The Times Improve Your Bridge Game. Andrew Robson
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the opposing trumps (Tip 120). Trumping needlessly in your hand, however, shortens your trumps and risks losing control (Tip 121).
SETTING UP A SUIT Establishing a suit is often – mistakenly – associated only with notrumps. Yet it is even more profitable in a trump contract because you can set the suit up by trumping (‘ruffing’) and so avoid losers (Tip 122). It is usually correct to start setting up the suit as soon as possible – and that means before drawing trumps (Tip 123). As with notrumps, if you have to lose a trick, it is better (for entry-conserving reasons) to lose the first round (Tip 124). Even five small cards facing one small card can generate a trick (Tip 125), but there must be enough entries. The number of entries required is the number of times you need to trump, plus one to get back to the length winner at the end. In order to avoid squandering entries, lead to the lowest trump entry first (Tip 126).
THROWING AWAY LOSERS Whilst I recommend counting top tricks (i.e. winners) in both trump and notrump contracts, a quick tally of losers can help in trump contracts (Tip 127). When there are too many losers, look to see if there are any overlapping winners in dummy (Tip 128); if drawing trumps involves losing the lead, you must play out those winners first. Pay attention to the entry situation, perhaps overtaking a winner if the overlapping suit is blocked (Tip 129). Spotting blockages early is important: provision may need to be made right away (Tip 130). The pressure to throw away losers is reduced when you can draw trumps without losing the lead; losers can then be discarded on overlapping winners after the opposing trumps have been drawn (Tip 131).
SUMMARY The three basic occasions when trump-drawing should be delayed are (a) when you must trump in dummy, (b) when you have a side-suit to set up and (c) when drawing trumps involves losing the lead and there is a suit with overlapping winners. Otherwise it will normally be safer to draw trumps early in the play.
Memory Aids
Here are a few practical tips for those of you who find it hard to remember what has happened when playing.
We have all wished we were in a different contract. But do not play in the contract you wish you were in, rather than the one you are really in (Tip 132). Tell partner not to put a plausible (but incorrect) trump suit on his right as he tables dummy.
When winning with an ace-king, choosing the ace may confuse the opposition slightly more (leaving the whereabouts of the king unknown). But if you are prone to forgetfulness, it is better to win with the king. At least you will know later that your ace is high (Tip 133).
When keeping count of a suit, just count the missing cards. Work out how many cards are missing, and reduce that number by one each time you see an opposing card. When you get to zero, the opposition have run out (Tip 134). It will help you to think of those missing cards in terms of their likely split (Tip 135).
The best tip for improving your Bridge memory, however, is to play more. Indeed playing Bridge is proven to improve your memory both at and away from the table.
SECTION 3: Defence
Though defence is often regarded as the toughest part of the game, it can be the most satisfying. Nothing rivals the pleasure at conducting a successful co-operative defence with partner.
The Opening Lead
INTRODUCTION The single most important card the defence play is the opening lead, starting the defence on a course that is often irreversible. It is the only card played without a sight of dummy, so there is little information on which to work. However, the opening leader has heard the auction – both his partnership’s contribution and the opponents’ – and he ignores it at his cost (Tip 136). The importance of the auction in determining the opening lead is such that a bid can be made to indicate an opening lead (Tip 137), with little intention of winning the auction. Note that when leading partner’s suit, do not lead the old-fashioned top card unless you have a sequence or a doubleton (Tip 138).
VERSUS TRUMP CONTRACTS The natural temptation when defending is to try to take tricks quickly, cashing aces early. In general this is a mistake (Tip 139). However, ace from ace-king is the best lead of all (Tip 140). This is because you still hold the boss card of the suit and can decide whether to continue with it (the king), based on what you see in dummy and the signal partner gives you with his card. King from king-queen, queen from queen-jack and so forth are also long-term winners, combining safety with attack. Note that the top card of these sequences is led (Tip 141). Cashing an ace without a king, however, is usually unwise – and even worse is leading ‘away from an ace’ (Tip 142).
VERSUS NOTRUMP CONTRACTS Leading ‘fourth from the top of your longest – and strongest – suit’ against notrumps is the oldest maxim of all, dating back to the pre-Bridge days of whist. But do not be a slave to it. If your longest suit is headed by three touching high cards, or two then a gap of one card before a third, lead the top card (Tip 143). Similarly, lead top of an internal sequence (Tip 144). When leading from a long weak suit, lead a high card (‘lead high for hate’) rather than the fourth from the top, to discourage a continuation from partner (Tip 145).
After the Lead
‘TOP’ DEFENCE Be a ‘TOP’ defender. The ‘T’ stands for Trick Target. Never lose sight of how many tricks you need to defeat the contract. If you only need one more trick and have an ace to lead, lead it (Tip 146). The ‘O’ of being a ‘TOP’ defender stands for Observe Dummy. When in doubt, look for dummy’s weakest suit (Tip 147). It is almost never right to lead dummy’s long, strong suit (Tip 148), even if you are leading through dummy rather than around to it. The ‘P’ of being a ‘TOP’ defender stands for Partner. Ask yourself what (on earth!) is he doing – and try to follow his defence (Tip 149).
SECOND AND THIRD HAND PLAYS On a low card, the defender playing second should generally play low (Tip 150). But he should usually cover an honour with an honour (Tip 151), because he is drawing out two opposing high cards for one of his. However, he should wait to cover the second of two touching honours (Tip 152).
When you are playing third to the trick, partner has already played a card (the lead). You need to play high, in order to prevent declarer from winning a cheap trick (