Defensive Errors!

[OliverC]

Played a hand with Eszter last night where neither of us shone:

Opps bid to 4 via 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 . Your Partner leads a trump and Dummy goes down with

6 led.
                    KQ4
                    A653
                    J10964
                    10

You hold:
973
K9874
3
AJ32

Declarer draws trumps in 3 roundsending in Dummy, Partner showing out on the 3rd round and signalling for a Diamond. Declarer leads 10 from Dummy. What's your plan?

I erred in two ways here.

Firstly, I rose with the Ace of Clubs (which almost certainly sets up two Club tricks for Declarer). Better to duck, hope that Declarer rises with a top honour and now that's their last Club trick.

Secondly I woodenly complied with Partner's request for a Diamond and led my 3 . A decent amount of thought would have made me switch to the King of Hearts instead: Clearly Partner does not have a singleton Heart, or they'd probably have led it initially. Regardless of the Heart position, it's critical to get the Ace of Hearts off Dummy, to kill the entry to any possibly Diamond tricks.

In practice, Eszter held

62
Q2
AK872
9764

Eszter won my Diamond switch with the K . Even at this point, she should have seen the danger the Diamonds in Dummy posed and should have switched to the Q in an attempt to drive out Dummy's Ace, but she took her second Diamond trick and that was the end of the defence.

Assessing what the dangers are on a given hand is critical to good defence (and Declarer play, for that matter). Here, Dummy had no trumps left. Even if I rose immediately with the Ace of Clubs, it should only have been with the intent of leading the King of Hearts to kill dummy stone dead. Note that leading a smaller Heart isn't necessarily good enough. It has to be the King.

[FeaxSA]

Quite good this kind of new coop ...........in defense. make pair more wised
wd Oliver keep it up
 

[OliverC]

LOL, Hardly a new coup...

[lute57]

Thanks for sharing these hands, Oliver.

Although Defense is not really part of OCP, it is an area that most of us can benefit (speaking for the intermediate and advanced players). Sometimes I feel like one of those bodybuilders with huge arms and a massive chest but with pencil sticks for legs. Great bidding system knowledge but average to mediocre declarer and defensive play  It is nice to receive some advice in the other areas of playing bridge so we can round themselves out proportionately.

[OliverC]

Yes, that's why I've created this Board on the Forums.

A few people have moaned about the lack of advice on Defence and Declarer Play during the OCP course. Inevitably I concentrate on bidding, because that's what OCP is all about. During most of the OCP course, I rarely allow example hands to be playe unless the play contains some interesting feature (eg: a possible squeeze or whatever).

Play is, however, a critical component in our skill as a Bridge Player. You cannot hope to improve your level of Bridge unless you devote at least as much time to improve:

• Your reading of the hand (ie: taking inferences)
• Counting the hand
• Defensive signalling and reading Partner's signals
• Effective Trump Control
• Your knowledge and awareness of tactical positions (eg: Endplays, Squeezes etc)
• No Trump tactics (eg: Holding up, throw-ins, etc)
• Consideration of tactics based on the scoring method in use (eg: Safety Plays or "going for broke")

...as you trying to improve your bidding. Indeed, many people take the view that the bidding system you use is an entirely minor consideration, and that most of the time you should concentrate on improving your play.

I don't really have the time to teach all of this stuff (the OCP Course lasts for a full 12 months as it is). I am painfully aware, however, that we all use a bidding system that gives us a huge advantage, but that advantage is often lost by the fact that play skills are not nearly as high in the case of many OCP practitioners. I have written quite a few articles on play (and bidding) (You can find them on the OCP site and on the IAC site), but this Board will allow people to highlight concerns or problem hands they have on Play, or for me to post an occasional hand that examples something in the list above.

[kiwi_2o1]

Thanks Oliver and John. I have a few books but don't believe they help as much as learning time at a table, with a mentor or help from interactive software.

Software. I would recommend BM2000. I've had it for a few years, return to it every now and again and still haven't mastered all its hands. A nice feature (one that an old partner just hates and won't use it for that reason) is that if you make a poor play, or not the optimal one, it will move around defensive holdings to injure you. You might think, "OK, I'll finesse in D's this time on second try (as it was in the East hand) only to find its now with West." Still down The program isn't faulty but your plan. It has a help movie for each problem and a fine range of levels from ordinary to expert.

As for books, two I'd recommend from Mike Lawrence, on card combinations and how to read your opponents cards. Not too hard but very instructive.

Secondly like Oliver other experts run tutorials on bbo too. e.g. Hondo77, Howard. Yes a problem is that it only fits some time zones but there are others. He gives great advice, has instructive hands (only 6 every session so you don't fall off your perch) and its the pressure of real bidding and play. Its free and he is often asking for people to sit. His site, also in aabridge has help and movies for all sets so you can return to play them yourself or to see what others did.

Generally I've found in our group, too many want to just play and spend little or no time at the table discussing play and defence. And many get very defensive if one asks to talk over plays etc. Just playing for fun is fine but if one is serious enough about the game to use OCP then improving card play has to match it.

OK what can the family do about it?

[OliverC]

Well Roger Pfister was trying play sessions on a Thursday and it's bombed, because nobody would sit

[kiwi_2o1]

OH dear. People are afraid of making errors.  Good on Roger for trying.

[Curls77]

OH dear. People are afraid of making errors.  Good on Roger for trying.

I am guilty as charged 
BUT, I was only one guilty of "that crime". Yesterday other 5-6 OCP players/students that attended Roger's session played. Last week, he could hardly feel table with 4. And our OCP community is 10 times that, so question here is why they never show?

Indeed, many people take the view that the bidding system you use is an entirely minor consideration, and that most of the time you should concentrate on improving your play.
I don't really have the time to teach all of this stuff ...

Fair enough and great advices Oliver, as all yours always are. Again, I am one of guilty ones for moaning to be taught not only about bidding but other aspects of this game, while fully aware that what you've done and still do is already LOTS. Do u blame me for trying? ; )
Funny people say what u stated over in the quote.. As if we simplify things, each of us will declare 25% of hands, smoke while dummy in another 25% and defend in 50% of boards played.
But wait!.. they'll have to BID in all 100% 

Software. I would recommend ..
As for books, two I'd recommend ...
Generally I've found in our group, too many want to just play and spend little or no time at the table discussing play and defence. And many get very defensive if one asks to talk over plays etc. Just playing for fun is fine but if one is serious enough about the game to use OCP then improving card play has to match it.
OK what can the family do about it?

Each one of us may learn on different speed and prefer different methods, and all u mentioned are excellent. My best friend, Jack (bridge software) is too old and I can't teach him to play OCP, how dissapointing!! But from the other side, u can "learn" methods with ur imaginary bot comput friend and when u apply those at the table to real pard, u get them in shock (see LST discussion).
At least we novices must learn lose fear of unknown, that we still feel toward OCP. Practicing bidding with collegue from OCP class helps tons imo. And move to play only when feel at least little confident. Others disagree, I know : )