The Deschapelles Coup, named after a 19th-century French chess and whist player Alexandre Deschapelles, is the lead of an unsupported honor to create an entry in partner's hand; often confused with the Merrimac coup, the lead of an unsupported honor to kill an entry in an opponent's hand.
Geir Helgemo executed this Deschapelles Coup in a 1998 tournament.
South in 4♦ | ♠ | J 6 | |||
♥ | A J 10 8 3 | ||||
♦ | Q 6 2 | ||||
♣ | K J 8 | ||||
♠ | 5 4 3 2 |
N |
♠ | K Q 10 8 7 | |
♥ | Q 5 | ♥ | K 9 6 2 | ||
♦ | J | ♦ | K 9 7 | ||
♣ | 10 9 7 5 3 2 | ♣ | A | ||
Lead: ♠2 | ♠ | A 9 | |||
♥ | 7 4 | ||||
♦ | A 10 8 5 4 3 | ||||
♣ | Q 6 4 |
Helgemo was East against South's 4♦. West led a small spade, Helgemo put up the ♠Q and South won the ♠A. South then returned a spade to Helgamo's ♠K. Helgemo cashed the ♣A and switched to the ♥K (the coup). Dummy won the ♥A and played the ♦Q to the ♦K, ♦A and ♦J.
Now declarer tried to enter dummy with the ♣K, but Helgemo ruffed, put West in with the ♥Q, and ruffed the club return for down two.
It would not have helped South to duck the ♥K because Helgemo would simply have continued hearts, winding up with a trick in each suit.
And it would not have helped Helgemo to switch to a low heart at trick four. South wins West's ♥Q with the ♥A, leads the ♦Q, covered and won, and then leads another heart to endplay Helgemo.
This is a particularly unusual Deschapelles coup, because it is combined with a Merrimac coup. The same play of the ♥K both establishes an entry for West and takes out an entry to dummy.