The coup is a trump reducing play, the virtual discard of a trump by the declarer, because he has too many. This sound rather odd.
The only thing that distinguished a grand coup from its humbler brother, the coup, is that in the reducing play it is winners instead of losers that are ruffed.
Let us illustrate a grand coup, where South had to get rid of three superfluous trumps, in order to make his contract of 6
|
 A Q 7
K 3
 K Q 4
 A Q 9 6 2 |
|
| J 9 8 2
—
A 10 8 7 3 2
J 10 5 |
|
10 4 3
Q 9 8 6
J 9 5
7 4 3 |
|
K 6 5
A J 10 7 5 4 2
6
K 8 |
Contract 6
Opening Lead:
A
The
A followed by the
2. At trick two South ruffs his good diamond. This play would be automatic with a first class player in this situation. Now a heart to the King reveals the position, the declarer has still two trumps too many.
A heart is lead and the
10 finessed. Dummy is re-entered with the
Q, and the King of diamonds is lead and ruffed. This is followed by the
K, and small to the
Q, now the
A is ruffed with the seven of trumps, leaving this position:
|
A 7
9 6 |
|
| J 9 8
10
|
|
10 4
Q 9
|
|
K 6
A J
|
Dummy is entered with the
A and a good club is played. If East discards, so does South.
