grizz: Hi everybody, thanks for attending another in a series of lessons on Defense. grizz: Chat logs and hand records are stored in your computer for later review. For information on how to retrieve them, go the BIL homepage or email me at Grizz@GrizzBridge.com. grizz: I teach private individual, pair, and small group lessons. If you would like to know more please email me at Grizz@GrizzBridge.com. grizz: Archives of previous sessions are available at GrizzBridge.com, on the Lessons and Archives page located at: http://www.grizzbridge.com/Lessons_and_Archives.php grizz: More than 50 sessions are logged there now, with lots of good information. grizz: There will be lots of questions. I want to address them all, but in a manner helpful to all, so please ask them in open chat. grizz: If I forget a question while answering another, please remind me. grizz: I encourage participation by all kibitzers grizz: So jump right in with a comment, question, or bid at any time, but please do so in open chat. grizz: The opening lead depends on your defensive strategy - as in chess, you must be thinking several moves ahead. grizz: There are only 5 basic types of defensive strategy at the beginning of a hand. grizz: These concepts are out of the book "How The Experts Win At Bridge" by Burt Hall and Lynn Rose-Hall, the Bridge Book of the Year in 1997. grizz: By way of review, and for those who are new here, the 5 lines of defense are: grizz: 1. Force declarer to ruff, and lose control of his own trump suit. grizz: 2. Active defense, go get your own tricks. grizz: 3. Passive defense, let the lead come to you. grizz: 4. Reduce ruffs. grizz: 5. Create trump tricks. grizz: Again, if you need review on the 5 Lines of Defense check out http://www.grizzbridge.com/Lessons_and_Archives.php grizz: Scroll down the page until you find those lessons under the BIL listings. grizz: Briefly, here are the lead guidelines for each of these different strategies: grizz: 1. Forcing defense - lead your side's strongest suit. grizz: 2. Active defense - also, lead your side's strongest suit. grizz: 3. Passive defense - top of a sequence, or a worthless suit grizz: 4. Reduce ruffs - lead a trump grizz: 5. Create trump tricks - lead away your own or toward partner's shortness. grizz: So choosing a lead depends on what your defensive game plan is, referring back to the 5 Lines of Defense. grizz: When you know WHAT you intend to accomplish, it is easier to decide HOW to get it done. grizz: That is the difference between strategy and tactics. grizz: This week we are going to continue looking at example hands and auctions, consider defensive plans and choose leads. grizz: These example hands are not predealt, they are random. grizz: So I have not analyzed them, rather we are all looking at them for the first time. grizz: The bidding will be done by the bots, though I must sit in one of the seats during play to control the pace. grizz: I have no idea who the declarer will be or which seat will be on lead, so you may kibitz all 4 hands. grizz: We will put our heads together and come up with a defensive strategy based on the auction, the hand on lead, and the 5 Lines of Defense. grizz: I will try to remember to insert the board numbers in the Chat Log, so you can match up the log with the hands file in the future. grizz: If you wonder what a GIB bid means, click on it - the bots play 2/1. grizz: Here is the GIB convention card: http://online.bridgebase.com/doc/gib_system_notes.php grizz: grizz: the S hand looks like it's worth a bid, but has no suit worth bidding. grizz: it's a little light and a little offshape for a X, but it does have 4!hs and 11 hcp, so here goes grizz: having doubled light to begin with, this hand should pass to show no extras. 3!d would not be "competing", but showing extras grizz: aha! pard is not broke, and this is a cooperative double onoway: shouldn't north have 5 !d to overcall? grizz: not after i doubled, 4 is plenty brockobama: dbl into game risky grizz: N would not overcall a 4 card !d suit, but showing it in response to a takeout X is ok grizz: true, passing this one is risky, especially at teams brockobama: maybe pull the dbl to 3!D? grizz: this is the kind of hand where you go back to compare scores and make excuses for a bad decision onoway: :) grizz: so let's pretend this is matchpoints and we can stretch out a little :) grizz: S converts the X to penalty with a pass brockobama: you do have 4!H ..some defense grizz: first point on defense - when leading to a doubled part score, 99% of the time it's right to lead a trump grizz: N-S have some tricks, and so do E-W grizz: the likeliest place for E-W to develop MORE tricks is ruffs in dummy grizz: so let's start out by killing one ruff grizz: