Articles 7A44 by Richard Pavlicek

Defensive Play
The 10 articles in this collection were written by Richard Pavlicek and appeared in various
publications (mostly in South Florida) from 1991 to 1999. Each of the articles pertains to
defensive play, so here’s an opportunity to learn how to beat more contracts. Try to decide how
you would defend as West or East before reading the explanation of the play.
Copyright © 2002 Richard Pavlicek.

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Article 7A07

Florida Belles Are Ringers

Two Florida ladies put together a tremendous score — 78 percent — in the continent-wide
International Fund Game on May 12. Helen Shanbrom and Julia Carswell played at the Palm
Beach Bridge Studio, a popular club owned and operated by Daniel Cohen.

Winning is nothing new to Shanbrom, arguably the most successful club player of all time. Her
partner has not been playing bridge that long; but she learns fast and has become a sound,
reliable player. Carswell has posted a number of wins already.

The diagrammed deal shows the ladies in action, stampeding their opponents to the five level.
Shanbrom, West, opened routinely with 1 and Carswell, East, chose a single raise because her
hand contained doubtful values — good judgment in my opinion. (North’s decision to overcall
and South’s 4 bid are not clearly understood, perhaps for the best.)
 5 x by North

None Vul J42

AJ7632
J
632
A8765 Q 10 3
Q 10 85
K9 Q86
A 10 8 7 KQJ54
K9
K94
A 10 7 5 4 3 2
Lead: K 9
West North East South
1 2 2 4
4 Pass Pass 5
Dbl All Pass

Shanbrom’s push to 4 is best explained as “It was my turn,” but this is the kind of aggressive
tactic that a clever player senses to be right at the table. Sure enough, South took the bait and
pushed to 5 (actually, North is more the culprit here for the frivolous overcall). Opportunity
needs knock only once for Shanbrom, and she wielded the ax.

Watch the defense! Carswell led the K and Shanbrom followed with the seven — a wisely
chosen card to de-emphasize the desirability of a spade switch. (The partnership, as do most
defenders, indicate suit preference when the dummy has a singleton in the suit led.) Shanbrom
figured that her partner would routinely lead a spade if she held Q-J, but in the actual layout a
spade shift would be costly.

How many East defenders do you think would come through? This one did! Carswell found the
killing play of another club, and declarer actually went down two when he misplayed spades
later. If Carswell leads any other suit at trick two, declarer can make the contract by establishing
the diamonds.

Article 7H77
 Amazing Ending
This deal occurred on OKbridge, the on-line bridge server where you play against real people
using your personal computer and a modem. I was East, in Fort Lauderdale, and my son Rich
was West, in Chicago. Our opponents were both experts.

3 NT by South

A 10 7 6
A
K Q 10 7 4
AKJ
Q853 J94
10 9 8 7 6 KQ
J63 A952
3 Q872
K2
J5432
8
Lead: 10 10 9 6 5 4
West North East South
1 Pass 1
Pass 2 Pass 2 NT
Pass 3 NT All Pass

North had an awkward hand to bid and correctly chose a simple one-bid. South eked out a
response (to his later regret) and the auction snowballed into game. Three notrump is not a
terrible contract, and it would make on a good day. This was not a good day.

Rich led from his solid heart sequence, and I played the king (the proper signal from K-Q).
Declarer cashed the A-K and led the J, which I ducked to hold him to three club tricks
(Rich discarded a heart and a spade). Now declarer led the K which I also ducked since I
didn’t want to be on lead.

Getting desperate, declarer next led the Q to my ace. I shifted to the 4; two, queen, ace.
Hoping to smother the 9, declarer next led the 10 and Rich perforce won the jack. Rich
returned the 8 to the six, nine, and South’s king.

