorious post-mortem!

Consider how things may look to partner

One the most inherently beautiful aspects of bridge is the partnership element. The true
expert nurtures his partner; he anticipates any problems that his partner is likely to have
and, if necessary, takes control. Cover up West and South’s cards on this week’s deal, and
see if you can replicate East’s defence:
North Deals ♠ Q 5
N-S Vul ♥K65
♦86
♣ A Q J 10 7 6
♠432 ♠J9
N
♥ Q J 10 9 ♥A872
W E
♦ Q 10 5 3 S
♦AK42
♣52 ♣943
♠ A K 10 8 7 6
♥43
♦J97
♣K8
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1 ♣ Pass 1 ♠
Pass 2 ♣ Pass 3 ♠
Pass 4 ♠ Pass Pass
Pass
4 ♠ by South
North-South have a good auction to 4♠ in which South shows six ♠s and a game-invitational hand with his
3♠ bid; North accepts the invitation with his golden ♠Q and West leads ♥Q.
Declarer plays low from dummy, you as East play ♥8 as an encouraging signal for partner to continue ♥s,
and partner follows by leading ♥J. Declarer plays low from dummy a second time. Your play?
If you play low - allowing partner’s ♥J to win the trick - partner is likely to play a third ♥ hoping declarer has
one more ♥ and you one fewer. That will be disastrous - declarer will trump, draw trumps in three rounds,
and run dummy’s ♣s discarding all his ♦ losers.
You know you can defeat this contract - assuming declarer has more than one ♦. Simply overtake ♥J with ♥A
and cash ♦AK.
ANDREW’S TIP: Consider things from partner’s point of view, and be prepared to take control if you
know what to do and partner may not.
When openers rebid should be pass
You have a balanced hand with 15 or 16 points. Your bidding strategy is to open one of your longest suit and
rebid Notrumps at the lowest level over your partner’s response. So if you open 1♥ and partner replies 1♠,
you will rebid 1NT. How about if the opponent on your right overcalls 2♣? Should you rebid 2NT?
The answer is a categorical NO! It is totally illogical to change your Notrump bid
because of an intervention. The 2NT bid in the auction: 1♥ - P - 1♠ - 2♣ - 2NT shows the
same strength as in: 1♥ - P - 1♠ - P - 2NT, ie 17 or 18 points.
West Deals ♠ Q 10 3
Both Vul ♥KJ974
♦4
♣ J 10 7 4
♠J7 ♠AK42
N
♥AQ32 ♥86
W E
♦ Q75 S
♦J632
♣AQ 32 ♣865
♠9865
♥ 10 5
♦ A K 10 9 8
♣K9
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1 ♥ Pass 1 ♠ 2 ♦
Pass Pass Pass
If West had mistakenly bid 2NT over South’s 2♦, East should raise to 3NT (2NT showing 17,18), a contract
that would have drifted two or three down. He correctly passed 2♦, knowing his partner could bid on with a
decent hand.
West led ♠J to ♠Q and East’s ♠K. East switched to ♣6 to ♣9, ♣Q and ♣4 and West played ♠7 to ♠A and
East’s ♠2 return was trumped by West. West cashed ♣A and ♥A before playing ♥2 to ♥K. Declarer now
correctly banged out ♦AK, felling ♦Q and just losing to ♦J. But two down was a handsome reward for West’s
discipline in passing 2♦.
ANDREW’S TIP: If you are unable to make your planned Notrump rebid because of an intervening
bid, Pass!

