It pays to defend well.
Bridge Column for July 12, 2002, Harvey Bernstein
Both sides vulnerable.  West deals.
                              North
                              S: Q 4 3 2          
                              H: 10 5 4 3    
                              D: 10 6 3    
                              C: K J   
            West                             East
            S: A J 7                         S: 10 9 6 5   
            H: K 9                           H: A J 6 2    
            D: K J                           D: 9 8 2             
            C: Q 9 8 7 6 5                   C: A 2      
                              South                         
                              S: K 8  
                              H: Q 8 7      
                              D: A Q 7 5 4 
                              C: 10 4 3    
          The Bidding:  
                   West   North     East   South                  
                    1C     Pass      1H     Pass
                    1NT    Pass     Pass    2D  
                   Pass    Pass     Pass    
     It has become the "modern style" to stick your bid in
without regard for vulnerability or values.  The "Matchpoint
Duplicate" format protects those who wish to play this way.  If
minus 100 is the lowest score on any particular hand, the pair
getting that score will earn a zero.  If their score is minus
1,400, they will still get a zero.  
     Once the duplicate player has figured out that there is no
additional penalty for "wild and crazy" bidding, they will try
just about anything.  
     What this really means is that you can't let up on defense. 
You have to take every trick you can to maximize your potential
when the opponents interfere.  Today's hand is a great example. 
After the East-West pertnership agree to rest in one no trump,
South, with eleven high card points and a minimal diamond suit,
decides to "stick a bid in".  What can he lose?  If East-West bid
on they could get to a bad spot, and in any case, partner will
know to lead a diamond if he is on lead.
     East-West decide to defend and whether or not they should
double is the only question left unanswered.
     West starts with the king of hearts and the nine of hearts
to partner's ace.  East returns the two of hearts, asking for a
club switch, and West trumps with the jack of diamonds.
     The nine of clubs is led and declarer must decide which club
to play from dummy.  On one hand, West bid a club, and on the
other hand, East asked for a club switch.  Who has the ace?  This
is a very difficult decision, and a good defender would underlead
the ace of clubs in a heartbeat, so declarer calls for the king. 
The ace wins for East and the jack of hearts comes back. 
Declarer trumps with the queen and West plays the king of
diamonds.  
     West cashes the queen of clubs and then the ace of spades. 
The defense has taken the first seven tricks and when West leads
another club, East is guaranteed one more trump trick no matter
what card declarer plays.
     Down three for minus three hundred was a matchpoint score of
zero.  Try not to get caught up in bidding for a contract that
you don't need to buy.
_________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.