Dummy Type 4: Passive Dummy and Active Defence

A passive dummy is one where there is no rush for the defenders to do anything, they just need to avoid giving away tricks that declarer can't make on her own. 

A dummy is passive when 

a) It does not have a good source of tricks. 

b) It is often flat and weak

c) Often there are scattered values, with no single suit that is particularly menacing. 

How do we avoid giving away tricks? We do not take risks

1. We try NOT to open up new suits if we can avoid it.

2. We try NOT to lead away from honours if possible. 

3. We try to make safe returns when we get the lead. (Often that is the same suit we have just won the lead with).

4. If you get on lead and have to play something, playing from long sequences (QJ109) is typically very safe, it won't give away tricks.

Lets look at some examples where you are west throughout, and dummy is North.

1. In the below hand, 3♣ is a natural game try, showing typically a 4 card suit. North was encouraged by the club holding, and bid game (It is typically good to have points opposite your partner's long suits).

This is the type of hand where you want to try not to give anything away. Dummy is flat and weak, there isn't a menacing side suit. Your goal would be to try to get off lead safely. If you lead the  ♠A and partner discourages, try the  ♦K. Surely partner will have one of those. Probably no need to exit in a trump, you might make declarer's guess easy in the suit if partner has Qx. Even a club might not be safe, picking up partners Jxxx!

2. A very similar example to try to cement the point. Again in the bidding 3♣ is typically a 4 card suit, game try. declarer takes your ♠Q lead, cashes the other top spade discarding a diamond. He then plays a club to his 10 and your Jack, what next?

There's no rush to do anything here, declarer's losers aren't going anywhere. Dummy doesn't have much use to declarer, just exit passively with another spade. Forcing declarer to ruff is often a good strategy in itself, and a good exit. Declarer is ruffing with a trick he was always going to make. (For future reference, there are comparatively rare times when forcing declarer to ruff is not a good idea, with all bridge rules there are exceptions!)

3. You lead the ♣K, declarer wins, draws trumps in two rounds and leads a diamond to his King, which you capture with the Ace. What next?

Again you should be looking at dummy and seeing that its a passive dummy, you just want to get off lead without doing much damage. A diamond return here looks quite safe, returning the suit you just won the lead with is often a good idea. Also its important to see that you do not want to lead away from honour cards, once you have won your Ace of diamonds, you have no more honour cards in the suit as you lead away from it.

Where to next

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• -> Related: Defence Basics: Build a Plan at Trick One
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