Defence: the mere sound of the word can cause bridge players to step back a pace. Yet the fact remains that you will defend roughly twice as many hands as you declare. A truly solid grasp of what it takes to break a contract is thus a key element of winning on a regular basis.

Happily Julian Pottage unravel some of the mysteries surrounding defensive play. He shows how players at all levels can exploit their talents by following a few simple pieces of advice.