The Fear of Declarer

Pages: Page 4 of 5

Dealer: North
Vuln: E-W
Scoring: Rubber
  1. spadeJ 10 8 4
  2. heart6 4
  3. diamondA K Q 10 7
  4. clubA K
  1. spade3
  2. heart9 8 2
  3. diamond9 8 5 4
  4. club8 7 6 4 2
club diamond heart spade NT
N - 4 - 3 1
S - 4 - 3 1
E 1 - 2 - -
W 1 - 2 - -
Green square in centre
  1. spadeK Q 7
  2. heartA K Q J 10 7
  3. diamond3
  4. clubQ J 10

Contract: 4spade
Declarer: South
Lead: heart9
  1. spadeA 9 6 5 2
  2. heart5 3
  3. diamondJ 6 2
  4. club9 5 3
Double dummy analyser: makeable contracts
West North East South
1diamond Dble Pass
2club Dble 2heart 2spade
Pass 4spade End
What is East up to? Presumably he intends to win the second round of trumps, underlead his solid hearts to put his partner in, who will then give him a diamond ruff. What can be done? Nothing, unless we have a favourable distribution and/or very poor defence. But we must try.

Win diamondJ at tick two, cash clubAK and lead spadeJ. East must cover, so you win spadeA and lead club9 throwing the last heart from a dummy when West fails to cover. Winning clubQ, East can no longer access his partner's hand so he continues with heartA. Dummy ruffs and East wins spadeQ at the next trick. A third heart is ruffed in hand and East's last trump drawn. Contract made. This communication cutting play by South is called the Scissors Coup.
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