One Notrump openers

After you have accurately described your hand to partner in the bidding, you should take
a back seat and leave decision-making to him. A prime example of this is opening 1NT:
you have shown precisely 12-14 points and one of just three distributions - 4333, 4432 or
5332; you must then hand over captaincy to partner - usually he will be able to choose the
final contract with his next bid.
North Deals ♠ Q 10 4
 N-S Vul ♥KJ4
♦Q74
♣AQ98
♠A52 ♠K3
N
♥A652 ♥ 10 9 8 7 3
W E
♦ A K 10 6 5 S
♦93
♣J ♣K542
♠J9876
♥Q
♦J82
♣ 10 7 6 3
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1 N Pass 2 ♠
3 ♦ 3 ♠1 Pass Pass
Pass
1. It is unusual forthe Notrump
bidder to bid again.
South’s 2♠ bid - a “weakness take-out” - should have been the last bid for North-South. But North,
erroneously encouraged by his maximum points and spade fit, broke discipline and competed to 3♠.
West led ♦A and East played ♦9 - a high-spot card is a signal for West to continue ♦s and thus implies a
doubleton in this situation. West cleverly switched to ♣J - ♦s could wait - and declarer tried ♣Q from dummy.
His hope that West held ♣K was dashed and after East won with it, he returned ♣2 for West to trump. West
cashed ♦K and led ♦5 for East to trump. East returned ♣4 and West trumped, cashed ♥A, and led a fourth ♦.
East trumped with ♠K and West still had ♠A to make.
East-West’s brilliant defence saw them score all five of their trumps together with ♥A, ♦AK and ♣K. Declarer
- lucky to be undoubled - just made four tricks. Down five!
ANDREW’S TIP: A 1NT Opener should rarely bid again.

If partner has perfect cards….

can advance from Game
You have a good hand for your bidding and start to wonder whether you
towards Slam. You realise that if partner has particularly suitable cards, Slam will be
easy. You bid on and the (predictable) disappointing dummy is tabled. You go down in
your ambitious contract. You try to justify your optimism to partner: “If you’d held…”
Sounds familiar?
East Deals ♠K754
N-S Vul ♥ 10 9 5 4
♦AK6
♣97
♠962 N ♠ A J 10 8 3
 ♥76 ♥J
W E
♦ Q 10 7 4 3 2 ♦J85
S
♣86 ♣AK53
♠Q
♥AKQ832
♦9
♣ Q J 10 4 2
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♠ 2♥
Pass 4 ♥ Pass 4 N
Pass 5 ♦ Pass 5 ♥
Pass Pass Pass
South was strong for his 2♥ overcall and his thoughts turned to Slam after his partner had jumped to 4♥. “If
my partner holds ♣AK and either ♦A or ♠A……or if he holds ♣K, ♦A and ♠A…” South persuaded himself to
ask for aces with 4NT. North’s 5♦ reply showed one ace; the partnership were missing two aces so South
signed off in 5♥.
The defence was quick - West led ♠6 to East’s ♠A and East cashed ♣AK. He tried a third ♣ but West was
unable to trump higher than dummy’s ♥10. Declarer drew trumps and claimed but was one down. Guilty of
playing the “if game”, he should have paid off to the occasional perfect fit and passed 4♥.
ANDREW’S TIP: Do not play partner for perfect cards. As soon as you find yourself saying “If”, take
the cautious route!

Fourth suit forcing

The only bids that force partner to speak again are bids in new suits. It follows that when
the first three bids between the partners are in different suits, the only forcing bid left is a
bid of the fourth suit. Such a bid does not show the suit - merely a hand going for game
but needing to know more about partner’s hand.
South Deals ♠ A K 7 5 3
Both Vul ♥87
♦J76
♣KQ6
♠J9 ♠ Q 10 8 4
N
♥QJ94 ♥ 10 6
W E
♦ KQ532 S
♦ A 10 8 4
♣42 ♣ 10 5 3
♠62
♥AK532
 ♦9
♣AJ987
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♥
Pass 1 ♠ Pass 2 ♣
Pass 2 ♦ Pass 3 ♣
Pass 5 ♣ Pass Pass
Pass
North’s 2♦ bid was “fourth suit forcing” and South’s 3♣ bid revealed the fifth ♣, enabling North to bid 5♣.
West led ♦K and continued with a low ♦, South trumping East’s ♦A. With four top tricks in the major suits, he
needed to score seven trump tricks to pull off a successful “crossruff”. To avoid the risk of a defender
overtrumping with the ten and returning a trump, he took every precaution.
He cashed ♠AK, ♥AK, trumped ♥2 with ♣Q, trumped ♠3 with ♣J, trumped ♥3 with ♣K, trumped ♠5 with ♣A
and trumped ♥5 with ♣6. East overtrumped with ♣10 but declarer claimed the last two tricks with ♣98.
ANDREW’S TIP: When the first three bids between a partnership are in different suits, a bid of the
fourth suit shows a game going hand and asks partner to describe his hand further.