At this point there were four cards left, and I held the top card in all four suits ( J, Q, 9
and Q). Amazing! It’s probably not a first, but I can never recall a bridge deal where a
defender won the last four tricks in four different suits.
Article 7H81

An Extra Chance
Slam was reached on this deal from a recent practice session. North’s 3 bid was a Jacoby
transfer, and the subsequent raise to 4 showed slam interest. (To sign off in 4 North would
use a Texas transfer instead.) As South I liked my hand so I checked for key cards with
Blackwood and bid the slam.

6 by South

J 10 9 8 4 2
7
8652
A7
K 653
Q864 J532
QJ9 743
Q 10 9 5 3 J62
AQ7
A K 10 9
A K 10
Lead: J K84
West North East South
Pass 2
Pass 2 Pass 2 NT
Pass 3 Pass 3
Pass 4 Pass 4 NT
Pass 5 Pass 6
All Pass

West chose a deceptive lead of the J, figuring it would not matter to his partner. I was
suspicious of this as I won the ace, but I surely would have played East for the Q if I needed
it.

With 11 easy tricks the contract appeared to depend on a finesse in spades or diamonds, but there
was an extra chance. I cashed the A-K then ruffed a club with the 8. Next came the J for
a finesse, losing to West. (Yes, I lose to singleton kings too.)
The elimination play in clubs now paid off as West faced an awkward predicament. In practice
he led a low heart to the jack, ace; then I drew trumps, cashed the K and led the 10 which
West covered and I ruffed. This set up the 9 as my 12th trick.

Curiously, there was one safe lead by West when he won the K. Do you see it? It’s a very
unusual play. To beat the contract he must lead the Q!

Article 7H85

Easy Does It
An average defender is too eager to win tricks, while a clever defender will often be patient and
wait. Is there a secret formula to know which path to follow? Yes! It all comes down to counting
the tricks, a concept I continually stress in my teaching.

3 NT by South

K74
K Q 10 7
K5
A J 10 6
2 J 10 9 8 5
9632 J5
J 10 9 8 AQ6
7432 KQ5
AQ63
A84
7432
Lead: J 98
West North East South
1 Pass
Pass Dbl Pass 1 NT
Pass 2 NT Pass 3 NT
All Pass

After East’s 1 opening was passed, North was too strong for a balancing 1 NT so he doubled
for takeout. South responded 1 NT; North invited game, and South accepted with his maximum.
Normally, it is wise to lead partner’s suit, but West was dissuaded by his singleton spade and
struck gold with the J. Declarer knew the ace was wrong so he ducked in dummy; East
overtook with the queen, and played the A and another as the defense ran the suit. Dummy
threw two clubs and East a spade.

West shifted to a club, taken by the ace. On the run of the hearts East was hopelessly squeezed,
and declarer won the rest — making 3 NT.

What went wrong? East forgot to count declarer’s tricks. It should be obvious declarer can win at
most four hearts, three spades and one club — eight tricks — so there was no hurry to run the
diamonds. Patience!

The simplest course is to lead the K at trick two, which sinks declarer’s ship. If he runs the
hearts, East can discard a club and a spade painlessly, and as soon as East gains the lead the
contract can be set.

Article 7K02

Slam Bid Wins Match

I was saddened by the death last year of my longtime friend (and best man at my wedding) Jim
Beery, but the fond memories live on. This month’s deal occurred in the 1986 Grand National
Team qualifying held at the Fort Lauderdale Bridge Club. At the other table I was partnered with
my then 15-year-old son, and our opponents bid and made an easy 3 NT. We would have lost the
match were not it not for the great result of our teammates, Jim and his wife Marietta.

6 by South

93
J762
92
AQJ92
KJ74 Q 10 8 5
K Q 10 4 A985
3 10 8 7 6 4
8765 —
A62
3
Lead: K AKQJ5
 K 10 4 3
West North East South
1
Pass 1 Pass 2
Pass 3 Pass 3
Pass 5 Pass 6
All Pass

Jim, North, responded in his moth-eaten heart suit and then offered some encouragement with a
raise to 3 . Marietta’s 3 bid showed the ace (it could not be a real suit from her failure to
bid 1 over 1 ) and Jim leaped to game in clubs. (No one ever accused Jim of being a shy
bidder.) This jump bid surely indicated good trumps, so Marietta bid the slam.

