Counting Defensive Tricks Before You Play
Before playing to trick two, subtract the contract's trick target from 14 to see exactly how many tricks you need to defeat it. Then, plan where those tricks will come from.
When dummy is tabled, it is tempting to blindly play a high card or continue the suit you led. However, expert defenders pause to do a simple calculation: they count exactly how many tricks they need to defeat the contract, and assess where those tricks might come from.
Why it works
You can easily calculate the tricks needed to defeat any contract by subtracting the contract's trick target from 14. For example, 4♠ requires 10 tricks to make; 14 minus 10 equals 4. Once you know your target is four tricks, you can look at your hand and dummy to build a plan. If you only see three sure winners, you know you must actively find a fourth before declarer takes control.
A worked example: Finding the setting trick
The Contract: 4♠ by South (You need 4 tricks to defeat it).
Your Hand (West):
♠ 5 4
♥ K J 10 9
♦ A K 6
♣ 8 7 5 2
11 HCP.
Dummy (North):
♠ 8 7 6
♥ A 5 4
♦ 7 5 2
♣ A K Q 3
13 HCP.
You lead the ♥K. Dummy plays the ♥4.
Before playing to trick two, pause and count. You need four tricks. If your ♥K wins trick one, cashing the ♦A and ♦K gives you three tricks. The fourth trick must come from your partner.
Look at dummy's clubs: A-K-Q-3. As soon as declarer draws trumps, they will use those clubs to discard their losing diamonds. If you play passively, your diamond winners will vanish. You must attack diamonds immediately to secure your tricks, and hope partner has the setting trick somewhere else before the discards arrive.
Four common mistakes
Playing too quickly to trick one without counting the target.
Cashing aces mindlessly without a plan for the remaining tricks.
Hoping partner has the setting trick in a suit declarer is clearly about to discard.
Forgetting to count declarer's likely tricks based on the bidding.
When the rule does not apply
Counting your target applies to every single hand you defend. However, the urgency of taking those tricks varies. If dummy is totally flat with no long suits for discards, you can usually afford to defend passively, waiting for declarer to give you your tricks.
Key takeaways
Subtract the contract's trick target from 14 to find your defensive goal.
Count your sure tricks in your hand and dummy.
Identify where the missing tricks must come from.
If dummy has a long suit, take your tricks quickly; if not, usually defend passively.