Jump rebid in a new suit

Some bids in bridge are complete “sign off’s” - e.g. 1NT-2♠. Some are invitational - e.g.
1♥-3♥, and some force partner to speak again - e.g. 1♣-1♦. A few bids actually force
partner to keep bidding until Game is reached; one such “Game-forcing” sequence is a
jump rebid in a new suit by Opener - e.g. 1♣-1♦-2♥ or 1♥-1♠-3♦.
South Deals ♠ 9 7 5
N-S Vul ♥A7532
♦ Q 10
♣763
♠K6 ♠Q432
N
♥ 10 8 ♥J964
W E
♦ 876 S
♦42
♣KJ9542 ♣AQ8
♠ A J 10 8
♥KQ
♦AKJ953
♣ 10
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♦
 Pass 1 ♥ Pass 2 ♠
Pass 3 ♦ Pass 4 ♦
Pass 5 ♦ Pass Pass
Pass
South’s jump rebid of 2♠ was game-forcing and showed at least five ♦s and at least four ♠s. North correctly
gave “false preference” back to South’s first suit. South then bid 4♦ to see if his partner could cooperate in a
Slam venture. North - still unable to pass as game had not been reached - made the weakest bid by raising
to 5♦.
West led ♣5 to East’s ♣A and South trumped East’s ♣Q continuation. He crossed to dummy’s ♦10, cashed
♦Q and led ♠5 to ♠2, ♠J and West’s ♠K. West returned ♣K and South trumped, drew the last trump, led ♥Q
overtaking with dummy’s ♥A, and led ♠9. East played ♠3, South ♠8 and West ♠6. ♠7 followed to ♠4 and
South’s ♠10 won. The rest of his hand was high.
ANDREW’S TIP: A jump rebid in a new suit by Opener is forcing to Game.

When to by pass a suit

When responding in a choice of four card suits, you should technically bid the cheaper
one - going “up the ladder”. But this week’s responder sensibly broke the rule and so
achieved a spectacularly good result on the hand. Here it is:
North Deals ♠ 6
N-S Vul ♥AQJ7
♦Q763
♣A864
♠ K 10 7 4 2 ♠QJ53
N
♥ 10 6 4 2 ♥953
W E
♦ 10 9 4 S
♦52
♣5 ♣KQJ7
♠A98
♥K8
♦AKJ8
♣ 10 9 3 2
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1 ♥ Pass 2 ♦
Pass 4 ♦ Pass 6 ♦
Pass Pass Pass
South did not fancy responding in the cheaper four card suit - ♣s (see Tip). Had he done so, then the
partnership might easily have declared 5♣ or 6♣ with disastrous consequences. After his 2♦ response, North
gave jump support - his hand improving with the ♦ fit and the useful singleton ♠. South, who had fallen in
love with his ♥K - honours in partner’s suits are always worth more than their point value - jumped to 6♦ and
West led ♣5.
South won ♣A, played ♠6 to ♠A and trumped ♠8 with ♦3. He crossed to ♥K and trumped ♠9 with ♦6. He
cashed dummy’s ♦Q, crossed to his ♦J, cashed ♦K drawing the last opposing trump, then led ♥8 to dummy’s
♥AQJ. Away went two of his three losing ♣s and twelve tricks were his.
ANDREW’S TIP: Do not bid bad suits on good hands.

Which card to lead back for partner to trump

Partner has led what is clearly a singleton. You win your ace and lead the suit back for partner to trump. You
hope desperately that he will guess correctly which suit to return.
The Suit Preference Signal is used to avoid guesswork in precisely these situations. The crux is: when you
are leading a suit for partner to trump, a high spot card lead asks partner to return the higher ranking of the
other suits; a low spot card lead asks for the lower ranking suit.

South Deals ♠ 10
E-W Vul ♥A73
♦Q8654
♣KJ84
♠AJ95432 ♠K87
N
♥962 ♥J5
W E
♦ 32 S
♦ K 10 9 7
♣2 ♣A963
♠Q6
♥ K Q 10 8 4
♦AJ
♣ Q 10 7 5
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♥
1 ♠ 2 ♦ 2 ♠ Pass
3 ♠ 4 ♥ Pass Pass
Pass
West sensibly chickened out of bidding 4♠ as he was vulnerable. It gave his partnership the chance to use
the Suit Preference signal. Against 4♥ he led ♣2 - an obvious singleton from East’s perspective. East won
♣A and wanted West to underlead his ♠A - even though dummy only held a singleton. So he returned ♣9 -
asking partner to return the higher ranking of the other suits (♠s and ♦s). West trumped and obediently led
♠2. East won ♠K and led another ♣. West trumped a second time and the defence had taken the first four
tricks.
ANDREW’S TIP: When leading a suit for partner to trump, a high card asks for a return of the higher
ranking suit, a low card asks for the lower raking suit.