Declarer made short work of the play when West led the K and continued the suit, South
ruffing. A club was led to dummy’s jack to ruff another heart with the K; then the 10 was
overtaken with dummy’s queen to draw all of West’s trumps and claim the rest.

A more accurate defense (e.g., a heart lead then a shift to another suit) would defeat the slam
because of the cruel distribution in the minor suits. But the contract was excellent, and the
reward was just.

Article 7K12

Can’t Get There!

You’ve heard the story of the lost motorist who pulls into a gas station and asks the attendant
how to get to Route 35. The thoughtful reply: “Hmm… You can’t get there from here.” This deal
has a similar theme.

3 NT by South

Both Vul 632

865
KQ752
72
QJ5 10 9 8 4
J 10 9 7 42
83 A 10 9 4
Q 10 9 3 J85
 AK7
AKQ3
J6
Lead: J AK64
West North East South
2
Pass 2 Pass 2 NT
Pass 3 NT All Pass

West led the J, taken by the queen. Declarer had seven top tricks and, unless hearts were 3-3,
he needed two diamonds. The J was led and of course it held; then another diamond went to
the queen, ace. The K now was like a star in the midnight sky — a beautiful sight but no way
to reach it. Dummy was dead.

Was declarer a victim of fate? Or could he have done something? The problem should have been
anticipated from the start. Declarer cannot get to dummy by himself (the gas-station attendant
was right), but he might force an opponent to put him there. Before leading diamonds he must do
some elimination work.

After winning the first heart, duck a club. Assume the opponents return a heart; win and duck a
spade. Win any return and lead the J which holds. Next cash all your remaining winners
before leading a diamond to the queen and ace. East can cash his long spade, but he must give
dummy the K.

But wait! Perfect defense can prevail. When declarer ducks a club, the defenders must duck a
diamond; then when a spade is given up, East can cash the A to avert the endplay. This is
difficult defense but not unrealistic in view of dummy.

Article 7K16

Hold That Ruff!

This deal, from the Blue Ribbon Pairs at the recent St. Louis Nationals, illustrates an important
defensive principle. Many defenders are too eager to ruff, fearing it is “now or never” to score
their trump trick. This is certainly true in some cases, but beware of ruffing a loser early in the
play.

6 by South
 985
7652
AKJ74
2
Q 10 3 2 KJ764
J84 Q 10
10 9 6 2 Q8
Q 10 K654
A
AK93
53
Lead: 2 AJ9873
West North East South
1
Pass 1 1 2
2 4 Pass 4
Pass 5 Pass 6
All Pass

The N-S bidding was optimistic (to be polite). After North’s raise to game, South cue-bid 4
and North retaliated with 5 . South could not contain himself and bid the slam.

Declarer’s best chance was to establish the clubs. After winning the A, he cashed the A,
ruffed a club, and returned to his hand with the A. On the next club lead West grabbed the
opportunity to ruff in front of dummy with the 8 — a critical error. The rest was easy, as the
K picked up the remaining trumps and another ruff established the long clubs.

Instead West should discard a spade. Declarer ruffs the club, returns to his hand with a spade
ruff, and leads a fourth club. West must discard another spade and there is no way for declarer to
succeed.

Remember this deal the next time you think about ruffing on defense. If the card led is a loser, it
is usually better to discard and wait.

Article 7K17

Squeeze Defense
Six clubs is an easy make, but South was concerned about protecting his K from the opening
lead. Hence he decided on 6 NT after key-card Blackwood.
 6 NT by South

32
876
K5
A K J 10 9 6
J75 Q 10 6
QJ93 A542
Q 10 7 J943
873 54
AK984
K 10
A862
Lead: Q Q2
West North East South
1 Pass 1
Pass 2 Pass 2
Pass 3 Pass 4 NT
Pass 5 Pass 6 NT
All Pass

East won the A and returned the suit. The only hope was a squeeze, so declarer ran the clubs.
Through four rounds there was no discomfort; East let go two hearts; South, a spade and
diamond; West, a heart.

