Signals
Good defence in Bridge requires communication between yourself and your partner about strength and distribution. You need signals.
There are three types of signals.
1). Attitude signals.
2). Count signals.
3). Suit preference signals
The key to all your defensive signalling is straightforward
HIGH = HATE
LOW= LIKE
1) An attitude signal is the most common signal in Bridge. When partner leads a suit, it is helpful if you indicate whether you like the lead or not.
Play a low card to encourage or a high card to discourage.
A high spot card says that you have nothing in that suit and a low spot card says you have something, usually an honour.
EG. If partner leads the Ace of Spades and you held Q73, you would play the 3 to show that you like the suit. Partner can underlead the King to your Queen (which helps to unblock as well).
2) A count signal tells how many you have in that suit. EG. A high card, then a lower card shows a doubleton (hoping to get a ruff).
3) Suit preference signals are mainly shown when discarding. In defence against a suit contract, the play of a ranking card asks partner to switch to the higher of the other two suits. The play of a low card asks partner to lead that suit.
DISCARDS
A DISCARD is a card played when you have run out of the suit led (normally by declarer). If a defender is not able to play to a suit which has been led, then he/she can
play a card which can carry certain information.
This is an opportunity to send partner a message as to where your strength lies.
EXAMPLE given below
Your first discard should be an attitude signal. Whichever suit you discard is telling your partner your attitude to that suit.
If you discard a low Diamond, you are telling your partner that you like Diamonds.
If you discard a high Spade, you are telling your partner that you have nothing in Spades.
REMEMBER: LOW = LIKE
HIGH = HATE
The hardest part of signalling and discarding is the INTERPRETATION of partner's message. The low cards and the high cards are easy to follow, but the middle cards can be confusing.
Bear in mind that that the card you select to play will not always be easy for partner to interpret, so make your signalling as clear as possible.
EXAMPLE of suit preference signal
Against 3NT partner leads the QD
Dummy has You have
S. K5 S. AO.J2
H. Q43 H.8752
D. 872 D. 963
C. KQJ96 C. 42
You follow with a discouraging 9.
Declarer wins with the AD and leads a C to the K, then plays the Q then the J. What do you discard to tell your partner about the Spades?
The suit to signal is Hearts. The 8H says I want Spades led through.
