10th June 2020

A deal from an online MCBA pairs event.


Dealer North
S
AK63
   
Love All
H
6
   
    D 1032
   
    C AK872
   
S
Q10952
    S
874
H
J4
    H
10872
D
AK85
    D
QJ6
C
95
    C
1043
    S
J
   
    H
AKQ953
   
    D
974
   
    C
QJ6
   

South
West
North
East


1C Pass
1H 1S Pass Pass
2S Pass 2NT Pass
4H Pass Pass Pass

John Holland arrived in four hearts on the above auction.  West started with the ace and king of diamonds and a third diamond to East's queen.
East now played a heart and John took the ace and king, noting the fall of the jack on his left.  Since West had shown five spades and was likely to hold the last diamond, otherwise East would have played it to try for a trump promotion and was unlikely to have a singleton club, since she might have led it, John decided to play West for a 5242 distribution.  He next played the ace and king of spades throwing a club from hand, followed by a spade ruff, a club to dummy and another spade ruff followed by another club to dummy.

The position was now as below


S

   
          
H

   
    D
   
    C 87
   
S Q
    S

H
    H
108
D 8
    D

C
    C

    S

   
    H
Q9
   
    D

   
    C

   



When North played a club East's trump trick disappeared.  This is known as a double trump coup as South had to ruff twice to shorten his trumps to the same length as East's.

Thanks to John Holland for reporting this deal