BRIDGE BITES #40
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THE SCISSORS COUP
Brian Gunnell |
Here we feature the Scissors
Coup, so-called because it cuts communications between the two defenders.
Both Vulnerable
West North East South
1♦
Dbl 4♦
4♠
5♦
Pass Pass 5♠
Pass Pass Pass
|
♠ J95
♥
AKJ7
♦
43
♣ AT87 |
♠ A4
♥
T
♦
AJT65
♣ KQJ52 |
Dummy
West East
Declarer |
East’s 4♦
was preemptive, showing long Diamonds and not much else. As West, what’s
your opening lead?
►
It would be reasonable to
lead ♣K, attempting to set up a Club trick while you still have the ♠A
entry. But the bidding around the table suggests extreme distribution, and
perhaps there is a singleton Club somewhere (probably in the South hand). A
more promising plan might be to lead the singleton Heart, later winning the
♠A, then underleading the
♦A
to East’s hoped-for ♦K,
and getting a Heart ruff for down one. Nice lead! It turns out that
Partner does indeed have the ♦K
and that neither North nor South has a Diamond void. Does that mean that 5♠
is down one? Not necessarily, because there is a
clever counter-measure. Now put yourself in the South seat and see if you
can deprive West of his ruff.
►
♠ J95
♥
AKJ7
♦
43
♣ AT87 |
Dummy
West East
Declarer |
♠ KQT8763
♥
Q952
♦
2
♣ 9 |
You are declaring 5♠,
West leads the Heart Ten which surely has to be a singleton. West probably
has the ♠A,
but East may well have a Diamond entry, in which case, the
♠A,
a Diamond loser, and a Heart ruff will scupper your contract. Can you see a
way to avoid that ruff?
►
Enter the Scissors Coup. You
win the Heart lead in Dummy, and before touching trumps you cash the ♣A and
lead another Club, pitching a Diamond when East plays low. By this
maneuver you trade a Diamond loser for a Club loser, in the process
thwarting West in his plan to reach East with the
♦K.
Now, with the defensive communications snipped, Declarer loses only the ♠A
and a Club (but there is no Diamond loser and no Heart ruff).
►
|
♠ J95
♥
AKJ7
♦
43
♣ AT87 |
|
♠ A4
♥
T
♦
AJT65
♣ KQJ52 |
Dummy
West East
Declarer |
♠ 2
♥
8643
♦
KQ987
♣ 643 |
|
♠ KQT8763
♥
Q952
♦
2
♣ 9 |
|
Post Script:
-
As West
you no doubt found that well-thought-out Heart opening lead.
-
Then as
South you executed a pretty Scissors Coup to bring home 5♠.
-
Finally,
imagine that you hold the East cards, but with the ♣6 replaced by the
♣J. Now, after Dummy’s ♣A has been cashed, when a second Club is played, we
are quite confident that you would alertly hop up with that ♣J, foiling the
Scissors Coup. Nice defense!
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