great! no !s ruffs now grizz: lol oops! grizz: there is no way to explain this in a team game, so don't do it! but in matchpoints it's worth the risk grizz: also, S could have defended better, let me show you how onoway: if North doesn't lead !s you do better..if declarer has to lead to him grizz: also true grizz: W does not have a lot of entries, so let's kill one grizz: interesting play there grizz: if E had the Q, would he not take the A? grizz: so let's go back to Plan A grizz: much better grizz: E played it differently - attacking !cs instead of pulling trump grizz: but if E DOES attack trump, S can knock out the !CA by leading the K, a play called the "Scissors Coup" - which cuts declarer's communications grizz: any questions on this one? grizz: back to the auction for a minute brockobama: what happens if S passes? grizz: N was a passed hand, but it made a "free bid" in response to the X, after W bid 2!c grizz: what happens if S passes? EW probably play 1NT grizz: let's play it again and see grizz: grizz: lol this is insane! PedroG: :) crazy bots grizz: the trump lead is indicated again, but for a different reason grizz: here it is clear that EW have a cross ruff going, ruffing !s in dummy and minors in hand grizz: so trump lead is required to thwart that plan grizz: EW should play in 1NT :) grizz: but when ops hand you gifts like that, it is inconsiderate not to accept :) brockobama: isn't 1NT forcing? grizz: in 2/1 the 1NT is forcing, but not in SAYC grizz: and we generally don't play 2/1 in the BIL grizz: though i teach 2/1 also, and don't mind commenting meshmeshaa->Club: pls do grizz: brockobama: shouldn't W have 4!H to raise? grizz: if EW play 2/1, then W should pass 2!h grizz: 9 hcp, only 3 card support grizz: 8 losers grizz: maybe more, without at least an 8 card fit grizz: the 7 card fit is playable, but hardly worth a raise grizz: the suit is short, and quality is terrible Dianne0516: Doesn't GIB play 2/1? grizz: one other intangible issue - some partners are terrified to play in 7 card fits - if they are, avoid them like the plague onoway: :) whiz: lol grizz: y, the bots play 2/1 grizz: but others are fearless, and you can take certain liberties whiz: yes sir:) brockobama: in 2/1 impossible to stop in 1NT grizz: so my last comment on this one is that this is a hand where forcing NT is a detriment grizz: a kib asks what Forcing NT is, so here goes: grizz: 1NTF is a 2/1 convention where if you open 1!h or 1!s, pard is an unpassed hand and bids 1NT, that is forcing for one round grizz: pard will make that bid on any hand that cannot raise your suit directly, make a GF 2/1 bid, or answer 1!s over 1!h grizz: and for many responder hands that is a big plus, such as when responder has less than 12 hcp but a long minor grizz: on this hand it didn't work too well grizz: any other questions? grizz: grizz: S has nothing to say here grizz: so let's see if we can beat it grizz: dummy has only 4 hcp, but a lot of good middle cards - this one will be tough to beat brockobama: W should have 2!C higher than 4 grizz: yes, Rule of 11 grizz: but what are they? grizz: pard would lead the 4 from several different holdings - grizz: AKx4 grizz: KTx4 grizz: Kxx4 grizz: ATx4 grizz: so from any combination where N holds the T, it is correct for S to finesse dummy by playing the 9 grizz: and keeping the Q over the J brockobama: nice grizz: in any of those cases, we take 3!cs grizz: sigh - W has the AT grizz: but he gets 2!c tricks anyway, so we don't lose anything grizz: so by finessing dummy, either we win a trick or we don't lose one cool! grizz: discard problem now grizz: if pard has anything in !h, S needs to keep them all onoway: !c? pard has 3 grizz: y, pard is guarding the !cs, so we can afford to pitch one grizz: and the 7 says we have the Q grizz: lol worst possible switch! onoway: GIB likes to break new suits whiz: ok.... grizz: ok, GIB needs to watch and see how this is done :) brockobama: contine !C whiz: hahaha brockobama: !CQ grizz: assuming that pard led 4th best, W has only the A left grizz: if not, and pard led from Hxx, then we must cover grizz: discard problem again, so let's show a !h honor onoway: rest are yours grizz: yup grizz: makes, but just barely grizz: and NS doesn't make 2 of anything, so down 1 red is -100, and this is a good score grizz: but there were a couple good issues on defense, techniques that will save you tricks grizz: 1 is finessing an honor in dummy, i hope everybody saw how that works grizz: 2 is continuing a previous suit, rather than breaking a new one for declarer. grizz: breaking a new suit usually gives away a trick grizz: so even if the opening lead turns out not to be the best one, grizz: if Passive Defense is indicated, keep plugging