https://esther-bridge.com/DL_defense.html
LAST Updated: 01/17/26 07:30

Drawing of Esther YOUR HOST: Esther Klinktoast-Houstonhousen, a hypothetical Quintuple Emerald Gold Life Master (20+ million ACBL Masterpoints), who vacillates between insisting on being called "Ms. Klinktoast-Houstonhousen," and "Esther, because I am so warm and caring," and who in her downloadable lesson dialogs torments (usually, but not always) her earnest bridge student, Bruce.

Return to the "Esther Bridge Lessons" website.
Go to the "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quizzes" website.
        You may particularly be interested in Section #4 of the "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quizzes": "Bridge Play on Defense 'Pop' Quizzes".
Go to the "Bridge Bruce's Way ('BBW') Introductory (but Sophisticated) Lessons" website.

Drawing of Esther "Esther Bridge Dialogue Lessons:
Bridge Play on Defense"
Bruce Thompson

As advertised in the December, 2023 ACBL Bridge Bulletin.
Also see the article about Esther in the Winter, 2024 issue of the
the American Bridge Teachers' Association (ABTA) Journal, or the
article about Esther in the Summer, 2024 issue of the ABTA Journal.

Esther's Bridge Lessons Dialogs...

Note: You can download a PDF version of any lesson by clicking on the blue title any of the following Lessons. The Lessons are numbered in order of their creation by Esther.

D. Play on Defense
        Within the "Bridge Bruce's Way" ("BBW") Lessons, see: "BBW" Lesson #6: "Communicating with Partner While on Defense". ["lesson_06.pdf" =] Also see Esther Klinktoast-Houstonhousen's article, "Esther Discusses Tips on Playing and for Teaching Defense to New and Advancing Bridge Learners", in the Summer, 2024 issue of The American Bridge Teachers' Association (ABTA) Journal.

        169. Esther discusses "Some of Rhoda Walsh's 'Rhoda's Rules' for Leading on Defense". ["RR_lead.pdf" +]
        138. Esther discusses "A Special Situation When You Are on Defense Against a Suit Contract and You MUST Lead Trump". ["DefLTrump.pdf" +]
        128. Esther discusses "On Defense Do You Know How to Execute a 'Trump Uppercut Play'?". ["uppercut.pdf" -]
        126. Esther discusses "When Is It Better to Use an 'Attacking/Aggressive' Defense Style Rather than a 'Passive' Defense Approach?" ["agg_def.pdf" -]
        124. Esther discusses "Some of Ron Klinger's Tips on Making the First Lead Drawn from His '100 Winning Bridge Tips' Book". ["lead.pdf" +]
        120. Esther discusses "Do You Know When to Use 'Active' versus 'Passive' Defense?" ["actVSpass.pdf" ++]
          89. Esther discusses "Playing Active versus Passive Defense: What Are These Styles and When Should You Use One versus the Other?" ["Act_Pass.pdf" +]
          96. Esther discusses "Sitting 'Over' the 'Exposed' Dummy Playing in the (1) 'Full Surround' or a (2) 'Near Surround' Position". ["surround.pdf" +]
          80. Esther discusses "Third-Hand Play on Defense iff ('if and only if') Partner Leads Low". ["3rd_Hand.pdf" ++]
          38. Esther discusses "How and When on Defense to Show Partner Your 'Suit Lead Preference'". ["suit_pref.pdf" +]
          42. Bruce discusses "Leading the First Time Once the Contract is Set". ["leading.pdf"] Esther also discusses: "Leads on Defense, and in Particular the 'Coded 10s/9s=2, Jack=0' Signal for Honors Card Holdings". ["coded_9T.pdf" ++]
          26. Esther discusses the importance of unblocking Partner's long suit when playing against NT contracts. Esther also shares the painful song that her girl classmates constantly sang to her in elementary school making fun of her somewhat unusual last name, Klinktoast-Houstonhousen! Do not laugh!!! Afterall, but by pure shear chance, you are named Jones, or Smith, or Thompson, or some regular name, rather than Klinktoast-Houstonhousen! ["unblock.pdf" +]
          65. Esther discusses "On Lead Against Opponents' Suit Contract, When Should You Lead Trump?" Esther says, "We all love our Trump, but sometimes you just gotta kick them out of the house, and see what happens!" ["Tr_Lead.pdf" +]
          87. Esther discusses "(1) General Principles and (2) Exceptions Thereto for Leading Against Opponents' NT Contracts". ["NT_except.pdf" ++]
          99. Esther discusses "On Defense, 'Take Control' Once You Know the 'Correct' Line of Attack". ["take_con.pdf" +]
          98. Esther discusses "On Defense, the Importance of Estimating Not Only Declarer's HCPs, But Also Declarer's Distribution". ["Dec_Dist.pdf" -]
          97. Esther discusses "On Defense, 'Keeping Length' with Dummy, and/or 'Keeping Length' with Declarer: An Important Bridge Principal Underappreciated by Many Beginning Players". ["KeepLength.pdf" ++]
        101. Esther discusses "Leading on Defense Against Opponents' NT Contract When Partner Bid a Suit During the Auction". ["lead_V_NT.pdf" ++]