Contract Bridge

Cue (NZERS), Issue 36, 30 November 1945, Page 25

Contract Bridge

BRIDGE MAXIMS EXPLAINED 3. Always cover an honour. For example, if declarer leads the J and you hold Q, put her on even though you see the K in dummy waiting to slay her, and you know the Ace is played. The reason is that you certainly force your opponent to use two honours to win one trick, and that means that you bring one trick forward any high cards you and your partner hold between you. In the case given, if your partner has the 10 it wins the next trick in that suit. But if you had not covered, the J and K would each have taken a trick against you. The practice of covering an honour is absolutely sound and should be followed nine times out of ten. There are,

however, some exceptions to this, as to most rules. For instance, your partner has bid one no trumps and the opponents two spades. Dummy puts down the AQ of hearts and you, on declarer’s left, hold KlO. Declarer leads J of hearts. Now on the bidding he will probably place your partner with the K and if you do not cover with the K will put up the Ace anyway, making your K good. To duck here is quite justifiable. Again, opponents may hold QJx in dummy. You, on dummy’s left, hold Kxx. If you cover the lead of the Q this establishes the J in dummy as an entry. If it is clear that your opponent will need an entry in dummy later in the game, duck the Q lead and hold the K to prevent the J becoming an established entry.