Devil's coup
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The Devil's Coup is a declarer play in contract bridge that prevents the defense from taking an apparently natural trump trick - often called "the disappearing trump trick"[1].
[edit] Example
| ♠ | A 9 | ||||
| ♥ | 3 | ||||
| ♦ | — | ||||
| ♣ | — | ||||
| ♠ | Q 4 |
N |
♠ | J 3 2 | |
| ♥ | 7 | ♥ | — | ||
| ♦ | — | ♦ | — | ||
| ♣ | — | ♣ | — | ||
| North to lead | ♠ | K 10 7 | |||
| ♥ | — | ||||
| ♦ | — | ||||
| ♣ | — | ||||
A typical example is shown where spades are trumps and the lead is in dummy (North).
The ♥3 is led. If East ruffs low, then declarer overruffs low and cashes the ace and king of spades. If East ruffs high, declarer overruffs with the ♠K and finesses West for the ♠Q to make the remaining two tricks.
Devil's coups are fairly rare: not only the trump suit but the side suits must lie well for declarer.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Francis, Henry G., Editor-in-Chief; Truscott, Alan F., Executive Editor; Francis, Dorthy A., Editor, Sixth Edition (2001). The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge (6th ed.). Memphis, TN: American Contract Bridge League. p. 114. ISBN 0-943855-44-6. OCLC 49606900.