On the 5th club East threw a diamond, South a spade, and West was forced to unguard
something. In practice he let go a spade. On the last club East had to throw a diamond to keep his
spade stopper, South threw a spade, as did West. Then declarer cashed the A-K to squeeze
West in hearts and diamonds. Well done!

All this was well executed, but it never should have happened! There were two ways to beat this
contract after the Q lead. Can you spot them?

One technique in squeeze defense is to attack crucial entries, and East could have done that with
a diamond return at trick two. Try as he might, declarer could no longer bring about the squeeze.
Try it!

Another way to foil a squeeze is to prevent declarer from “rectifying the count” (timing the play
so he can win all but one trick). East could do this by ducking the first trick. Again, declarer
cannot succeed.
Article 7K33

Jack Be Nimble
As North on this deal from a recent IMP game, I was not happy with my bidding. South opened
1 and I chose to respond 1 NT (forcing) since my values were so minimal. When partner
invited game with 2 NT, I started thinking: Perhaps my 10-9 would be golden; perhaps my
diamond suit would be the key. Or perhaps I had lost my marbles! I took a chance on game.

4 by South

83
10 9 5
A J 10 6 5
952
J54 10 7 6 2
J3 K86
9872 KQ
10 8 6 4 AKQ7
AKQ9
AQ742
43
Lead: 4 J3
West North East South
1
Pass 1 NT Pass 2 NT
Pass 4 All Pass

Predictably, 4 was a poor contract; but West found an equally poor lead: a low spade. South
captured the 10 with the ace and cashed two more spades, discarding a club from dummy. Next
came the good 9, and West eagerly grabbed his doubleton J as dummy threw another club.
Voila! The contract was now cold. A club could be ruffed in dummy and East’s K could be
picked up with the repeated finesse.

Does this justify the bidding? Hardly. But it does bring to light a defensive error. Despite the
unfortunate lead, West can set the contract if he ruffs the spade low. Whether North overruffs or
discards, the defenders still have to get a trump trick (note East’s 8), two clubs (or one club
and the 3) plus a diamond.
The underlying principle is clear. West should see that if he ruffs with the jack, dummy will shed
a losing club, so the best this can do is break even. Ruffing low affords the only chance to gain.

Article 7K34

Grand Adventure
I was South and my son Rich was North on this deal, which was a cause celebre at the Summer
Nationals in Chicago. We reached the sound grand slam in spades, but its fate lay in the hands of
the opening leader.

7 by South

Q953
—
43
A K J 10 9 3
2
J 10 2 6
A 10 6 5 K98743
J8652 K9
4 Q765
AK874
QJ2
A Q 10 7
Lead: 10 8
West North East South
1
Pass 2 Pass 2
Pass 2 Pass 3
Pass 4 Pass 4 NT
Pass 5 Pass 5 NT
Pass 7 All Pass

The first four bids were routine (2 was forcing to game), then I cue-bid my ace of diamonds.
Rich’s jump to 4 was a splinter bid showing a singleton or void. I next used key-card
Blackwood — in my modification the 5 response indicates one key card plus a void
(obviously in hearts). I next bid 5 NT promising all the necessary key cards, and Rich bid the
grand based on the potential of his long club suit.
OK, what would you lead? A non-thinking player would always lead an ace against a grand
slam. It’s the setting trick, right? A thoughtful player would realize the A wasn’t cashing (we
told them in the bidding) and consider something else. Whew! West led a trump. It was routine
then to draw trumps and set up the clubs with the show-up ruffing finesse. Making seven.

A beginner of course would beat this contract. With a heart lead (ruffed in dummy) there is no
way to succeed. Try it! In fact, it is difficult to win even 12 tricks when dummy is tapped at trick
one.

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Copyright © 2002 Richard Pavlicek. All rights reserved.