Devil's coup
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".
Example
|
♠ |
A 9 |
|
| ♥ |
3 |
| ♦ |
- |
| ♣ |
- |
| ♠ |
Q 4 |
N
W E
S
|
♠ |
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.
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