Choice of trump suits

When a player such a American Jeff Meckstroth - who has won countless World
Championships - gives a widely applicable Tip for players of all levels, it is worth
absorbing. “Do not introduce a suit in the bidding unless you will ultimately be happy to
make the suit trumps”.
South Deals ♠ 8 6 4
N-S Vul ♥4
♦J8654
♣AQ64
♠KQJ7 ♠ A 10 9 3 2
N
♥ 10 8 5 2 ♥93
W E
♦Q S
♦ K 10 9
♣J983 ♣ 10 7 2
♠5
♥AKQJ76
♦A732
♣K5
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♥
Pass 1 NT Pass 3 ♦
Pass 5 ♦ Pass Pass
Pass
South’s heart sank when his partner jumped to 5♦. Why, oh why, had he bothered to mention his second
suit? He should simply have jumped to 4♥ over 1NT - he rated to lose no ♥ tricks even if his partner held a
void. A 4♥ contract would make easily - six trump tricks, ♦A and ♣AKQ.
South played the 5♦ contract as carelessly as he had bid it. West led ♠K and continued with ♠Q, which he
trumped. Needing a favourable trump split, he cashed ♦A, felling West’s ♦Q and East’s ♦9, and led ♦3. West
discarded and East beat dummy’s ♦J with ♦K, cashed ♦10 and also ♠A - the contract was two down. South
should have crossed to ♣A and trumped dummy’s third ♠ before leading a second round of trumps to restrict
himself to one down.
ANDREW’S TIP: Do not bid a suit you do not wish to be trumps.

When to make a penalty double

Have you ever doubled the opponents in a contract that you were sure you could beat -
only to see them flee to a safer haven?
West Deals ♠A
N-S Vul ♥J98
♦ K 10
♣ A 10 8 7 6 4 2
♠ 10 8 6 5 N ♠9732
W E
 ♥ A K Q 10 4 3 ♥652
♦ A65 S ♦32
♣— ♣QJ93
♠KQJ4
♥7
♦QJ9874
♣K5
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♥ 2 ♣ Pass 2 ♦
3♥ 4 ♣ Pass 5 ♣
Pass Pass Dbl Pass
Pass 5 ♦ Pass Pass
Dbl Pass Pass Pass
West had crowded the auction sufficiently to jostle North-South into the inferior 5♣ contract. That would
have failed by two tricks due to the unfortunate trump break. Was East content to write +200 (two down
vulnerable) on his scorepad? No - he wanted every penny! East’s double sent a warning signal to North,
with his bare ♣ suit. He wisely ran to his partner’s ♦s and West doubled with a shrug of the shoulders.
West led ♥A and continued with ♥K. Declarer trumped and led ♦7 to ♦5, ♦K and ♦2, and returned dummy’s
♦10 to ♦3, ♦8 and ♦A. West switched to ♠5 to dummy’s ♠A, but declarer trumped ♥J (avoiding returning to
hand with ♣K which West would have trumped); he drew West’s last trump, ran his ♠KQJ and ♣AK. The
doubled game was made.
East must have been kicking himself - he had been too greedy! The moral is clear….
ANDREW’S TIP: When the opponents are in the one contract you are confident of defeating, do not
double or they may remove themselves to a contract you are not confident of defeating.

