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Innumerable books have been written on declarer play. Far less attention has been paid by bridge writers to defense, which is the weakest part of most players’ game. This book presents a series of problems in defensive play, the central theme being active versus passive defense. This problem may start with the opening lead, arise at Trick Two, or be a decision later during the play of the hand.
Going ‘active’ when one should have remained ‘passive’ and vice versa is probably the most common defensive error players make, allowing contracts to slip thru.
Some of the deals shown are more difficult than others, but they all contain a principle that can be applied in similar situations. After working on these problems and answers, the reader will find his defensive skills are enormously improved.

Sujets

Card Games

Activities

Games

Bridge

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Publié par	AuthorHouse
Date de parution	24 août 2022
Nombre de lectures	1
EAN13	9781665568227
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0200€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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ACTIVE OR PASSIVE

A Guide to Being a Better Defender

JAMES MARSH STERNBERG, MD ( DR J )

AuthorHouse™
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.authorhouse.com
Phone: 833-262-8899

© 2022 James Marsh Sternberg, MD ( Dr J ). All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/19/2022

ISBN: 978-1-6655-6823-4 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6822-7 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
DEDICAZIONE
A M a r c o e B a r b a r a

D i G i r a l i m o

Grazie per fare la mia seconda vita in
Italia, una esperienza incredi bile

Also by James Marsh Stern berg
Playing to Trick One – No Mulligans in Bridge (2n d Ed)
Trump Suit Headaches; Rx for Declarers and Defen ders
The Finesse; Only a Last Re sort
Blocking and Unbloc king
Shortness – a Key to Better Bidding (2n d Ed)
When Michaels Met The Unu sual
From Zero to Three Hundred; A Bridge Jou rney
Reversing the D ummy
Trump Promotion; The Uppe rcut
Active or Passive – Becoming a Better Defe nder
James Marsh Sternberg with Danny Klei nman
Second Hand High; Third Hand Not So High
An Entry, An Entry, My Kingdom For An E ntry
L O L; Loser on L oser
In Search of a Second Suit
Elimination and End play
Suit Preference; Abused and Mis used
CONTENTS
Dedicazione
Acknowledgements
How to Best Use this Book
Introduction
Part I – Prelude
General Considerations
Selecting a Strategy
Part II – Opening Lead Deals
Deal 1. Explosiveness
Deal 2. Two Choices
Deal 3. Second Chance
Deal 4. Just Don’t Go First
Deal 5. Confusing Two Auctions
Deal 6. Good Advice
Deal 7. More of the Same
Deal 8. You’re Up – Passive or Active?
Deal 9. Are You Listening ?
Deal 10. Singleton or a High Card
Deal 11. Too Much Noise
Deal 12. Lots of Choices
Deal 13. Opening Lead – Passive or ?
Deal 14. A Good Agreement
Deal 15. Benito’s Rule
Deal 16. Listening?
Deal 17. If Not The Ace, What?
Deal 18. How Many Mulligans Do You Need?
Deal 19. Sneaky, Sneaky Part One
Deal 20. Sneaky, Sneaky Part Two
Deal 21. Sneaky, Sneaky Part Three
Deal 22. Do You See It?
Deal 23. Isn’t it Obvious?
Deal 24. Now is the Time
Deal 25. I’m Not Ready For That Yet
Part III – Aggressive or Passive Deal Problems
After the Opening Lead
Deal 26. This Can Go On Forever
Deal 27. One Strike is Not a Strike-Out
Deal 28. Patience is a Virtue
Deal 29. Silence in the Room
Deal 30. On Second Thought
Deal 31. Make a Decision
Deal 32. Switch or Continue?
Deal 33. A Switch in Time
Deal 34. Continue or Switch?
Deal 35. Whose Side Are You On?
Deal 36. But You Bid Them
Deal 37. Boring
Deal 38. Timing
Deal 39. Go For It
Deal 40. Don’t Panic
Deal 41. Are You Watching?
Deal 42. Active Yes, But Then?
Deal 43. Even More Boring
Deal 44. What’s His Card Mean?
Deal 45. Stay Calm
Deal 46. Anything But
Deal 47. Another Don’t Panic
Deal 48. Count or Panic
Deal 49. Saving An Overtrick
Deal 50. The Wooden Soldier
Deal 51. Déjà Vu
Deal 52. Cut Off
Deal 53. Changing Trains
Deal 54. The Unsuspecting Hero
Deal 55. Are You Awake?
Deal 56. One Time At Bat
Deal 57. In the Right Order
Deal 58. The Other Side
Deal 59. Tough One
Deal 60. False Count
Deal 61. Encourage?
Deal 62. Derby Time
Deal 63. If You See It, Do It
Deal 64. Good Guess
Deal 65. Mission Impossible
Deal 66. Star Trek
Deal 67. What’s Her Shape?
Deal 68. Urgency
Deal 69. Entry Problems
Deal 70. Good But Not Good
Deal 71. Don’t Be Fooled
Deal 72. So Busy
Deal 73. Following Orders
Deal 74. I’ve Got You……
Deal 75. Assumptions
Deal 76. Another Assumption
Deal 77. Durocher to Lazzeri to Gehrig
Deal 78. Hard to Find
Deal 79. Creating Danger
Deal 80. No Air, Please
