Defensive Play Basics: Your Guide to Beating Contracts
Defense is the hardest part of bridge. You see 13 cards while declarer sees 26. You need to cooperate with a partner who can’t speak to you. And you have to make decisions on the first trick that will determine whether you beat the contract or hand declarer an easy make.
The good news? Most defenders beat themselves with the same predictable mistakes. Learn a few basic principles and you’ll immediately start setting more contracts.
The Goal: Beat the Contract
Your goal on defense is to beat the contract, not to take as many tricks as possible.
If they’re in 4♠, you need four tricks. Not five, not three. Four.
Sometimes the best defense is passive—sit back and wait for declarer to make a mistake. Other times you need to attack, cashing tricks before declarer pitches their losers.
Knowing when to attack and when to wait separates good defenders from weak ones.
Second Hand Low (Usually)
When declarer (or dummy) leads a card and you’re second to play, usually play low. Save your high cards for when you might actually win a trick.
Why? Playing high in second seat often helps declarer. If declarer leads the ♥3 from dummy and you pop up with the ♥K, you’ve solved their problem. They win the ♥A and their ♥Q is good. If you’d played low, they’d have to guess.
Dummy leads the ♦4 and you hold ♦K83. Play the 3, not the king. Force declarer to guess whether partner has the king.
Exceptions to Second Hand Low
1. Cover an honor with an honor
If dummy leads the ♠Q and you hold the ♠K, usually cover to promote partner’s cards. If dummy has ♠QJ10 and you have ♠K83, covering the queen makes partner’s ♠9 a trick later. But if dummy has ♠QJ109, covering doesn’t help—the suit is solid.
2. Win the trick cheaply
If dummy leads the ♦J and you hold ♦AQ4, take your ace. Win it before it disappears.
3. Grab tricks before dummy’s long suit runs
Defending 3NT with dummy showing five solid spades? Hop up with your ♠A immediately. Once declarer reaches dummy, those spades will pitch all their losers.
Third Hand High (Mostly)
When partner leads a suit and you’re third to play, usually play your highest card to win the trick or force out declarer’s high cards.
Partner led for a reason—they’re establishing tricks. If you play low, declarer wins cheaply and you’ve wasted partner’s effort.
Partner leads the ♥5, dummy has ♥863, and you hold ♥KJ2. Play the king, not the jack. Force out declarer’s ace so partner’s ♥Q10 will be good later.
When NOT to Play Third Hand High
1. When dummy has the missing honor
Partner leads the ♠4, dummy plays the ♠J, and you hold ♠AQ3. Cover the jack with your queen, not the ace. Save your high cards.
2. When you have touching honors
Partner leads low, dummy plays small, you hold KQ3. Play the queen, not the king. This is “third hand economical”—play the lowest card that does the job.
3. When declarer has all the high cards
From the bidding you know declarer has the ♥AKQ. Partner leads a heart. Don’t waste your ♥J—just play low.
Return Partner’s Lead (Usually)
When partner leads a suit and you gain the lead, return that suit.
Partner chose it for a reason—they have length or strength there. Trust them.
Partner leads the ♠6 against 3NT, you win your ♠A. Unless you have a compelling reason to switch, return a spade.
Partnerships that return partner’s suit beat more contracts than those who don’t.
When NOT to Return Partner’s Lead
1. Dummy has a strong suit
Partner leads the ♥4, you win the ♥A, and dummy has ♠AKQJx. Cash your tricks now—if you have the ♦AK, take them before dummy’s spades pitch everything.
2. Partner’s suit is clearly weak
Partner leads the ♣3, dummy has ♣AQ65, you have ♣92. That’s a terrible suit. If you have a strong suit, shift to it.
3. Partner signals for a different suit
If partner plays a high card (showing interest) in another suit, listen. They’re telling you to switch.
Learn more about signals in our article on signaling and carding.
Count and Attitude Signals
You can’t talk during defense, but you can signal with your card choices.
Attitude signals: High = “I like this!” Low = “Try something else”
Count signals: High-low = even number. Low-high = odd number.
Partner leads the ♥K and you hold ♥Q52? Play the 5 (encouraging).
These signals help partnerships communicate legally. For details, see our signaling and carding article.
Active vs Passive Defense
Should you attack or sit back?
Active defense: Go after tricks aggressively before declarer pitches losers.
Passive defense: Make declarer do the work. Avoid giving away tricks.
When to Be Active
1. Dummy has a long suit to run
Dummy has six solid diamonds. Cash your tricks NOW before they disappear.
2. High-level contracts
In 6♠, you need two tricks fast. Can’t wait around.
3. You have a suit to establish
You have ♥KQJ104. Lead hearts repeatedly while you have entries.
When to Be Passive
1. Declarer has inevitable losers
They’re in 4♥ with two club losers. Don’t help them by leading new suits. Lead trumps or safe suits and wait.
2. You might give away a trick
You have ♦KJ3. If you lead diamonds, declarer gets three tricks. If declarer leads them, they get only two. Wait.
3. Declarer must break suits themselves
Don’t help! Lead safe suits and make them solve their own problems.
Key question: Can declarer pitch losers? If yes, attack. If no, wait.
Example Hands: Defense in Action
Let’s see these principles at work.
Example 1: Second Hand Low
Contract: 3NT
Lead: ♠Q
North (Dummy)
♠ 7 4 3
♥ A K 8
♦ K Q J 10 9
♣ 6 5
West (Partner) East (You)
♠ Q J 10 9 2 ♠ A 6 5
♥ 7 5 3 ♥ J 10 4 2
♦ 6 4 ♦ 8 7 3
♣ J 9 3 ♣ Q 10 8
South (Declarer)
♠ K 8
♥ Q 9 6
♦ A 5 2
♣ A K 7 4 2Partner leads the ♠Q, you win the ace, return a spade, and partner drives out declarer’s king.