away at it grizz: any qestions on this one? grizz: grizz: let me show you another 2/1 gadget, the DONT interference system grizz: that stands for Disturb Opponent's NT dae: over a suit bid??? grizz: and it works rather opposite to most other systems, working from lowest to highest grizz: oh, sry! grizz: i thought W was going to open a NT with that hand!!! grizz: a couple comments on the auction sascha3: why only 2!S? grizz: i would open the W hand 1NT, despite the 5 card !s suit Dianne0516: downgrade bc no aces? grizz: not necessary, and good because the Ks are protected from the opening lead grizz: but W opened 1!S, that's ok too grizz: but E has dropped the ball here grizz: 11 hcp and 3 card !s support adds up to a Limit Raise grizz: and in 2/1, you show that hand this way: grizz: 1!s-1NT* (forcing)-2!c* (could be 3)-3!s grizz: let's see what happens if E makes that bid grizz: good grizz: NS were listening to the auction, and will apply another useful defensive principle grizz: 5-3 fits do not play well when both hands are balanced grizz: now it's true that ops may NOT be balanced, but here is the analysis- grizz: W did not rebid !s, so must only have 5 grizz: W would rebid 2!c on 5323 or 5224 grizz: also on 5xx5, but that's rare grizz: and E has 3!s, so probably a balanced hand grizz: certainly not 5!cs, anyway grizz: so here goes - grizz: S can use a little magic here by ducking grizz: there are no ruff threats in dummy, but there may be one in the closed hand grizz: decision time here grizz: clear the last !s, or switch? grizz: is there a suit that declarer looks to be able to run? grizz: not !h or !c, from the S hand brockobama: looking at dummy !D switch up to weakness grizz: and N may have something in !ds grizz: if so, it won't go away on the run of a long suit grizz: so there is no big hurry to cash any !ds that we may deserve grizz: but we may cut down on a ruff by continuing trump grizz: choices! grizz: if indeed W is balanced, then he only has 1 or 2 ruffs grizz: and leading out the last trump will kill only one grizz: but there is only 1 entry to dummy, that is a consideration too grizz: so here goes Dianne0516: K to A!c made no sense to me grizz: nope, not to me either - cost them a trick, and for no good reason grizz: chalk one up for the Defense brockobama: they wanted to finesse the !DK i guess grizz: y, there was a 50/50 chance that the A was in S, and there are precious few entries grizz: so what are the defense lessons on this one? grizz: trump lead against 5-3 fit on balanced hands grizz: cooperating with partner's line of defense unless a better one shows up grizz: ducking one round with trump Axx to clear 3 rounds of the suit grizz: and stopping halfway through to assess threats and decide whether to continue that line of defense or change to a better one grizz: and one other that we have not talked about since last year - grizz: thinking like a declarer grizz: trying to figure out what his moves are, so you can stay a step ahead grizz: so one of the questions you should ask yourself is "why did declarer do that?" grizz: "would he make that play if he had a certain holding?" grizz: would he make another if he didn't? brockobama: the other advantage of continuing trump is you killed a entry to dummy grizz: those little hints and questions pop up all the time during the play, and you should examine them as they do grizz: also true grizz: it is also true that this one is cold - should make 4!s all day long grizz: losing the !SA, a !h and 1!d grizz: unless ops find the !d shift and declarer can't pitch a !d on a long !c grizz: but using the !cK and overtaking as an entry was pointless brockobama: lose 2!D and pitch losing !H on long !C grizz: y, and i think that works even if ops DO find the !d shift grizz: as long as declarer keeps the !HA in dummy for an entry to the long !c grizz: so this one rates to be a top board - the field should be in game with these cards, and the field should make game grizz: Do we have any final questions? sascha3: no thx Pete grizz: That concludes today's lesson, and next week we will have more quiz hands on opening leads. grizz: If anybody needs help retrieving the hand records or chat log, please email me at Grizz@GrizzBridge.com. sascha3: thx was great:) grizz: I teach private individual, pair, and small group lessons. If you would like to know more please email me at Grizz@GrizzBridge.com. ydannac: THANKS !H!H brockobama: great session analisals: thanks Pete as usual great lesson ! PedroG: ty Pete :) grizz: Thanks also to Maureen, Rosemary, Eileen, Fred and the wonderful people at BBO who make this all possible. ladygolf: ty Pete grizz: Thanks all for coming, i'll see you in a week myjoy: tks was good session grizz: Bye now