Six-five hands
Your challenge in the bidding should be to show partner precisely how many cards you
have in your long suits. Thus with two five card suits you plan to bid the higher ranking
suit first then rebid (bid twice) the lower ranking suit. Watch South describe his 5♠-6♦
shape in three bids:
South Deals ♠ 7 2
Both Vul ♥A84
♦Q73
♣AJ852
♠ J 10 ♠K986
N
♥KQ52 ♥ 10 9 7 6 3
W E
♦ 10 4 S
♦98
♣KQ963 ♣74
 ♠AQ543
♥J
♦AKJ652
♣ 10
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♦
Pass 2 ♣ Pass 2 ♠
Pass 3 ♦ Pass 3 ♠
Pass 6 ♦ Pass Pass
Pass
By rebidding ♠s, South guaranteed five cards. Yet because he would have opened 1♠ with five ♠s and five
♦s, his sequence showed six ♦s.
North felt justified in punting a Small Slam in the known nine card ♦ fit. His partner only had two cards
between ♥s and ♣s - covered by his ♥A and ♣A.
West led ♥K against 6♦ and dummy’s ♥A won the first trick. Correctly seeking to establish ♠s before drawing
trumps, declarer led ♠2 to ♠6, ♠Q and ♠10. The finesse having succeeded, he cashed ♠A and led ♠3. West
discarded ♥2 and declarer trumped with ♦3. He trumped ♥4 and led ♠4, trumping with ♦7 when West
discarded (♥Q). He cashed dummy’s ♦Q, cashed ♣A, trumped ♣2, drew the two remaining trumps and
enjoyed his established ♠5. He had made all thirteen tricks!
ANDREW’S TIP: Opening the lower ranking suit then rebidding the higher ranking suit shows a five-
six shape.

High level competition

Bold - but not rash - bidding is winning bridge. But once you have pushed the opposition
to an uncomfortably high level, you should be happy to defend.
South Deals ♠ Q 10
None Vul ♥KJ72
♦J3
♣ K Q 10 4 2
♠8643 ♠KJ9752
N
♥ 10 9 ♥3
W E
♦ A 10 8 2 S
♦K964
♣A95 ♣73
♠A
♥AQ8654
♦Q75
♣J86
West Nort Eas South
 h t
1♥
Pass 4 ♥ 4 ♠ 5 ♥
Pass Pass Pass
5 ♥ by South
East’s 4♠bid may appear rash, but once the opposition have found a good fit, they will be unwilling to
defend. South is likely to press on 5♥ - as here - and now the spotlight turns to West. Though he has
undisclosed four card support for his partner’s suit, it would be a bad error for West to bid 5♠. In all
probability his partner’s main motivation for bidding was to push the opponents up an extra level. West
heeded this week’s tip and passed.
He led ♠6 to ♠10, ♠J and ♠A. Declarer drew trumps in two rounds and led ♣J. West won ♣A and had to
decide whether the third defensive trick was coming from ♦K in his partner’s hand or a ♠ trick. He found the
solution by leading ♦A and waiting for East’s signal. If East had played a low ♦ spot card, West would have
led a second ♠ in the hope that declarer had a second ♠. In fact East encouraged with ♦9, so West led a
second ♦ to East’s ♦K to defeat the contract.
ANDREW’S TIP: The five-level belongs to the opponents.

Confidence
“Fortune favours the bold” is especially true at the bridge table, where confident-
sounding bids on slender values reap dividends.
South Deals ♠ K Q J 3
N-S Vul ♥8742
♦ 10 8 3 2
♣K
♠ 10 8 6 5 ♠942
N
♥AJ ♥63
W E
♦ 97 S
♦AKQJ5
♣ Q J 10 9 8 ♣742
♠A7
♥ K Q 10 9 5
♦64
♣A653
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♥
Pass 3 ♥ 4 ♦ 4 ♥
Pass Pass Pass
4 ♥ by South
Yes - East’s 4♦ bid was unsound. But by sounding confident, his opponents had no idea his playing strength
was so feeble. South naturally went on to 4♥ - how could he know that 4♦ would have gone four down?
East had put his head on the block to attract a ♦ lead against a ♥ contract and West duly obliged. His ♦9
opening lead was won by East’s ♦J; East cashed ♦A and continued with ♦K. If declarer had trumped with ♥9,
West would have overtrumped with ♥J. But when declarer trumped with ♥Q, West simply discarded and
waited to score two trump tricks later. His ♥J had been promoted into the setting trick.
Note that if East had kept quiet, West would surely have led ♣Q. Winning dummy’s ♣K, declarer would play
♠3 to ♠A, ♠7 to ♠J and cash ♠Q, discarding a ♦. His best play would then be to lead ♠K and discard his
second ♦. He would lose just two trump tricks.
ANDREW’S TIP: Play bridge with confidence - especially when making a frisky bid!

