THE ART OF GOOD DEFENCE...........................................( Article by Johnny Supremo ) The other day I made a small slam courtesy of some poor defence. I was in 6 no trumps holding: QJxx.....Jx ..Jx....AQJxx, opposite dummy's: A....AQxx.....KQ10xx.....Kx. Five clubs and 4 diamonds were always there for the taking, but I had to make 4 tricks from the two major suits. I was extremely lucky to get a diamond lead, and so I continued with the suit until my LHO took his Ace. By now his partner had got across a signal for a spade switch. This request was duly met and the spade return was taken in dummy by the Ace. Now I proceeded to run off the last diamond and four winning clubs, ending in hand. I was down to stiff queen of spades, a small heart and one boss club, opposite dummy's AQx of hearts. However, my LHO opponent, who had thrown in the towel with an air of resignation, had discarded heart after heart, leaving partner visibly squirming in her seat. She was obviously trying to protect both her major kings. At trick 11 when I played my last club, my RHO opponent threw away her King of spades in abject hope and despair, praying for the possibility that her partner held the queen of spades. No such luck. Slam made. And the moral of this story is that good defence requires two things. Firstly, one defender needs to recognise his/her role in helping partner out, by means of deceiving declarer where it is safe and profitable to do so. My LHO opponent who knows he hasn't the king of hearts........ must attempt to keep hearts as though he does, especially when he knows partner also possesses the King of spades. Defenders must endeavour to force declarers into making guesses, rather than giving away vital information which removes the need to make such awkward choices. My RHO opponent who knows she is being squeezed, must give the impression that the opposite is true. Defenders must hide the fact they could be squeezed in two suits, by throwing away small cards in a suit needed to guard the King . Discards by my RHO should have been made without a flicker of emotion. Of course, baring both Kings involves a risk, but this may be the only option available if declarer is to fail. By creating a chance for me to go wrong, I might well have taken on what I believed to be a successful heart finesse.