Scissors Coup

 

This segment is all about snipping the communications between the defenders, typically by losing a trick early in the play so that the defense will not be able to get together later in the play.  As usual, examples are the best way to convey the technique.

 

Related Play Problems              Play Problem 119

 

Related Extracts from Past Wednesday Games

 

 

12	♠ J6542 ♥ K5 ♦ KQJ ♣ J52	From 3rd May, 2006
♠ A83 ♥ J94 ♦ A86 ♣ AKQ8	North West             East           South	♠ Q97 ♥ QT832 ♦ T54 ♣ T6	Dlr     West Vul     N-S
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ KT ♥ A76 ♦ 9732 ♣ 9743	West   North   East     South 1♣      1♠        Pass     Pass 1NT   Pass     2♥        Pass Pass   Pass

 

Looking at all 4 hands, a Diamond lead looks most promising, but Declarer can still score 9 tricks with this pretty line of play … win A♦ … 4 rounds of Clubs, pitching Declarer’s Diamond losers … the 4^th round of Clubs is won by South (no, it does not help the defense if North ruffs the 4^th round) … now, the defense is unable to orchestrate a Spade trick and a Spade ruff.

 

Check what happens if Declarer cashes only the AKQ♣, pitching just one Diamond loser.  Now, Declarer plays a trump from the board, North jumps up with the K♥ (great play!) … North shifts to a Spade, the Ten forcing the Ace … another trump, won by the A♥ … K♠ cashed, over to North’s Diamond winner, and a Spade ruff!  Super defense by N-S, but Declarer could have prevented those heroics at his expense by playing that 4^th round of Clubs early on, pitching another Diamond.  It's the so-called Scissors Coup, snipping the enemy communications.

 

24	♠ JT7643 ♥ QJT ♦ 6 ♣ Q94	From 13th June, 2007
♠ AK82 ♥ 5432 ♦ J43 ♣ K6	North West             East           South	♠ Q ♥ K87 ♦ AQT95 ♣ 8732	Dlr     West Vul     None
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ 95 ♥ A96 ♦ K872 ♣ AJT5	West    North   East     South Pass    2♠        Pass    Pass Pass

 

If East leads the aggressive 7♥ against 2♠ then Declarer can prevail by means of a Scissors Coup.  She wins the opening Heart lead in her hand, and leads a Diamond at Trick Two severing the enemy communications and putting paid to the defensive chances of a Club ruff.  There’s a more exotic and somewhat double dummy way of achieving the same end-result … Declarer wins the opening Heart lead in hand, plays a Spade to East’s Queen, jumps up with the Ace when the Club shift is made, and exits a Diamond, severing communications once again (but also looking foolish if the K♣ was onside all the time, better to lose the Diamond at trick two).

 

 

7	♠ Q3 ♥ K95 ♦ 762 ♣ KJ654	10th October, 2007
♠ AKJ4 ♥ Q3 ♦ A43 ♣ AT82	North West             East           South	♠ T6 ♥ JT742 ♦ J985 ♣ 93	Dlr     South Vul     Both
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ 98762 ♥ A86 ♦ KQT ♣ Q7	South   West    North   East  Pass    1♣       Pass    Pass 1♠        1NT     Pass    2♥ Pass    Pass    Pass

 

2♥ will make with careful play:

            K♦ opening lead, won by Dummy’s Ace (no point in ducking this)

            Q♥ is led from the board, won by North’s King

            Diamond to South’s Ten

            Q♦ is cashed

            Q♣ shift is won by Dummy’s Ace

            A♠ and K♠ are cashed

Declarer’s plan was to execute a Scissors Coup.  He was always going to play the J♠ next, on which he would pitch a Club, cutting off the opponents from each other, and avoiding a trump upper-cut on the third round of Clubs.  The surprise appearance of the Q♠ from North on the second round does not change things … North can ruff the J♠ on the third round, and Declarer still pitches away a Club.  Making 8 tricks!  It takes an opening Club lead and accurate defense thereafter to beat 2♥.

 

 

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