When to accept an invititation

If you have already shown a bad hand but partner still invites you to keep on bidding, he
is saying “ Do you have a good bad hand or a bad bad hand?"
West Deals ♠ A J 10 5
N-S Vul ♥AJ8
♦AK94
♣Q2
♠K8 ♠76
N
♥K ♥ 10 9 7 3 2
W E
♦ Q J 10 5 2 S
♦76
♣ K 10 7 5 4 ♣AJ83
♠Q9432
♥Q654
♦83
♣96
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♦ Dbl Pass 1 ♠
Pass 3 ♠ Pass 4 ♠
Pass Pass Pass
4 ♠ by South
North - too strong to overcall 1NT (15-18) - began with double. This commanded partner to name his best
suit outside ♦s - with at least nine points South would jump the bidding in his best suit. Hence South’s 1♠
response was consistent with between zero and eight points. North then made a strongly invitational jump to
3♠ and the spotlight turned to South. With four good-looking points - that’s four more than he promised - and
a fifth ♠, it was clear for South to bid game.
West led ♦Q. Declarer won ♦K, cashed ♦A and led ♦4. East discarded, so declarer trumped low and led ♠Q,
running it successfully when West played low. A second ♠ went to ♠K and dummy’s ♠A. Declarer trumped ♦9
and played ♥4, taking West’s singleton ♥K with dummy’s ♥A. He scored ♥Q and ♥J and conceded two ♣’s -
eleven tricks.
ANDREW’S TIP: Is your hand better than it might be? If the answer is yes and your partner is inviting
you to keep bidding, accept his invitation!
A good time to lead trumps
If the opponents have bid to a high-level contract and you have a surprisingly large
number of points, they are probably planning to make tricks by trumping rather than with
high cards. Take out two of their trumps by leading a trump.
South Deals ♠ 10 9 4 3
E-W Vul ♥A642
♦—
♣ A Q 10 8 4
♠KQ2 ♠765
N
♥KJ75 ♥ 10 9 8 3
W E
♦ AJ2 S
♦K9654
♣632 ♣7
♠AJ8
♥Q
♦ Q 10 8 7 3
♣KJ95
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♦
Pass 1 ♥ Pass 2 ♣
Pass 5 ♣ Pass Pass
Pass
5 ♣ by South
West was correct to pass over 1♦ - to overcall 1NT would show 15-18 points and to overcall 1♥ would
guarantee five cards. Against 5♣ it might appear attractive for him to lead ♠K - a sequence in the unbid suit.
Had he done so declarer would win ♠A, play ♥Q to ♥A, trump ♥2 and lead ♠J. Assume West wins with ♠Q
and switches to ♣2. Declarer wins with dummy’s ♣10, trumps a third ♥, leads ♠8 to dummy’s ♠9, and trumps
dummy’s last ♥. He trumps a ♦, draws West’s remaining trumps and makes his twelfth trick with ♠10.
It is a different story on a trump lead. Declarer wins in dummy and leads ♠3 to ♠J. West wins ♠Q and plays a
second trump. Declarer wins in dummy and plays ♠4 to ♠8. West wins ♠K and plays his last trump. Declarer
can only trump one ♥ in his hand and makes 2♠s, ♥A and six trump tricks - two down.
ANDREW’S TIP: As a defender, lead a trump when you have a surprisingly good hand.

Routine errors
Perhaps you do not think East’s defensive problem is too tough. Yet every single player in
my club duplicate went wrong. Cover up the West and South hands and put them to
shame!
East Deals ♠ 10 5 4 3
N-S Vul ♥KQ753
 ♦K5
♣ 10 3
♠Q86 ♠9
N
♥J986 ♥ A 10 2
W E
♦ 62 S
♦AQ873
♣8754 ♣KQ62
♠AKJ 72
♥4
♦ J 10 9 4
♣AJ9
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♦ 1♠
Pass 3 ♠ Pass 4 ♠
Pass Pass Pass
4 ♠ by South
West led ♦6, dummy played ♦5 and you as East win ♦Q. And now?
Playing too quickly, you might table ♦A. If so, you have established declarer’s ♦J10 and dummy’s ♣ loser can
be discarded. You must switch to ♣K at trick two. That way you are sure to take four tricks - ♥A, ♦AQ and
♣Q.
Declarer’s best counter on ♣K switch from East is to duck smoothly. If East sleepily continues with a ♣,
declarer can finesse ♣J and discard dummy’s ♦K on ♣A. After ♣K is allowed to win, East should cash ♦A and
wait for ♥A.
All the participants in my duplicate said they realised their error - cashing ♦A at trick two rather than
switching to ♣K - a split second too late. There is no prize for defending a hand in under a minute. By taking
a little longer you will become more adept at analytical thinking and thus to be a better (and quicker) player
in the future.
ANDREW’S TIP: Take a split second before playing any card that is not completely routine.

