Teacher's Manual

Session 2.1: Communications

Session Program

• Declarer’s communications
• Defending side’s communications

For this session, the tackled notions will be first discovered cards on table. Don’t forget to prepare the cards before the session, so that you don’t need to do it before the pupils.

Declarer’s communications in a suit.

Suit with the same number of cards in both hands :

Place the cards on the table and have the pupils play.

1		A K 6	Whatever way they play, you will always take three tricks, provided of course that you play a small card under an honor.
	■
		Q 7 4

Suit where one of the hands holds less cards the other:

Take away South’s 4 and have them play the suit. Ask your pupils to take three tricks starting from South’s hand. It is on purpose that we don’t use the words “symmetric” and “asymmetric”.

2		A K 6	If they start by playing the 7 to the Ace and then the 6 to the Queen, they won’t be able to take the King. On the contrary, is they start with playing the Queen to the 6, and then the 7 to the King, they will be in the right hand to play the Ace.
	■
		Q 7

3		A Q 6	You have to start with the 2 to the Ace, then the Queen and after that the 6 to the King.
	■
		K J 5 4 2

These examples illustrate the following principle:

You must start with playing the honors in the short hand

Present two hands on declarer’s communications. You decide on the lead, and then let the pupils play without intervening during the play to tell them what to do.

Session first hand (2.1.1)

Hand 2.1.1     Dealer North

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

Lead: Q
The declarer must be very careful on how he plays the Spades, starting with playing the honor in the short hand.  He takes the lead with the King of Diamonds, and then plays the Queen of Spades to the 2 and the 4 to the Jack. He is then in the right hand to take the Ace and King of Spades.
Score: 2NT =: 120 NS

Session Second Hand (2.1.2)

Hand 2.1.2     Dealer East

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

Lead: K
Beside the Ace of Hearts, South must take four Spade tricks in and four Club tricks.
For each suit, he will need to start cashing the honors in the short hand.
Score: 3NT =: 400 NS
Did you remember to change the declarer?

The defending side communications

Always have the pupils handle the cards:

		5 4		West leads the 2 of Hearts. East needs to play the Queen, then the King and the 7 to give back the lead to his partner.
A 10 6 3 2	◊		K Q 7
		J 9 8

It is exactly the same principle than with the declarer: when defending, you also need to play the honors on the short hand.
Have the pupils say that East has the short hand, because in NT, his partner leads his longest suit.

Session third Hand (2.1.3)

… The next hands are problems meant for the defending side.

Hand 2.1.3     Dealer South

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

South	West	North	East
I open		I have 10 pts
I play 3NT

 

Lead: 2
East needs to take the trick with one honor and play the other one before giving the lead back to his partner by playing the 4 of Diamonds. He is playing the honors in the short hand to avoid blocking the leader’s suit.
Score: 3NT -1: 50 EW
Reminder: the pupils must not play the hand again.

Warning: don’t speak of fourth-best or top of sequence. It will come later on. Don’t ask them either to play the King before the Ace; it doesn’t matter for the time being.

 

Session fourth Hand (2.1.4)

Hand 2.1.4     Dealer West

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

South	West	North	East
	I pass	I pass	I pass
I open		I have 9 pts
I play 3NT

Lead: 2.
West should visualize the dummy’s 10 of Hearts and see that all the Hearts are established. He must think of taking his partner’s Queen with his King…
Score: 3NT -1: 50 EW