All bridge lessons
Every article on Bridge Champions, organised by topic — 94 lessons covering bidding, declarer play, and defence for beginners and advanced players.
Beginner — Bidding
- Opening Bids: Balanced Hands and the 5-Card Major Rule
- Responder's First Bid: Raise, New Suit, or No-Trump
- Opener's Rebid: Introduction — What to Do With a Balanced Hand
- Opening 1NT: When to Open and When Not to
- How to Play Contract Bridge: Step-by-Step Guide
- Bridge Scoring: What Actually Matters at the Table
- Counting Combined Points in Bridge: When to Bid Game, Part-Score, or Pass
- Preemptive Raises in Bridge: Why Big Trump Fits Beat Big Points
- How to Improve at Bridge: A Practical Roadmap That Actually Works
- Responder Rebids in Bridge: A Practical Guide
- Opener's Rebid: Just Bid Your Suits
- Opener's Rebid: Strong Rebids
Beginner — Declarer Play
- Ruff in Dummy: Win Extra Tricks Cheaply
- Playing Long Suits: Build Extra Winners Early
- Finesses: Single, Double, and Leading Low Toward Honors
- Drawing Trumps: A Simple Habit That Saves Tricks
- When Not to Draw Trumps: 3 Situations to Delay
- Establishing Side-Suit Winners: Honor Sequences Like KQJ10
- Cash Trumps Without Blocking: Keep Your Winners Running
- No-Trump Basics: Build Your Long Suit and Cash Winners
- Hold Up Play in No-Trump: When to Duck the First Trick
Beginner — Defence
- Opening Leads: Top of a Sequence and Longest Suit in No-Trump
- Second Hand Low: Improving Your Defensive Fundamentals
- Third Hand High: When to Play Your Best Card
- What suit to switch to: Play Towards Weakness or Through Strength
- Bridge Signals: Attitude, Count, and Suit Preference
- Odds and Evens Discarding in Bridge: Should You Play It?
Bidding — Advanced
- Bidding Basics: Build a Clear Auction Plan
- Find a Major Fit After 1NT: Stayman, Smolen, Puppet, Texas
- 1NT Responder Methods: A Practical Overview
- Responding to 1NT on Balanced Hands: Pass or Invite
- KISS 1: Do Not Double Automatically
- KISS 2: Consider Passing More Often
- KISS 3: Support Partner as a Priority
- KISS 4: Do Not Save by Default
- Loser Count for Bidding: Judge Contracts Better
- Bid Your Third Suit Naturally: Keep the Auction Clear
- Hand Evaluation 1: Card Texture Matters
- Hand Evaluation 2: Re-Evaluate as the Auction Develops
- Hand Evaluation 3: Do More with a Good Suit
- Hand Evaluation 4: Do Less with a Weak Trump Suit
- Just Bid 3NT: Recognize the Right Auctions
- Second Suit in Competition: Compete with Purpose
- Third Seat Openings: Practical Aggression
- Should You Invite with 11? Practical Guide
- Four-Level Doubles: What to Do Next
- Misfit Auctions: Put the Brakes On Early
- 1NT with a Six-Card Suit: When It Still Works
- Preempting by Vulnerability: Risk and Reward Across the Colours
- Preempting in First Seat: When to Be Bold
- Vulnerable Auctions: Why Too Careful Can Be Costly
- 2C opening - Try not to bid it
- Takeout Doubles in Bridge: The Complete Guide
- Weak Stayman: Know When It Helps
- 5NT Pick a Slam: Practical Partnership Agreements
- Fourth Suit Forcing and Checkback: Core Structures
- 1NT Transfers vs Stayman: When to Use Each
- Puppet Stayman: How to Check for 5-Card Majors
- Texas Transfers: Transfer Directly to Game
- Smolen Convention: Show 5-4 Majors After Stayman
- Lebensohl: Compete Smart Without Guessing
Declarer Play
- Declarer Play Basics: Build a Plan at Trick One
- Pattern Recognition 1: Ruffing Strategy in Dummy
- Pattern Recognition 2: Set Up Side Suits
- Pattern Recognition 3: Find and Build Trick Sources
- Pattern Recognition 4: Avoid Creating Extra Losers
- Bridge Shapes Fundamentals: Read Distribution Quickly
- Understand Fourth-Highest Leads: Read the Defensive Picture
- Count Winners in No-Trump: Build a Trick Plan
- Counting Losers: Plan the Hand and Spot Hidden Dangers Early
- Count Winners in Trumps: Avoid Missed Tricks and Read the Trump Layout
- Practice Hand 1: Plan Before You Play
- Practice Hand 2: Timing and Entries Under Pressure
- Take Every Chance: Create Extra Tricks Before Defence Settles
- Drawing Trumps: Make the Right Plan and Avoid Autopilot
- Have a Backup Plan: Recover When Plan A Fails
- Cash Side-Suit Winners with Trumps Out: Avoid Ruff Risk
- Use Entries Well: Reach the Right Hand at the Right Time
- Duck to Preserve Communication: Set Up Your Long Suit
Defence
- Defence Basics: Build a Plan at Trick One
- Playing through strength and towards weakness: Advnaced
- Taking Tricks in Defence: Timing and Purpose
- Dummy Type 1: Limited Entries and How to Pressure It
- Dummy Type 2: Strong Trick Source and How to Disrupt It
- Dummy Type 3: Ruffing Dummy and How to Counter It
- Dummy Type 4: Passive Dummy and Active Defence
- Count Trumps in Defence: Prevent Surprise Ruffing
- The Forcing Defence: Drain Declarer's Trumps
- The Trump Lead: When It Kills Ruffing Plans
- Lead Positioning: Dummy on Your Right with Small Cards
- Ruffing in Defence: Turn Shortness into Tricks
- Duck a Winner in Defence: Timing the Hold Up
- Count the Unseen Hand: Read Distribution in Defence
- Danger Hand Awareness: Keep the Dangerous Opponent Off Lead