Declarer leads the ♦2 toward dummy.
Wrong: Play the ♦3 (second hand low). Declarer wins dummy’s ♦9 and runs five diamonds. Makes nine tricks.
Right: Play the ♦8! Force dummy’s honor. When declarer leads diamonds back, you play low, partner shows out, and declarer gets only four diamond tricks. Down one.
Sometimes “second hand low” means “second hand high enough to kill dummy’s suit.”
Example 2: Third Hand High
Contract: 4♥
Lead: ♠K
North (Dummy)
♠ 6 5
♥ K Q 9 3
♦ Q J 10 4
♣ A 8 5
West (Partner) East (You)
♠ K Q J 10 3 ♠ A 9 7 2
♥ 7 2 ♥ 6 4
♦ 9 6 3 ♦ K 8 7 2
♣ 9 7 2 ♣ Q 6 4
South (Declarer)
♠ 8 4
♥ A J 10 8 5
♦ A 5
♣ K J 10 3Partner leads the ♠K. What do you play?
Wrong: Play the ♠2 (low, discouraging). Partner might shift to something else.
Right: Play the ♠9 (high, encouraging). You have the ace! You want partner to continue spades.
Partner continues with the ♠Q. Now you take your ace and return the suit, and partner’s ♠J10 cash the setting tricks. Down one.
If you’d discouraged, partner might have shifted to a diamond or club, and declarer would make the contract by pitching spade losers on dummy’s diamonds.
Third hand high—when you have something to say.
Example 3: Active Defense
Contract: 4♠
Lead: ♥K
North (Dummy)
♠ Q 7 3
♥ 8 5
♦ A K Q J 10 9
♣ 7 4
West (You) East (Partner)
♠ 9 4 ♠ 6 2
♥ A K 7 3 ♥ Q J 10 6 2
♦ 6 5 3 ♦ 8 4
♣ A 9 5 2 ♣ Q J 10 3
South (Declarer)
♠ A K J 10 8 5
♥ 9 4
♦ 7 2
♣ K 8 6You lead the ♥K, partner plays the ♥Q (encouraging), and declarer plays low.
Here’s the critical decision: should you continue hearts (passive) or shift to clubs (active)?
Passive defense: Cash the ♥A and continue hearts. Declarer ruffs, draws trumps, and runs six diamond tricks, pitching all three club losers. Makes five. You get only your two heart tricks.
Active defense: Look at dummy’s diamonds. Six of them! If you give declarer time, those diamonds will pitch everything.
At trick two, shift to the ♣2. Partner’s queen loses to the king, but now declarer can’t avoid losing a club trick later. When you get in with the ♣A, you cash your ♥A for the setting trick. Down one.
Active defense wins this one. You can’t afford to be passive when dummy has a running suit.
Example 4: Passive Defense
Contract: 4♥
Lead: ♠Q
North (Dummy)
♠ K 5 3
♥ K 10 4
♦ 9 8 6 3
♣ A 7 5
West (You) East (Partner)
♠ Q J 10 9 2 ♠ 8 7 6
♥ 7 2 ♥ 6 3
♦ K J 5 ♦ Q 10 7 4
♣ Q 8 3 ♣ J 10 9 2
South (Declarer)
♠ A 4
♥ A Q J 9 8 5
♦ A 2
♣ K 6 4You lead the ♠Q. Declarer wins and draws trumps.
You’re on lead. What now?
Wrong: Lead the ♦J (attacking). Declarer wins the ace, later leads a diamond toward dummy’s 9, endplays you. You’re forced to lead clubs, giving them trick ten. Makes.
Right: Count tricks: six hearts, two spades, one diamond. They need a tenth. It’s clubs!
If you lead clubs from ♣Q83 opposite dummy’s ♣A75, declarer gets three tricks. If declarer breaks clubs, they get only two.
Lead a safe spade. Make declarer solve their club problem. When they do, your ♣Q wins. Down one.
Passive defense: don’t help declarer solve their problems.
Common Mistakes
1. Playing too fast
Think for five seconds. Count declarer’s tricks.
2. Not counting declarer’s tricks
Always know how many tricks declarer has and where their tenth trick is coming from.
3. Grabbing every ace
Sometimes hold up your ace to cut communications.
4. Leading declarer’s suit
They bid it, they probably have honors there. Lead your suits or partner’s.
5. Not trusting partner
Trust partner’s leads unless you have a compelling reason to switch.
6. Ignoring dummy
Dummy is face-up. Use it! Long suit there? Be active. Balanced and weak? Be passive.
7. Not signaling
You have the queen, partner leads the king, you play low. Partner shifts away. Contract makes. Signal!
Quick Defensive Checklist
Before you play to the first trick, ask yourself:
✅ What’s the contract?
- How many tricks do we need to beat it?
✅ What did partner lead, and why?
- What’s partner trying to accomplish?
✅ What do I see in dummy?
- Long suits to worry about?
- Entries to count?
✅ Should I be active or passive?
- Does declarer have time to pitch losers?
- Or will they have to lose tricks eventually?
✅ What should I signal?
- Attitude: Do I like this suit?
- Count: How many do I have?
✅ Where are the missing honors?
- Based on the bidding and play, where are the key cards?
Answer these questions, and you’re already defending better than 80% of players.
Final Thoughts
Defense is hard—you’re playing half-blind with a partner who can’t talk to you.
But most people are mediocre defenders. Learn these basics and you’ll beat contracts others let through.
The secret isn’t brilliance. It’s discipline. Count declarer’s tricks. Trust your partner. Think before you play.
There’s no better feeling in bridge than setting a contract declarer thought was cold.