Vubridge Expert Kit
Learn to Think like an Expert

Many a bridge player would like to become an expert! That's NOT an easy task, even though on some bridge websites about a half the attendance are self-bombarded (so-called) experts!

This month we are launching Vubridge Expert Kit, a set of 24 lessons (x 20 hands) to help you become a better, much better player.

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Bidding.

The opponents here make use of the Stayman sequence and find themselves in 4â™  after an invitational sequence.

Play.

Against a slow invitational sequence such as the auction here, it should allude to you that both opponents are stretching their limits to bid the game contract. This usually means that they have nothing to spare - and thus, a passive defense is usually best.

Partner (North) gives the defense the best start by leading a trump - certainly the best choice on this hand as a lead of any other suit would only help declarer. Although trump leads should be avoided as much as possible, they're the suit we should fall back to when the auction calls out for a passive lead. Often trump leads are of a passive nature (as they give the tempo back to declarer), so they are especially useful if you do not want to play a suit that will hand a trick over to declarer.

As we (South) win the opening lead with the â™ A, we should continue with partner's plan and continue with another Spade (as you can see, any other switch would be quite deadly).

Dummy takes the second trick as declarer proceeds to take the successful Diamond finesse. Taking the ♦A followed by the ♦J, declarer ruffs a Diamond, plays a Club to his King, and ruffs the last Diamond in dummy. A Heart to his ♥10 (for a finesse) sees him win ten tricks via three Spades, two Diamonds, two Diamond ruffs, two Clubs, and a Heart.

Sometimes even the best defense doesn't bring down the opponent's contract - but it sure did stop the overtricks!