2008-03-13 07:36
Hand Evaluation – Tactics ( Defensive Options )
PITBULLS:
When
declarer plays a hand , she exercises options.
She tries for a suit to break but if that does not work ,
she has a fall back position of a finesses in another
suit. This is the only time in Bridge where the defender has an advantage over the declarer.
The defender knows whether a suit is
breaking or not . The defender also knows
whether a finesse is going
to win or not.
Its up to the defender to remove declarers options. Force declarer
to decide on the finesse before trying if the key suit is breaking. Forcing declarer to discard pre-maturely before knowing whether the
suit breaks. Sometimes a hold up play removes options.
Sometimes
the defender creates
losing options for declarer. This is done mainly by deception thru the “standard” false cards.
These false cards are an attempt to deflect declarer away from a winning play
in a suit combination. Routine hold up techniques are
also deceptive & of course hesitations are a no-no so as not to inform
declarer.
Methods
of controlling declarers options were discussed above but defenders have
options of their own to worry about. The defenders must exercise their option of following a passive or active defense. Primarily this
decision is a matter of counting
declarers potential tricks. Counting declarers tricks is quite
often surprisingly simple thru patterns if you just
do it. A common mistake is getting too busy and attacking a suit
which declarer would have to attack himself anyway. When
long suits are about , usually active defense is
indicated. Quite often the tendency towards active or passive defense was made
on opening lead after listening to the bidding. Balanced hands with their short
suits usually means passive defense.
In the
course of the early play when an accurate count of the hand is not available , a defender should preserve his options. He prefers to hedge his bet by looking
for a play that keeps all the defensive options open. Often this is merely
trying everything in the proper
order. By not taking an option that may give declarer the contract , you are in effect making a defensive safety play.
Do
not forget that you have a partner.
Take charge when you see a defense that will defeat a contract. Also make your
intentions known to partner & work together to plan & defeat contracts.
Defense is true partnership bridge where both of you must be on the same wave
length & tuned in. The above options are chapters in Kelseys
book “More Killing Defense” . In Kelseys words “Defense remains the dark continent of
Bridge. For the most part I have concentrated on two neglected areas. Chapters
devoted to the control of options
& to the various aspects of discarding. No declarer can play better than
the defenders permit. One of the
basic skills of defense
lies in perceiving declarers options and taking steps to remove
one of more of them. This is mainly a matter of timing. Give declarer a guess at an early stage of the play
before he finds out the lay of the land.”
Anyway , Kelsey relies on logic based on first principles. He trains you how to think on defense
. “The defender constantly finds himself on
unfamiliar ground and success can be earned only by the application of clear and logical thinking.” These books are how I learned the importance
of patterns & how to think in patterns 40 years ago. You thought I was just making all of
this up ??