I still play a fair amount of bridge online and find that the standard in the three main disciplines of bridge — declarer play, bidding and defence — are just hugely different.

The bidding, especially in uncontested auctions, is generally really good — one can see the work put in by the players and the bridge lessons they will have attended to get better.

Declarer play is usually average and perhaps a bit better than I would have expected as it is certainly the most difficult of the three.

The standard in defence is, however, pretty shocking, with the usual faults — getting too busy in defence, not trying to construct declarer’s hand from the bidding and, probably the most prevalent fault, a rush to cash tricks and a total lack of nerve and patience when defending.

Defenders find it impossible to stop grabbing tricks with seemingly no thought or plan.

A hand came up on BBO today which was almost a carbon copy of a hand I had previously covered in the column which I repeat below — study it well as there are multiple lessons in this one simple hand — counting, listening to the bidding, reconstructing declares hand and patience, patience, patience and … patience!

North had 19hcp so could not open 1NT, so he opened a diamond intending to jump in NT if South responded — once South bid 1NT North had an automatic raise to 3NT.

West led the five of hearts which East won with the King and then returned the 10. South played the Queen which West won with the Ace … curtains! The defence is now dead!

West cleared the hearts but now with no entry the contract made an easy ten tricks — criminal!

Let’s reconstruct the bidding and the play — South’s bid of 1NT denied a four-card major so both South and East must have three hearts — also, since East led back the heart ten he is denying the Jack or the Queen, so South must have started with QJ2!

Once West figures this out, he must make the right play of ducking the heart at trick two and retaining communication — now when East gets in with the diamond Ace another heart lead beats the contract.

It is all pretty easy when it is analysed step by step and that is what you have to do at the table — and then have the confidence, and bravery, to duck the second heart in order to reach your goal, which is to defeat the contract!

• David Ezekiel can be reached on davidezekiel999@gmail.com

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, October 23

1 Elizabeth McKee/Sharon Shanahan

2 Stephanie Kyme/Diana Diel

3 Gertrude Barker/Martha Ferguson

Monday, October 26

North/South

1 Richard Gray/Wendy Gray

2 Louise Rodger/Molly Taussig

3 Jack Rhind/Lisa Rhind

East/West

1 Sancia Garrison/Caroline Svensen

2 Lorna Anderson/Heather Woolf

3 Gertrude Barker/Caitlin Conyers

Tuesday, October 27

North/South

1 Ross Cooper/Scott Gilbertson

2 Felicity Lunn/Linda Manders

East/West

1 Julia Tadman/Joshimar Hussey

2 Andy McComb/Jaques Bonneau

Wednesday, October 28

1 Stephanie Kyme/Elizabeth McKee

2 Desmond Nash/Tracy Nash

3 Charles Hall/Linda Pollett

Thursday, October 29

1 Miodrag Novakovic/Margaret Way

2 William Pollett/Linda Pollett

3 Gertrude Barker/John F W Glynn