Bidding is a vocal exercise in which partners exchange messages verbally about their respective holdings in an effort to arrive at the best contract. Defensive play, by contrast, is a silent exercise wherein the defenders try to portray their holdings to each other through the play of their cards in order to score all the tricks to which they are entitled.

Consider this deal, which features good defense. South reached four spades as shown, and West led the five of hearts. When dummy came down, East realized that the contract would almost certainly be made unless West held the doubleton ace of clubs. In that case, the correct defense after winning the first heart would be to lead a low club to West’s ace, win the club return with the king and play a third club for West to ruff.

But East also realized that West could have the A-Q or A-J of clubs and might win the club return at trick two with the queen or jack, unwittingly blocking the suit and handing declarer the contract.

So, in an effort to forestall this possibility, East won the opening heart lead with the ace instead of the queen, which would have been more normal. He was trying to sell West the idea that declarer had the king of hearts, and in that way influence West to think that East had to have the king of clubs to justify his opening bid.

The scheme worked out exactly as planned. When East returned the deuce of clubs at trick two, West contributed his share by winning the trick with the ace and returning the queen. East then overtook the queen with the king and returned the seven for West to ruff, and the contract went down one.

Tomorrow: Bidding quiz.