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The Rodwell Files #3
The Rodwell Files, Part 3: Defensive Strategies
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.
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.
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.
Included in this volume:
Part 3 — Defensive Strategies
Chapter 7: Trump Contracts
Tapping the Dummy
To Ruff or Not to Ruff
Accurate Forcing Defense when Defender Has Axxx of Trumps
Versus a 5-3 Fit
Chapter 8: Foiling Declarer
Defending against a Possible Endplay
Countering a Holdup Play
Obligatory Falsecards
Chapter 9: Countering a Menacing Side Suit
When Declarer Has Entry Trouble
Defending with a Long Side Suit in Dummy
PART 4 — COUNTER-INTUITIVE DEFENSE
Chapter 10: Reasons to Play Second Hand High
Passing the Freeze
Unblocking
Not Letting Them Slip a Trick Through
Before the Rats Get At It…
The Left Jab
Preventing a Cheap Finesse
Killing an Entry
Danger Hand High
Preserving Partner’s Entry
Creating a Losing Option
Preventing an Opponent from Executing an Endplay Duck
The Intrapop
Appearing to Have Shortness
Countering a 4-4 Fit
Promoting a Trump
Protecting Partner’s Honor(s)
Chapter 11: Reasons Not to Play Third Hand High
Futility
Preserving Communications
Tempting Declarer to Win and Leave Open Communications
Retaining a Major Tenace
Making a Withholding Play
Finessing against Dummy
Chapter 12: Reasons to (Abnormally) Play an Honor
Danger Hand High
Creating a Losing Option
You Want to Win a Trick from Your Side of the Table
Not Letting Them Slip Through a Ruffing Finesse
Preventing a Later Ruffing Finesse against Yourself
Pinning the Opposition in the Wrong Hand
Endplay Prevention Cover
Preventing a Goldman Trump Finesse
Chapter 13: Reasons for Ducking a Winner
Making a Holdup Play
Hoping Partner Can Win It
Waiting for Clarification
Creating a Guess in the Establishment of a Semi-solid Suit
Ducking to Create a Guess
Concealing the Position of a High Card
Capitalizing on Short-Short
Chapter 14: Reasons for Leading an Unsupported Honor
Leading a Pusher
Pinning a Card in a Short Suit
Waiting for a Signal
Planning a Follow-up
The Deschapelle
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.
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.
Included in this volume:
Part 3 — Defensive Strategies
Chapter 7: Trump Contracts
Tapping the Dummy
To Ruff or Not to Ruff
Accurate Forcing Defense when Defender Has Axxx of Trumps
Versus a 5-3 Fit
Chapter 8: Foiling Declarer
Defending against a Possible Endplay
Countering a Holdup Play
Obligatory Falsecards
Chapter 9: Countering a Menacing Side Suit
When Declarer Has Entry Trouble
Defending with a Long Side Suit in Dummy
PART 4 — COUNTER-INTUITIVE DEFENSE
Chapter 10: Reasons to Play Second Hand High
Passing the Freeze
Unblocking
Not Letting Them Slip a Trick Through
Before the Rats Get At It…
The Left Jab
Preventing a Cheap Finesse
Killing an Entry
Danger Hand High
Preserving Partner’s Entry
Creating a Losing Option
Preventing an Opponent from Executing an Endplay Duck
The Intrapop
Appearing to Have Shortness
Countering a 4-4 Fit
Promoting a Trump
Protecting Partner’s Honor(s)
Chapter 11: Reasons Not to Play Third Hand High
Futility
Preserving Communications
Tempting Declarer to Win and Leave Open Communications
Retaining a Major Tenace
Making a Withholding Play
Finessing against Dummy
Chapter 12: Reasons to (Abnormally) Play an Honor
Danger Hand High
Creating a Losing Option
You Want to Win a Trick from Your Side of the Table
Not Letting Them Slip Through a Ruffing Finesse
Preventing a Later Ruffing Finesse against Yourself
Pinning the Opposition in the Wrong Hand
Endplay Prevention Cover
Preventing a Goldman Trump Finesse
Chapter 13: Reasons for Ducking a Winner
Making a Holdup Play
Hoping Partner Can Win It
Waiting for Clarification
Creating a Guess in the Establishment of a Semi-solid Suit
Ducking to Create a Guess
Concealing the Position of a High Card
Capitalizing on Short-Short
Chapter 14: Reasons for Leading an Unsupported Honor
Leading a Pusher
Pinning a Card in a Short Suit
Waiting for a Signal
Planning a Follow-up
The Deschapelle
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2011
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