Amongst the many aspects of Defence in Bridge, of which keeping track of the declarer's possible distribution and the source of his tricks for the contract, are of prime importance. One other aspect that is often ignored at the table, is the alertness to keep the partner in defence from going astray, thereby giving the declarer a new lease for his contract.
Such situations are a frequent occurrences but many a time they go unnoticed without the realization of how one defender could help the other with the right defence. Today's hand is a classic example of one such manoeuvre by the defender who was alert enough to save his partner from going off track.
Supposing you are East and you hear the following bidding. The opening lead by partner is 7S and the following dummy comes on your right with your hand as under:
Your JS is taken by declarer's KS. A small club is led to dummy's King and 10C returned. The question is: what should be the crucial line for defence and how do you go about it?
Well, let's review the prospects for the defence from the bidding and the opening lead of West - 7S. Going by the Rule of 11, you know declarer had only one card higher than 7S which was KS already taken, which means that the spades are there to be run whenever on entry comes to either defender. Looking at declarer's possible 16 point hand, if he holds AH and AJ of clubs, besides KJ of diamonds, declarer can take 3 diamond tricks, 2 hearts, and possibly 3 club tricks. If clubs are running for the declarer, there is no hope for the defence. So the only hope for the defence lies in the possible club Queen that West can hold. Once the declarer fineness the JC the defence is alive.
Then as East as you grasp the possible distribution and the lie of the cards, do you foresee any snags for the defence? Surely in with the QC, West will try to run his spades. But the important question that needs to be addressed here is whether as West, looking for the hidden QS will you place it with East or will you wait till the situation is clear?
But by then, it may well be too late. But look at the crucial point of defence from the West's point of view. He can well place one of the Queens with the declarer and that could well be the QS. In that case West will be reluctant to cash in on his spades for fear of giving away the probable QS trick to the declarer along with the contract.
Will West continue spades or switch to any one of the red suits in the hope of finding an entry in your hand as East, for you to return a spade through declarer's probable QS? As far as West is concerned, uncertainty will prevail as he tries ways and means of creating an entry into your hand. And all this because of an assumption as to who holds the QS.
Thus as East, do you now see the importance of the QS for the defence? If you realise that it is a hot potato in your hand which could possibly cause you and your partner to go off the chosen path, the winning defence becomes quite clearly visible.
Reveal the QS to your partner immediately at the first opportunity by discarding it on the second club played from the dummy. This will be lifting the burden of uncertainty from your partner's shoulders who now will be only too glad to blast his spades immediately to down the 3NT contract of the declarer.
As a good defender it is your responsibility to ensure that your partner's worries are lessened and he does not go wrong in his defence. Make it a habit to always help your partner in every way you can, so that when he thanks you, as he did for the QS discard, you can modestly reply with pride "You can count on me, Partner".
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North East
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Dummy Q J 2
9 4 Q 8 6 4 2
K J 6 Q 1 0 6 4
A 8 7 3 2 5
K 1 0 3
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The Bidding:
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West North East South
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-- -- -- IC
P 1D P INT (Var 15- 16
P 3 NT - -
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