Deal 81. Can You Count?
Deal 82. Don’t Defrost It
Deal 83. Just Go Low
Deal 84. Full Speed Ahead
Deal 85. Third Try is a Charm
Deal 86. Don’t Touch
Deal 87. Worth a Try
Deal 88. No Double, No Trouble
Deal 89. Play It Safe
Deal 90. Overcoming Futility
Deal 91. Proper Switch
Deal 92. An Elusive Fourth Trick
Deal 93. Timing
Deal 94. False Attitude
Deal 95. Which Door?
Deal 96. Annoying
Deal 97. Play For What You Need
Deal 98. Percentage Play
Deal 99. Back At’ya
Deal 100. A Logical Inference
Deal 101. Urgent
Deal 102. Don’t Tell
Deal 103. Leave Him Alone
Deal 104. Getting a Step Ahead
Deal 105. Right Idea, Wrong Suit
Deal 106. Better Hurry Up
Deal 107. A Worthwhile Trade
Deal 108. Can You Stop Him?
Deal 109. Another Wooden Soldier
Deal 110. The Race is On
Deal 111. Nothing to Lose
Deal 112. Me Too, Nothing to Lose
Deal 113. Not So Safe
Deal 114. Careful
Deal 115. The Opening Lead
Deal 116. Four Kings
ACKNOWLE DGEMENTS
This book would not have been possible without the help of several friends. Frank Stewart, Michael Lawrence, Anne Lund, Randy Baron, Willie Fuchs and the late Eddie Kantar all provided suggestions for material for this book.
I am forever indebted to Hall of Famer Fred Hamilton and the late Allan Cokin and Bernie Chazen, without whose guidance and teaching I could not have achieved whatever success I have had in br idge.
Special thanks to my editor and frequent co-author Danny Klei nman.
And of course, Vickie Lee Bader, whose love and patience helped guide me thru the many hours of this ende avor.
James Marsh Sternberg , MD
Palm Beach Gardens , FL
mmay001@aol .com
HOW TO BEST USE THIS BOOK
This book is divided into three sections. Part I discusses general considerations. Usually only one hand is s hown.
In Part II, the book deals with Passive vs Aggressive Opening Leads. Try to select your choice of leads before looking at the whole deal.
In Part III, the opening lead is shown. Try to plan your defense without looking at the whole deal b elow.
A few deals show all four hands at the top for conveni ence.
The themes of the deals are random, following no particular pat tern.
I hope you find the deals instructive and interesting. Have fun.
Jim
INTRODUCTION
Let’s face it; defense is tough. Most players would rather declare than defend.
As declarer, you can see all of your side’s assets and you are better able to formulate a plan. Is this a deal for developing a long suit, maybe ruffing or crossruffing, or perhaps an elimination hand? Maybe it’s a dummy reversal? Or as a last resort, must you take finesses? There are only a finite number of hand types, which as declarer, you are more likely to recognize before the defenders do.
Bridge writers therefore devote a disproportionate amount of space to declarer play. But unless you are a wild overbidder, going down two or three regularly, a player is cast as the defender twice as often as he is as declarer. I plead guilty too, having written thirteen books on declarer play before writing three on defense.
Broadly speaking, defense falls into two categories, active or passive. If active, the defenders are attacking, trying to take their tricks before declarer takes his. If passive, the defenders are trying not to give any tricks away, waiting for declarer to lose tricks himself. Probably no other one factor has caused more misdefense than by defending one way when the defense should have gone the other way.
S,J. Simon addressed this in his 1946 book Why You Lose at Bridge in a section he called “Getting Busy at the Wrong Moment.” The trouble is that yes, there is a right moment but it’s often hard to tell when that moment comes.
In the deals that follow, sometimes only your hand and the dummy will be shown. If all four hands are shown, try covering the other two with a piece of paper while you try to solve the problem before peeking at the unseen hands. The deals are in a completely random order and the titles just for reference.
All contain a principle that can be applied to similar deals. Assume standard leads and signals, ace from ace-king, fourth-best from length, and standard count and attitude.
Terence Reese once said that the test of a good problem was that the reader should say to himself, “I ought to have got that; next time I will.” I hope you find the deals provocative and stimulating. If not this time, next time “you will.”
PART ONE PRELUDE
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
What does it take to be a good defender? Have an expert partner? Sure, that helps but your partner can’t pull cards from your hand. (Danny wishes he could but the rules won’t let him). And since we defend twice as often as we declare, what’s the secret?
Some days it feels like you are always defending. You never get any cards a