Avoid reflex plays

In all departments of bridge, it is a mistake to make the reflex play thoughtlessly. In defence, try to work out
what is going on. Ask yourself what has partner led from, and therefore what declarer holds in the suit.

East Deals ♠ A 10 6
None Vul ♥ 10 5
♦A9873
♣763
♠Q97 N ♠J8542
♥AQ983 W E♥K4
♦— S ♦64
 ♣J8542 ♣ A K 10 9
♠K3
♥J762
♦ K Q J 10 5 2
♣Q
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♠ 2♦
2 ♥ 4 ♦ Pass 5 ♦
Pass Pass Pass
5 ♦ by South
West led ♠7, declarer played low from dummy, and East….. East had already made the reflex “third hand
high” play of ♠J. Declarer won ♠K, drew East’s trumps finishing in hand, and played ♠3 to West’s ♠9 and
dummy’s ♠10. When it held the trick, he was able to discard ♣Q on ♠A. He just lost two ♥s - trumping his
third and fourth ♥s in dummy.
If East had not played ♠J at trick one, the contract would have gone one down. Could he have worked out to
play low? The answer is an emphatic yes! West could not have both ♠K and ♠Q - or he would have led ♠K.
There is no other holding where it could gain East to play ♠J, and plenty where it would lose heavily. Like the
actual hand!
ANDREW’S TIP: Think before making the reflex play. When defending, work out partner’s possible
holdings in the suit he has led.

How many cards does opener rate to have in their

first bid suit?
One of the advantages of playing a “Weak Notrump” - whereby a 1NT opener shows 12-14 points - is that a
partner who opens One of a Suit cannot have a minimum, balanced hand. Either he has extra points (15+)
or a distributional hand with five(+) cards in the suit he opened (exceptionally a 4-4-4-1 shape).
The corollary is that if partner’s bidding implies he is minimum for his opening bid, you should assume he
has at least five cards in the suit he opened.

South Deals ♠ K 9 4 2
N-S Vul ♥843
♦KJ4
♣ Q 10 4
♠AJ7 ♠ 10 8 5 3
N
♥ K 10 7 6 2 W ♥AQJ
E
♦ A9 S
♦8532
♣952 ♣63
♠Q6
♥95
 ♦ Q 10 7 6
♣AKJ 87
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♣
1 ♥ 1 ♠ 2 ♥ Pass
Pass 3 ♣ Pass Pass
Pass
The reason North felt safe in supporting his partner’s ♣s with only three cards was that South had passed
over East’s 2♥ bid implying a minimum opener, and was thus almost certain to hold five ♣s.
West led ♥6 and the defence played three rounds of ♥s, declarer trumping the third. If he had drawn all the
opposing trumps at this point he would have gone down - with only one trump remaining and two aces to
dislodge. Instead he led ♠Q at trick 4. West won ♠A but, with dummy trumping ♥s, played a second ♠.
Winning dummy’s ♠K, declarer drew all the trumps, then forced out ♦A. He made his contract - as would 2♥
by the opposition.
ANDREW’S TIP: Play a minimum opener to have five + cards in the suit opened. (Assuming a Weak
Notrump is being played.)

Minor suits ?
Last week’s tip was “Avoid minor suit games”. True - but you must not avoid bidding ♦s
and ♣s at lower levels - minor suit part-scores are perfectly acceptable
South Deals ♠ K 6 4 3
None Vul ♥7
♦A972
♣ J 10 7 2
♠J987 ♠ Q 10 2
N
♥ K 10 4 ♥J962
W E
♦ QJ63 S
♦ K 10 4
♣K5 ♣A43
♠A5
♥AQ853
♦85
♣Q986
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♥
Pass 1 ♠ Pass 2 ♣
Pass 3 ♣ Pass Pass
 Pass
I have seen players holding hands similar to South’s rebid 2♥ rather than 2♣. This is a bad error - especially
bearing in mind that bidding two suits actually shows five cards in your first choice. The resulting 3♣ contract
was a delight to declare - all other contracts would have fared horribly.

