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Some basics in declarer play

I am assuming you understand the concept of taking tricks, and the place of trumps. If not, I suggest you start here.

1.  In a trump contract, you normally 'draw the trumps' first, even if it means losing tricks. This prevents defenders from profiting from their small trumps by playing them on your high cards. Note that normally you would play sufficient rounds of trumps so that the defenders have none left in their hand, but no more. Fundamentally, this is the meaning of 'drawing trumps'.

Here, the contract is four hearts, and the king of diamonds has been led.  After you have lost one diamond trick,  your first task is to remove the opponents trumps ( probably by playing three rounds), before playing your black suit winners. Note that you pursue this line of play even though you must lose a trick to the ace of hearts.

Note that some special circumstances require a delay in the drawing of trumps. See this page when you are ready for it.

2.  There are only five ways of taking tricks and it is helpful in the early stages of learning the game to be able to identify these.

     2.1  With cards that are winners or top tricks--the highest in the suit. See this page.

     2.2  With cards in a suit that can be established by losing eg one trick to the ace or two to the ace and king, thus creating winners in your hand. See this page.

     2.3  Through small cards in a 'long suit' which take tricks since they are the only cards left in that suit unplayed. See this page.

     2.4  By using a trump to cope with a shortage in dummy or declarer's hand. Note carefully this page.

     2.5  With cards that are not bosses in their own right but can take tricks with a 'sleight of hand' called a finesse. See this page.

  3. Faced with the choice of which of the above methods should he use in a particular hand, many a declarer panics. In the long run, only experience can give you a definitive answer, but it is sensible to appreciate that this is a decision that must be made on virtually every hand. Some examples will clarify.

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