Jean-Pierre DESMOULINSEstablishing a suit
32 deals to master establishing a suit
Establishing a suit consists in making cards winners that are not winners yet. You can establish tricks by length, by playing a suit often enough so that only one player eventually holds cards in it. You can also establish honors by forcing the opponents' higher honors to be played.
This technique is fundamental in Bridge, both in declarer play and in defense. It is always based on a simple idea: accepting the loss of one or more tricks in order to create others.
To be effective, establishing a suit must be part of a precise plan of play: taking distribution probabilities into account, preserving entries between the two hands, choosing the right timing, and sometimes deciding which opponent to give the lead to. A suit that is established but cannot be cashed is worthless; a suit that is established and then exploited is often the key to the contract.
Principles
Give tricks to get tricks. Establishing a suit almost always means conceding one or more tricks to the opponents. This loss is acceptable only if the contract can afford it and if the future tricks gained clearly compensate for the initial investment.
Keep basic probabilities in mind. Opponents' cards are most often divided according to the most likely uneven split. For example, six cards are usually split 4-2 (48% of the time versus 36% for a 3-3 split). Likewise, five cards are usually split 3-2 (68% versus 28% for a 4-1 split). The only exception is that a 1-1 split is slightly more likely than a 2-0 split (52% versus 48%).
Establishing suits: the number one defensive weapon in No-Trump. Defensive top honors are rarely enough on their own to defeat a No-Trump contract. The best strategy is therefore often to establish a long suit, starting with the opening lead.
Preserve and organize communications. An established suit must be cashed. You therefore need to anticipate entries between the two hands, avoid blockages, and sometimes deliberately concede a trick (a duck) in order to keep the necessary entries.
Choose who gets the lead. Establishing a suit can sometimes be directed: the lead is then given to a specific opponent, in order to avoid the dangerous hand.
Level 1 | Discovering suit establishment
These deals illustrate the fundamental principle of establishing a suit: accepting the loss of one or more tricks to the opponents in order to turn a long suit into a source of winning tricks, or lower honors into top cards. They involve no major communication or safety constraints.
Level 2 | Managing timing and entries
These deals highlight situations where establishing a suit can succeed only if declarer plans the play very precisely. Declarer must count the available entries, choose the right moment to give up the lead, and avoid establishing a suit that would later become unplayable because of insufficient entries.
Level 3 | Establishing under defensive threats
These deals illustrate situations where establishing a suit must take defensive threats into account. Declarer has to anticipate dangerous returns, decide when to give up the lead and to whom, and sometimes establish a suit before securing other winners. The correct plan of play here relies on a finer reading of the defenders' hands.
Level 4 | Choosing establishment among several lines of play
These deals present complex situations where establishing a suit is no longer just a means, but a genuine strategic choice. Declarer must compare this plan with other possible options, assess the risks, and decide whether it is the best way to make the contract.
FAQ
All links are active: each button opens a deal in a new tab.