Think in four stages
Lead → Observe dummy → Communicate → Reassess. Defence is not thirteen separate guesses; each card changes the evidence.
Second hand
Second hand low is the normal starting point, not an absolute rule. Cover an honour when doing so can promote a defensive card, but do not spend an honour merely because declarer played one.
Third hand
Third hand normally plays high to help partner's suit, but with touching honours play the lower equivalent card. Preserve the higher honour where that keeps control.
Hold up
Against No Trumps, ducking a winner can sever declarer's communications. Ask: how many cards has declarer in the suit, and how many outside entries remain?
Rule of 7
The Rule of 7 is primarily a declarer guideline in No Trumps: subtract the combined number of cards held by declarer and dummy in the suit led from 7. The result is the number of times declarer should hold up. A defender cannot see declarer's exact holding, but can often infer the likely count from dummy, the auction, partner's lead and the cards declarer plays. Use that inference to judge how many times declarer may duck and whether continuing the suit still helps the defence.
Continue or switch
Partner's original lead is evidence, not a command. Continue when the suit is still productive; switch when dummy, signals or the developing count identify a better attack.
Count the hand
Use the auction, dummy and each trick to refine the unseen distribution. Good defence increasingly becomes deduction rather than rule-following.
Think like declarer
Ask what declarer is trying to establish, where the entries are, whether trumps need drawing, and whether a hold-up is being used. The Declarer's likely plan button explains declarer's probable objective from information legitimately visible to the defence.
Read partner's card
Partner's signalling cards are marked on the table: green for attitude, blue for count and purple for suit preference. Hover over a marked card to see the intended meaning.
Explore different lines
Undo and Redo now work through the full move history. Replay line lets you step through the recorded defence and compare where an alternative decision might have changed the result.
Trump contracts
Consider forcing declarer, stopping ruffs, arranging a ruff for partner and avoiding helpful suit breaks. Sometimes a trump lead or switch is the best passive or anti-ruff defence, especially when side-suit leads are dangerous.
Entry management
Preserve partner's entries, avoid overtaking a winning card without reason, unblock honours when partner must regain the lead, and attack dummy's entries when declarer depends on them.
Suit-contract defence
Decide whether to lead trumps, force declarer, stop dummy ruffs, give partner a ruff, promote a trump trick, or cash side-suit winners before declarer's losers disappear.
End position
When every new suit helps declarer, go passive. Do not break a suit merely because you have the lead.