18 Defence in NT

Your plan is simple: find a suit whose length and strength can eventually outrun the declarer and get her down. Once you know what suit that is, it is just a matter of leading it at every opportunity. Hmmm, sounds easy enough. There are two main problems to solve first: a) identify the suit, b) play it correctly so as to maximise its effect.

a) The burden of identifying the suit falls automatically on whoever is due to make the first lead. Some guidelines:

1. If partner has bid a suit, always lead that.

2. If not, and the opponents have bid three suits, the fourth suit is a serious candidate.

3. If Stayman was not used in the bidding, then a major suit is probably best. Choose spades if in doubt. If you are short in a major, the more likely is your partner to have five or more, so this could be a good lead.

4. Do NOT lead your longest suit if you are weak, say less than 7 points, because you will never get in to cash the winners. Pick a short suit and hope partner has it.

b) Leading the right card is crucial. Here are some guidelines, lead the card marked in bold:

Ax  Axx  Axxx. Kx  Kxx  Kxxx  Qx  Qxx. Qxxx  Jx  Jxx  Jxxx

xx  xxx  xxxx  xxxxx  QJ10(xxx)  AQx(x) AQxxx AQJx(x) KJ10xx

There are other combinations, especially top of a sequence, but the above will show you the principles, one of which is “Lead what you have most of, high cards or low cards”  You do not need to learn all the examples so long as you get the principles.

Having led the right suit, and set to play it whenever in the lead, there is one other piece of advice I can offer.  The common discarding problem in NT is that every time you throw a card on declarer’s triumphant cashing of his long suit, you weaken one of your own. Do not weaken two suits, just one. Having decided which suit you want to keep besides your main suit, keep it as long as possible.  So the first defender to throw a discard is saying “Please keep this suit, partner, I’m keeping the other one.” Now you’ve got both covered between you.