Teacher's Manual

Session 2.2: Establishing honors

Session Program

• The notion of equivalent cards
• Creating tricks: establishing honors
• Leading "top of sequence" in a length

For this session again, the tackled notions will be discovered cards on table. For this session, you will need to prepare in advance a great number of hands. Good luck!

Equivalent cards and establishing honors

K 10 7 2	Between the two hands you own four cards following each other: King, Queen, Jack and 10. This means that whatever card you play, if your opponent wants to take the trick, he will need to play the same card, in our case the Ace. This is what we call equivalent cards.
■
Q J 5 3

Cards in a same suit are equivalent if, whatever the card you play, the opponent has to play the same card to win the trick.

Using the same example, have them discover how to create tricks by establishing their honors.

K 10 7 2	If you play the King (an equivalent card to the Queen, and Jack and 10), there are only two possibilities: - the Ace drops and the three other cards are established, - the Ace doesn’t drop, but you win the trick. You then repeat the same maneuver.
■
Q J 5 3

Q J 2	The opponents hold two winner cards, so you will need to play twice, each time sacrificing one of the equivalent cards to win one trick.
■
10 9 5

When one or more honors have become winner, it is said that they have been established.

For these new hands, ask your pupils how many tricks they can establish in the following examples:

1	2	3	4
K J 4	K Q 4	J 9 2	Q J 4
■	■	■	■
Q 2	J 10 9 5 3	Q 10 6 3	10 9 3

1.	You have three equivalent cards and the opponents only have one winner card. You will be able to establish two tricks.

2.	The opponents own only the Ace and you have five equivalent cards (with five cards in the longer hand). You can establish four tricks.

3.	Two winner cards in the opponents’ hands and you have four equivalent cards meaning you can establish two tricks.

4.	Here you own four equivalent cards but only three cards in each hand. The opponents own two winner cards. You can only take one trick. .

 

Session first hand (2.2.1)

Affranchir sa couleur avant d’encaisser ses levées maîtresses

Hand 2.2.1     Dealer North

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

 

Lead: K
South can establish his Club tricks: and he should do it immediately before cashing the tricks in the other suits.
Score: 1NT =: 90 NS

The “top of sequence” lead

At the end of the hand, ask the leader to spread his hand on the table. 
Have the pupils find the right lead. You will get several different answers..
For sure, they must lead one of the four honors to make the Ace drop, but you will now need to explain that when playing the defence, you can’t see the partner’s hand, you therefore have to create a dialogue with him (not with words, but through the cards).

With at least three equivalent cards, including one honor, you must lead the highest of the equivalent cards, what is called "top of sequence".

The following examples are very important. The pupils must explain, one after the other, the meaning of the leading card, what it promises and what it denies. Spread the cards on the table, ask them for the lead and have them discover what they can deduce from it.

You have:	You lead:	You are telling your partner you also have:	But you don’t have:
K Q J 7 5	the King	the Queen and the Jack	The Ace
Q J 10 6 2	the Queen	the Jack and the 10	the King
J 10 9 5 3	the Jack	the 10 and the 9	the Queen
10 9 8 7 2	the 10	the 9 and the 8	the Jack

Leading an honor promises the two cards just underneath, but denies the honor just above.

Establishing honors also exists for the defending side and namely for the lead.
The leader will first chose the opening suit (his longest suit) and then choose which card he must lead.

Session second hand (2.2.2)

Hand 2.2.2     Dealer East

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

 

Lead: K
When West will gain the lead with the Ace of Hearts; he will be able to cash all the Spades. One trick down!
Score: 3NT -1: 50 EW

 

Session third hand (2.2.3)

Hand 2.2.3     Dealer South

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

 

Lead: Q
The declarer needs to establish his Diamonds. When they gain the lead, the two defenders should play Club.
Score: 3NT -1: 50 EW

 

Session fourth hand (2.2.4)

Hand 2.2.4     Dealer West

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

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

 

Lead: 10
South immediately plays Heart to the Queen to establish two honor tricks. Playing one round of Heart will drop the second opponents’ honor, thus establishing two tricks.
Score: 3NT =: 400 NS