The Rodwell Files, Part 3: Defensive Strategies (The Rodwell Files - eBook Edition)

The Rodwell Files, Part 3: Defensive Strategies (The Rodwell Files - eBook Edition)

Eric Rodwell's contributions to bidding theory are well-known, but in these ground-breaking books he reveals for the first time his unique approach to the play of the cards.<br /><br />First, he describes and explains the process for deciding on a line of play — using concepts such as +L positions, tightropes, trick packages and Control Units as well as exploring more standard themes such as counting winners, losers, and distribution. Included here too is a checklist of 'defogging questions' to get you back on track when your analysis gets bogged down. Then he moves on to a host of innovative ideas in cardplay, strategies and tactics that can be used by declarer or defenders, each one illustrated with real-life examples from top-level play. Many of these ideas will be new to anyone below the bridge stratosphere. Finally, under the heading 'DOs and DON'Ts', Rodwell talks about the mental side of the game: areas where players often go wrong in their approach to the problem at hand, areas that mark the key differences between an average player and a successful one.<br /><br />The original 'Rodwell File', the collection of notes on which these books are based, has been in existence for more than twenty years, but it is only now that the author is prepared to allow his 'secrets' to become public knowledge.<br /><br />Included in this volume:<br /><br />Part 3 — Defensive Strategies<br /><br />Chapter 7: Trump Contracts<br /><br />Tapping the Dummy<br />To Ruff or Not to Ruff<br />Accurate Forcing Defense when Defender Has Axxx of Trumps<br />Versus a 5-3 Fit<br /><br />Chapter 8: Foiling Declarer<br /><br />Defending against a Possible Endplay<br />Countering a Holdup Play<br />Obligatory Falsecards<br /><br />Chapter 9: Countering a Menacing Side Suit<br /><br />When Declarer Has Entry Trouble<br />Defending with a Long Side Suit in Dummy<br /><br />PART 4 — COUNTER-INTUITIVE DEFENSE<br /><br />Chapter 10: Reasons to Play Second Hand High<br /><br />Passing the Freeze<br />Unblocking<br />Not Letting Them Slip a Trick Through<br />Before the Rats Get At It… <br />The Left Jab <br />Preventing a Cheap Finesse <br />Killing an Entry<br />Danger Hand High<br />Preserving Partner’s Entry<br />Creating a Losing Option<br />Preventing an Opponent from Executing an Endplay Duck<br />The Intrapop<br />Appearing to Have Shortness<br />Countering a 4-4 Fit<br />Promoting a Trump<br />Protecting Partner’s Honor(s)<br /><br />Chapter 11: Reasons Not to Play Third Hand High<br /><br />Futility<br />Preserving Communications<br />Tempting Declarer to Win and Leave Open Communications<br />Retaining a Major Tenace<br />Making a Withholding Play<br />Finessing against Dummy<br /><br />Chapter 12: Reasons to (Abnormally) Play an Honor<br /><br />Danger Hand High<br />Creating a Losing Option<br />You Want to Win a Trick from Your Side of the Table<br />Not Letting Them Slip Through a Ruffing Finesse<br />Preventing a Later Ruffing Finesse against Yourself<br />Pinning the Opposition in the Wrong Hand<br />Endplay Prevention Cover<br />Preventing a Goldman Trump Finesse<br /><br />Chapter 13: Reasons for Ducking a Winner<br /><br />Making a Holdup Play<br />Hoping Partner Can Win It<br />Waiting for Clarification<br />Creating a Guess in the Establishment of a Semi-solid Suit<br />Ducking to Create a Guess<br />Concealing the Position of a High Card<br />Capitalizing on Short-Short<br /><br />Chapter 14: Reasons for Leading an Unsupported Honor<br /><br />Leading a Pusher<br />Pinning a Card in a Short Suit<br />Waiting for a Signal<br />Planning a Follow-up<br />The Deschapelles Coup<br />The Merrimac Coup<br />Blocking a Suit<br />Gouging<br />Deceiving Declarer<br />Protecting Partner’s Cards<br />Preventing a Ducking Play<br />Clarifying the Lead<br />Protecting Your High Card<br />Cashing Tricks in the Right Order<br /><br />Chapter 15: Reasons for Leading into a Tenace<br /><br />Setting Up a Force<br />Breaking Up the Entries for a Squeeze<br />Taking Out an Entry Prematurely<br />Pretending to Have a Singleton<br />Preserving Your Own Position<br /><br />For the remaining volumes, look for the following titles:<br /><br />The Rodwell Files, Part 1: The Building Blocks<br />The Rodwell Files, Part 2: Advanced Cardplay Maneuvers<br />The Rodwell Files, Part 4: The DOs and DON'Ts of Cardplay