By Val Rhead
Four people sit at a Bridge table. One is the declarer who is playing offense. His partner, after the bidding is finished, has the exposed Dummy hand. You and your partner are playing defense. So even though players spend half their time playing defense, many of them haven’t learned how to be effective defenders.
Two broad categories of defensive play are the active defense and the passive defense. Most of you probably have used the active defense. There is a place for the active defense, and it has advantages and disadvantages which will be discussed in the next column. Today, we are examining the passive defense.
As the name implies, this style of defense is not aggressive where you would try to grab as many tricks as possible as soon as you can. In a passive defense, you have to be more patient. You wait for the tricks to come to you. On many hands, this style of defense is safer and ends up giving you the tricks to which you are entitled, and not giving the declarer tricks to which he is not entitled.
You will decide to adopt a passive defense when the knowledge you gather from the bidding indicates that this will be the most productive defense to use. If it is apparent that the declarer, from either hand, doesn’t have a long strong second suit on which to deposit losers, a passive lead will be best. For example, perhaps the declarer has opened One No Trump and his partner bids Three No Trump. Now is not the time to peel off your Aces and Kings, setting up suits for your opponents. Now is the time for a passive defense.
It sometimes can be difficult to decide whether to lead passively or actively. If unsure, lean to the side of leading passively. Sometimes, during the play of the hand, you will change your mind and revise your strategy. It can pay to be flexible.
There are a number of ways to lead passively. Don’t lead a small card headed by a single honour, (such as Kxxx) or two separated single honours (KJxx.) This often causes you to create an unnecessary loser. For example, leading from the above holdings into declarer’s AQxx gives the opponent an extra trick with his Queen. Sometimes, you successfully can lead from these holdings with a five-card suit against No Trump. The extra length may compensate from the loss of the extra trick to your opponent.
Against No Trump, do lead a small card from an unbid major and try to set up your own suit. The lead of the top card in a three-card or longer sequence, such as King, Queen, Jack, is an effective, passive lead. You expect to lose one trick, but you will make tricks in return. The lead of your partner’s bid suit is a passive lead. Another passive lead is the lead of the trump suit. We will discuss this next week.
If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group or ask a bridge question, send the information to [email protected] and I will include it in this column.
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Please NOTE new time 7pm: Games are now on EVENING PLAY for the Summer, Tuesday 7:00pm Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For partners and information call Liz Graham (705) 789-7187
The following winners are for Tuesday, May 22 with 16 pairs playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Liz Barnes and Bev Howard; 2. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 3. Val Rhead and Gail Lederer; 4. Vern Foell and Rod Dixon; East-West 1. Susan Marshall and Jan Roberts; 2. Joanne Garvey and Barb Green; 3. Fay MacDonald and Yvonne Cox; 4. Art Insley and Don Evans
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games for the Bracebridge Club are Mondays 7pm, Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For information or partnerships, call Brian at 705-645-5340 [email protected]
Our summer party will be held on Monday, June 4 at the South Muskoka Golf Club. 5.00 p.m. for 5.30 p.m. Prime rib buffet. The game will be back at the usual venue Knox Church at 7:00PM, hopefully not delayed.
The following winners are from Monday, May 21 with 16 pairs playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Lyn Walisser and Bev Howard; 2. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 3. Mary Hogarth and Albert Eatock; 4. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; East-West 1. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 2. Art Insley and Don Evans; 3. Gail Lederer and Betty Franklin; 4. Barb Forth and Vern Foell
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