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BRIDGE BITES #42
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THE STRIPTEASE
COUP
Brian Gunnell |
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♠ AQ765
♥
53
♦
Q4
♣ 9854 |
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♠ JT943
♥
KQT4
♦
65
♣ A3 |
Dummy
West East
Declarer |
♠ 82
♥
9876
♦
JT982
♣ K7 |
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♠ K
♥
AJ2
♦
AK73
♣ QJT62 |
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After West has overcalled in
Spades, South finds herself in 5♣, a contract which appears doomed when West’s
opening lead is the ♥K.
As you can see from the diagram, Declarer appears to have nothing but losing
options:
-
She cannot play on
trumps immediately because the defense has three cashing tricks
-
She cannot pitch
her two Heart losers on the top Spades because East will ruff the third round
-
She cannot pitch
Dummy’s Heart loser on the Diamonds because West will ruff the third round.
Any ideas on how to make 11
tricks?
►
Yes, Declarer has a resource, let
the striptease commence! Declarer’s
♥A
wins the first trick, the ♠K is unblocked, then over to Dummy’s
♦Q.
The ♠A is cashed (Declarer pitching a Heart, of course), and now, when Dummy’s
♠Q is played, East must ruff to prevent another Heart pitch. He cannot ruff
high (Declarer would pitch the Heart anyway) so he ruffs low and is overruffed.
Next, Declarer plays her high
Diamonds and this time it is West who is forced to ruff in order to prevent the
Heart pitch. West must also ruff low and is overruffed by Dummy.
After those two low ruffs, both
defenders have bared down to a singleton trump honor, so Declarer can lead a
trump and enjoy the sight of the Ace and King tumbling down on the same trick!
This was actually a double Striptease Coup as both defenders were divested of
their protective small trump.
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