Bridge Corner
By Gary Mitchell June 30, 2006

The bidding

North makes a takeout double of West’s preempt. South, always a believer in his own genius, assumes all of his partner’s points are in the major suits, so he decides to bid the grand. You may ask how North can make a takeout double without Diamond support. He can’t, or at least he shouldn’t. The problem is, what would you like North to do over four Clubs? Pass? North is just hoping that South will pick a major suit. Bridge players are such optimists!


The play

West, who does not believe South, leads the Club Ace, which is trumped. On the first Diamond lead, West follows with the Jack, and discards a Club on the second. Now what? Can you avoid a Diamond loser?

As long as East has two Spades and two Clubs, or three Spades and one Club, this hand can be made. 

Lead a Spade to the King, and trump a good Club. A Spade back to dummy, and lead the other high Club. If East trumps, overtrump, pull trump, take your Spade Ace, go over to the Heart Ace, and discard your Hearts on the good Spades.

On the other hand, if East discards, you discard your Spade Ace! Now lead good Spades from dummy. If East trumps any of them, again, you get them all. So, East continues to discard. You discard two Hearts. Now, trump the fifth Spade. You are down to three cards in your hand: a Heart and the Queen and nine of Diamonds. East has a Heart and the ten and five of Diamonds. Lead a Heart to the Ace and a Heart from dummy. East must trump, and you overtrump.

You have just completed a “Trump Coup.” Wasn’t that fun?!

Questions: gary@smabridge.com 
Lessons: 152-6351.