Source:IBPAColumn Service OCT 2021Tim Bourke**Source: wikipedia.Tim Bourke “is an Australian bridge player and writer. His joint project with Justin Corfield “the Art of Declarer Play” won the International Bridge Press Book of the Year award in 2014.IMPs Dealer West. Both Vul
A Q 5 3
A K 8
J 5
A Q 7 2
J 9 8 7 6 2
9 6 2
9 6
K 3
West
North
East
South
2
3NT
Pass
4
Pass
Pass
Pass
North/South were a new partnership and had not discussed this auction. However, they had the rule: “In an undiscussed situation, assume a bid made is natural.” As a result, South had an easy call of four spades and North had just as easy a pass at his second turn.
West led the Q. Declarer saw that he had ten sure tricks if trumps were two-one. So, after winning the first trick with dummy’s king of hearts, declarer cashed dummy’s ace of trumps.
Once West discarded a heart at trick two, the contract was in trouble. The problem was that declarer could not afford to have dummy’s ace of hearts ruffed by East. So, declarer played the king, ace and queen of clubs, throwing a diamond from hand. In order to cut East/ West’s transportation, declarer next led dummy’s remaining club and was relieved when East followed. Now he could safely throw his remaining diamond from hand on dummy’s last club.
After winning the trick with the ten of clubs, East tried to reach West’s hand by exiting with a low diamond. However, declarer was in control – he ruffed and led a low trump to dummy’s queen and East’s king. After ruffing the diamond continuation, declarer drew East’s remaining ten of spades with his jack and claimed ten tricks: five trumps, two hearts and three clubs.
Scissors Coup: “Is a type of coup in bridge, so named because it cuts communications between defenders. By discarding a card or cards either from declarer’s hand or from dummy or both, declarer can stop them from transferring the lead between each other, usually to prevent a defensive ruff.“The complete deal:
A Q 5 3
A K 8
J 5
A Q 7 2
