{"id":10837,"date":"2026-02-01T17:50:53","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T16:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/?post_type=publication&#038;p=10837"},"modified":"2026-02-13T18:39:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T17:39:02","slug":"twelve-important-bridge-lessons-on-defense","status":"publish","type":"publication","link":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/publication\/twelve-important-bridge-lessons-on-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"TWELVE IMPORTANT BRIDGE LESSONS ON DEFENSE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-60c1a84\" data-block-id=\"60c1a84\"><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-60c1a84-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-f71a61e\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"f71a61e\"><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-f71a61e-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-f71a61e-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-0817ac3\" data-block-id=\"0817ac3\"><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-0817ac3-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-19ce0da\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"19ce0da\"><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-19ce0da-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-19ce0da-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-image stk-block-image stk-block stk-57a93d8\" data-block-id=\"57a93d8\"><style>.stk-57a93d8 .stk-img-wrapper{width:212px !important;}<\/style><figure><span class=\"stk-img-wrapper stk-image--shape-stretch\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"stk-img wp-image-10787\" src=\"https:\/\/bridge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/12-lessons-defense-cover.webp\" width=\"212\" height=\"318\" alt=\"12 lessons defense cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bridge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/12-lessons-defense-cover.webp 212w, https:\/\/bridge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/12-lessons-defense-cover-200x300.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px\" \/><\/span><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-447aa60\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"447aa60\"><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-447aa60-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-447aa60-inner-blocks\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The instructive material in this book is presented in a novel way, as if the author is delivering a series of bridge lessons to a small group of enthusiasts. Occasionally, members of the audience ask questions, or make comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Twelve important topics have been chosen, describing defensive techniques that you might apply several times during every session you play. Each lesson contains at least eight illustrative full deals, which are fully explained in David Bird\u2019s clear and lucid style. There is then a set of recap questions to test you on the chosen topic, along with the answers. Finally, there are four defense problems, which can be solved with the techniques just described.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Early lessons cover the basics of defense, signalling to partner, defensive communications, continue or switch, also a novel<br>lesson on opening leads, based on results from computer analysis. You may be surprised how much there is to learn about these apparently straightforward elements of defense. Later, you can enjoy lessons on making declarer\u2019s life difficult, scoring ruffs and promotions, keeping the right cards, unblocking techniques, the forcing defense, breaking declarer\u2019s communications, and counting in defense. You can sharpen your defense by revisiting these lessons time and again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-b9d47fa\" id=\"review\" data-block-id=\"b9d47fa\"><h3 class=\"stk-block-heading__text has-text-align-justify\">REVIEW<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-dcd5254\" data-block-id=\"dcd5254\"><p class=\"stk-block-text__text has-text-align-left\"><em>There have been many fine books written on defense, but none I have read or reviewed at the Intermediate level is as superb as David Bird\u2019s Twelve Important Bridge Lessons On Defense. If you have a student, or intermediate (or dare I say even a supposedly advanced) partner who is weak on defense fundamentals, this is the defense primer for them \u2013 a book that will never go out of style or become obsolete.\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-2fec049\" data-block-id=\"2fec049\"><p class=\"stk-block-text__text has-text-align-right\">\u2014Bruce Altshuler<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-98282e6\" id=\"about-the-author\" data-block-id=\"98282e6\"><h3 class=\"stk-block-heading__text has-text-align-justify\">About the Author<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-ce48f92\" data-block-id=\"ce48f92\"><p class=\"stk-block-text__text has-text-align-left\">David Bird (Southampton, UK) is the world&#8217;s most prolific bridge writer, with 150 bridge books to his name. Known for the clarity of his writing and explanations, he has won the American Bridge Teachers&#8217; Association Book of the Year Award a record nine times. His celebrated humorous fiction series, featuring the cantankerous Abbot, has run for over 45 years.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The instructive material in this book is presented in a novel way, as if the author is delivering a series of bridge lessons to a small group of enthusiasts. Occasionally, members of the audience ask questions, or make comments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[]},"categories":[266],"tags":[],"language":[],"level":[],"class_list":["post-10837","publication","type-publication","status-publish","hentry","category-in-the-spotlight"],"acf":[],"publication_lang":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication\/10837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/publication"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/72"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10837"},{"taxonomy":"language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/language?post=10837"},{"taxonomy":"level","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/level?post=10837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}