Coup en Passant

By Djanwar Madjolelo

JAKARTA (JP): This deal is from the qualifying third session of the European Pairs in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Board : 25

Dealer : North

Vulnerable: East-West

NORTH

(S) 10 7

(H) K 9 4

(D) 9 8 7 5 3

(C) A 5 2

WEST EAST

(S) J 8 (S) K 9 4 2

(H) Q 7 6 3 (H) J 10

(D) 4 2 (D) A K J 10 6

(C) K J 10 6 3 (C) 9 4

SOUTH

(S) A Q 6 5 3

(H) A 8 5 3

(D) Q

(C) Q 8 7

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Tislevoll Helgemo

- Pass 1D 1S

Double Pass 1NT 2C

Pass 2S All Pass

Geir Helgemo, 27, sitting South, did not want to let East play 1 No Trump, and how right he was, for East would have made it in comfort.

The snag was that Helgemo had already bid his Spades, and West's double promised Hearts. So Helgemo had to bid with his three card Club suit.

After all, North might have had West's Club holding. West of course was quite happy with this turn, but North corrected to 2 Spades, a popular contract.

The defense began with two rounds of Diamonds. (we prefer the Club switch made by some Easts). South ruffed, crossed to dummy with a Heart and finessed the Spade Queen. He now cashed his two Aces, and seeing the Jack and 10 of Hearts fall, played a third Heart to West's Queen, West exited with a fourth Heart.

At this point East had two master trumps (King and 9), so he was reluctant to ruff the Heart, and eventually discarded a Diamond.

Helgemo won, and simply crossed to dummy with the Ace of Clubs and ruffed another Diamond to make his part score -- a veritable Coup en Passant.

If East had ruffed the fourth Heart, and switched to the nine of Clubs the defense would have triumphed, because West cannot then be end-played, and declarer lacks the entries to ruff two more Diamonds.

Coup en Passant means that the lead of a plain suit card to promote a low trump sitting over a high trump.