West led ♦Q and declarer won dummy’s ♦A, played ♥7 to his ♥A and trumped a ♥. He crossed to ♠A and
trumped a third ♥ - noting the fall of West’s ♥K. He cashed dummy’s ♠K, trumped a third ♠ and led the
master ♥Q. West trumped with ♣5 (his best play) and declarer overtrumped. He led and trumped dummy’s
fourth ♠, East discarding a ♦; then led his fifth ♥, West discarding a ♦, which he trumped with ♣10. East
overtrumped with ♣A, cashed ♦K, and returned a trump to West’s ♣K. Declarer took the last trick - his tenth -
with ♣Q.
ANDREW’S TIP: Avoid minor suit games but not minor suits.

Minor suit games ?

When choosing between 3NT and a major suit game (4♥/4♠) it is generally better to prefer the major suit
when you have at least eight cards between the partnership. The security and extra options created by a
trump suit more than compensate for the extra trick that has to be made.

The same is emphatically not true of minor suits - after all a minor suit game is only one trick short of a Small
Slam. Far better to gamble 3NT than try for two more tricks in 5♣/5♦.

South Deals ♠ 7 5
N-S Vul ♥83
♦ A K Q J 10 9
♣863
♠A84 ♠K9632
N
♥K74 ♥A962
W E
♦ 842 S
♦63
♣ Q 10 5 2 ♣97
♠ Q J 10
♥ Q J 10 5
♦75
♣AKJ 4
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1N
Pass 3 N Pass Pass
Pass
North did not even mention his ♦s and the optimum contract of 3NT was reached. West led ♣2 and declarer
gratefully won ♣J. He was able to cash dummy’s six ♦s and the two top ♣s - an easy nine tricks.
Fascinatingly, only a ♦ lead defeats 3NT! Declarer wins in dummy and must try to establish a major suit trick.
He leads ♥3 to ♥10 and West’s ♥K. West plays a second ♦ and now, severed from dummy, declarer must
cash the ♦s immediately. He discards two ♣s and a ♥ but what does he discard on the last ♦? Try it out!
Note that 5♦ by North is completely hopeless. On a ♣ lead declarer loses ♠AK, ♥AK and ♣Q - three down.
Andrew's Tip: Avoid minor-suit games.

With trump length, lead length

There are two diametrically opposite defensive strategies against trump contracts. You can lead from
shortage and try to make your trumps by trumping; alternatively you can lead from length and try to force
declarer to shorten his trumps so you gain trump superiority.
With four (or more) trumps you should generally lead from length and try to force
declarer - this week’s hand is a typical example:
South Deals ♠ K Q 5
N-S Vul ♥KQ3
♦8753
♣876
♠A742 ♠8
N
♥7 ♥A642
W E
♦ KJ942 S
♦ Q 10 6
♣J94 ♣ Q 10 5 3 2
♠ J 10 9 6 3
♥ J 10 9 8 5
♦A
♣AK
Nort Eas
West South
h t
1♠
Pass 2 ♦ Pass 2 ♥
Pass 3 ♠ Pass 4 ♠
Pass Pass Pass
West correctly led ♦4 to East’s ♦Q and declarer’s ♦A. At trick two declarer led ♠3 to dummy’s ♠Q and
continued with ♠K. West took his ♠A and played a second ♦. Declarer trumped and realised that if he drew all
West’s trumps he would have none left himself. He correctly played ♥5 to dummy’s ♥K and East’s ♥A. East
played his third ♦ and declarer reluctantly trumped. He played a second ♥ and West trumped and played a
fourth ♦. Declarer trumped in hand with his last trump. Unable to reach dummy to draw West’s last trump,
declarer played a third ♥. West trumped to defeat the contract.

Note that if West had led ♥7 rather than ♦4, declarer would make 4♠ easily; East would win ♥A, lead a
second ♥ for West to trump, but he would only score his ♥A in addition.

ANDREW’S TIP: With trump length, lead length suit