Today you will tackle one of the most difficult problems for a beginner Bridge player: how to construct a game plan in defence. Until now your pupils, like many older players as well, have "suffered" the fate of being in opposition, increasing their boredom with the use of a signalling system (lead, call, cards to lay) more or less assimilated. You must persuade them that playing in defence is as amusing as playing opposite dummy (advice 20.3), and you use your grey matter just as much.. To succeed, you will need a few minutes' presentation before getting on to the deal of the day.

First, point out that the contract chosen by the declarer determines a contract for the defence. Thus, if the opposition are playing 3NT, the defence must fulfil a contract of five tricks (advice 20.4). Explain that, to fulfil that contract, the defending players, like the declarer, must develop a game plan: the defence plan. They must count their certain tricks and discover in which suit they can find the trick or tricks which are missing.

Now ask your pupils what, in their opinion, is the greatest difficulty to overcome in order to make this count. They are beginning to familiarise themselves with the game, so the right answer should come: We don't know what our partner has got!

Approve vigorously, but get them to note also that this obstacle is compensated for by having sight of half the opponent's cards. The important missing cards are either in your partner's or the opponent's hand. Guide them gently towards an understanding that, since they must fulfil their contract, they must hope for the presence of the cards necessary to defeat the contract in their partner's hand (advice 20.5).

It is time to illustrate all this with a concrete example in deal of the day.