Early in our bridge education we learned to cover an honor with an honor.  We were starting bridge and there were so many things to learn.  This common situation was simplified with an easy to follow rule.  We should learn to replace this adage with cover an honor with an honor when it may promote a defensive trick.  It doesn't do any good to cover the jack with the queen when dummy holds AK1098.

Yesterday there was a hand where the dummy held J108 of hearts and the player behind the dummy held the Q32.  Many players went wrong and covered when the heart jack was led from the dummy.

                       J108

K9xx                                   Qxx

                        Axx

Look at what happens when the jack is covered.  Declarer can't go wrong and will always make 2 tricks.  But if east properly ducks the jack, declarer will only make 1 trick.

A good rule to remember is to not cover the fiirst of touching honors.  This can be also be applied in situations like this:

                       KQ109

                                         Axx

When declarer least to the king, east should duck smoothly.  Now declarer may get it wrong by playing to the queen on the next round.  Just remember, don't cover the first of touching honors.