honours in contract bridge

[scorpio_11]

Can the defenders declare honours in a contract if they are not the declarers? I.E. if they have 4 aces againsdt a 3nt contract can defenders claim the 150 pts?

[1eyedjack]

Yes

[TimG]

Can the defenders declare honours in a contract if they are not the declarers? I.E. if they have 4 aces againsdt a 3nt contract can defenders claim the 150 pts?

I think "a" defender can claim honors -- that is, all those aces have to be in one defender's hand.

[mycroft]

Everyone here has it right, but since I'm the pedant, here's the laws proving it.

 

Quoting from http://web2.acbl.org/laws/rlaws/lawofcontractbridgecombined_2004.pdf (apologize for the Americanese):

 

...Declarer’s side earns premium points by...holding scorable honors in declarer’s or dummy’s hand...

The defenders earn premium points by...holding scorable honors in either of their hands

(see Law 81).

Honors

 

Scored above the line by either side

For holding four of the five trump honors

(A, K, Q, J, 10) in one hand ....................................... 100

For holding all five trump honors

(A, K, Q, J, 10) in one hand ....................................... 150

For holding all four aces in one hand

at a notrump contract................................................ 150

[blackshoe]

At Notrumps, a player (including dummy) who has all four aces in his hand can claim 150 honors. At trump contracts, a player (including dummy) who has four of the five honors in his hand can claim 100 honors; a player who has all five can claim 150 honors.

[Siegmund]

As already said, yes - and bear in mind, in auction bridge days, there was an honours bonus on almost every deal (the only time there wasn't was if each side held 2 aces in a notrump contract.)

[nige1]

Can the defenders declare honours in a contract if they are not the declarers? I.E. if they have 4 aces againsdt a 3nt contract can defenders claim the 150 pts?

[hv=pc=n&s=s9876hdct98765432&w=shqjt9876dqjt987c&n=s5432h5432d65432c&e=sakqjthakdakcakqj]399|300|South declares 2♠XX. East collects 150 honours as compensation :)[/hv]