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Forcing Defense
A forcing defense is one where the goal is to undermine Declarer's trump control by repeatedly leading side-suit winners, forcing him to ruff until he is either out of trumps, or else has fewer trumps than one of the defenders.
Related Play Problems Play Problem 205
Related Extracts from Past Wednesday Games
North’s 1NT was maximum, and West’s 2♠ would be considered by some as evidence of insanity. And vulnerable, no less! Some players just cannot resist balancing at the two-level, can they? North, of course, makes a gleeful Double, perhaps she’s seen West’s balancing act before. As N-S go in search of their 6 tricks and the magic +200, this is how the play might unfold: North leads a low Club, the spots reveal all, so South confidently inserts the Nine Diamond to North’s Queen Club won by South Club ruffed by Declarer Heart Ten is finessed, losing to South’s King K♦ is cashed Diamond is ruffed by Declarer J♠ is run around Spade to Dummy’s King Two Hearts are cashed Spade to Declarer’s Ace Declarer is left with a Heart winner at Trick 13.
Oops! The defense’s magic +200 just became a tragic -670! This deal teaches us two important lessons: - North should be less gleeful in her doubling, or else she should find a Partner who can defend better. Yes, the winning defense is for South, after cashing the K♦, to play a forcing game with a 4th round of Clubs. Now, however and wherever Declarer chooses to ruff this, the defense must come to one more trick. - It sometimes pays to make hair-raising balancing bids, all the more so if the opponents can be relied upon to help out during the play.
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