Lesson 4
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Communication: the "high and short" game

Contract : 3NT
Lead : King of Hearts

10 7 3
A 4
8 7 5
A K J 6 4
J 8
N
W
E
S
Q 9 5 2
K Q J 8 2 9 7 5
Q 10 6 4 K 9
7 2 10 9 8 5
A K 6 4
10 6 3
A J 3 2
Q 3


South opens and, confirming that the pair have 26 points, bids 3NT. The King of Hearts is led…..

Let them play the deal and … note the failure in the form of two down because your dear pupils will have started with the Clubs in the long hand: get them to see for themselves why they have gone down and ask them how they could have avoided the failure (advice 4.2); Get them to memorise the principle of the lesson in this cursory way: you must always play "high and short".

When there aren't the same number of cards of one suit in dummy and in hand, you must start by playing the high cards in the hand which is shortest.

Begin the explanation again with an example:

A K J 5 for Q 9

Make them memorise the formula: "HIGH AND SHORT"

First play the high cards from the short hand (explain this notion) then the low card from the short hand to cross over ad make the master tricks of the long hand (advice 4.3). Put the following examples on the board and ask how they should be played (starting from North and South each time):

A 3 K J 3 Q 6 4 J 2
K Q 5 A Q 8 7 6 A K J 2 A K Q 5

Then show that the "high and short" game also applies to suits where you want to cash in tricks.

Examples: K 3 10 4
Q J 10 2 Q J 9 2