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Adventures of a bridge professional

Adventures of a bridge professional.
Columns by Dutch National Team player Sjoert Brink. Check out the section Columns

The defence often starts in the bidding **

The 2003 Lederer Memorial Trophy, a very strong invitation tournament in England. David Burn and David Price are awarded the prize for best defence. By defeating 4 in a very elegant way, they show that sometimes good defence already starts during the bidding.

N/EWK Q J 3
 
 K 8 6 3 2
J 9
6 4
10 7
windroos6 5 4
Q 4
J 9
A Q 8 3 2
10 5
A 10 8 5
K Q J 9 3 2
 A 9 8 2
 
A 10 7 5
K 7 6 4
7

WestNorthEastSouth
PriceMcIntosh
BurnBakhshi
pass
3double
341pass
4
pass
passpass 

1 Partner: choose a major suit

Price's 3 bid laid the foundation stone for the successful defence. Many players would have raised clubs, but the 3 bid is much better since it allows partner to think along during the bidding (3 shows a club fit) and later in defence (if the opponents buy the contract).
If East had had a diamond fit, he would probably have bid again over 4 or 4. Here he remained silent.

Price, West, had to find an opening lead and realised that it was imperative that the diamond suit was to be attacked as quickly as possible. However, his partner was to do so, since South was very likely to have the K (South doubled for take-out, remember?).
Since East had opened a vulnerable 3, West thought it very likely as well, that East had the K. So West led a small club. East won with the J and switched to a diamond. West won with the Q, cashed the A and another diamond sank the contract: declarer now had to lose a trump.

Beautiful defensive play, based upon information from the bidding.