This lesson has as its objective to give your pupils clear ideas as to playing a game in trumps, by counting the losers. Before beginning, remind them that in the exercise to do for today they counted the losers in the declarer's hand. Then explain that one chooses, before all else, a base hand to count the losers. Write the following example on the board: Do the bidding to arrive
at the contract of 4
Ask your pupils which, in their opinion, is the base hand, and why. Explain that they should choose the hand with the longest Trumps suit as the base hand because that is the one with the least losers normally. Once the base hand has been chosen, explain that they should look suit by suit at the losers in this hand, and to see what, in the "opposite" hand can cover these losers. Get your pupils to "look at" West's Spades. Ask them how many losers there are in this suit. Congratulate those who reply that East's Spades guarantee losing no tricks in this suit. Start again with Hearts, showing that the Ace of Hearts opposite the King assures two tricks, but the third Heart in East's hand is a loser … for the moment (advice 10.3). In Diamonds your pupils should have no trouble saying that there are two losers. In Clubs, show that with King-Queen-Jack in the two hands there is only the Ace trick to concede (advice 10.4). Get the total of all these losers and show that you have merely checked the strengths available. Now it is a question of establishing the game plan. Ask your pupils which are
the inevitable losers: the answer three should not be long in coming.
Point out to them that playing the contract of 4 If they don't find it, go back to the explanation of trumping from the short hand (insisting on the fact that this hand is opposite the base hand).
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(East as dealer): 
K
9 3
4
2
Q
J 5