Editing Contract bridge (section)

===Play techniques===
{{Main|List of play techniques (bridge)}}

[[Terence Reese]], a prolific author of bridge books, points out<ref>{{Cite news|last=Truscott|first=Alan|date=13 December 1981|title=Bridge – One for the Books|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/13/books/bridge-one-for-the-books.html|access-date=13 September 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> that there are only four ways of taking a trick by force, two of which are very easy:
* establishing long suits (the last cards in a suit will take tricks if the opponents do not have the suit and are unable to trump)
* playing a high card that no one else can beat
* playing for the opponents' high cards to be in a particular position (if their ace is to the right of your king, your king may be able to take a trick, especially if, when that suit is led, the player to your right has to play their card before you do)
* trumping an opponent's high card

Nearly all trick-taking techniques in bridge can be reduced to one of these four methods. The optimum play of the cards can require much thought and experience and is the subject of whole books on bridge.