Complex holdups in declarer's side suit Larry Hammick larry@hammick.com 2000.07.09 When declarer's trump control is marginal, it can be good play to hold up a winner in the enemy side suit until partner can ruff in. This applies to both sides. Declarer, for example, may hold up with ace third opposite a singleton, so that he can ruff the next round in the short trump hand. But this note is only about holdups by a defender when _either_ side can ruff the next round; for it can happen that a subsequent ruff by declarer doesn't help him. Spades are trumps in all the diagrams. KT Axxx -- x xx Jx x KQJ x x Axx x AQ x -- KQJx Declarer starts clubs with the king. If West wins, declarer takes the rest, because he can afford to ruff a diamond or club return with dummy's king. But suppose West ducks. One club ruff in dummy will not help declarer, so CQ comes next, West ducks again, dummy discards, and East ruffs. East exits with a heart or a trump, and declarer must lose a second trick. Even more exotic is this phenomenon: KT Axxx -- x xx Jx x KQJ x x Kxx x AQ x -- AQJx If declarer starts clubs with the ace, the position converges with the previous one and he loses two tricks. But if he leads the _queen_ or equivalent (or leads to the queen), West cannot afford to hold up, and declarer loses only one trick. However: KT Axxx -- x xx Jx x KQJT -- -- Kxxx x AQ x -- AQJT West can duck the CQ because his king is guarded three times! The above sort of holdup depends on the possibility of an overruff by partner. K9 Axxx -- x JT xx x KQJ x x Axx x AQ x -- KQJx Now East has no overruffing control in clubs and declarer has six tricks, because if West ducks CK, he can resort to a crossruff. A related type of ducking play relies not on an overruff by partner, but on a sort of uppercut. K Axxx x x x xx KQJ xx A -- xx Axx AQ x -- KQJx Declarer leads CK. If East wins he can do no damage (having no diamond to lead), so he ducks. If CQ follows, East wins and leads a third round; West ruffs and North overruffs, and the defence gets a second trick. If declarer pulls West's trump with the ace before leading a second club, East wins the second club and exits to dummy with a heart; again the defence gets a second trick. K AQxx x x x xx T9x Kx A -- xx Axx AQ J -- KQJx After CK holds, declarer tries SA followed by CQ. For two tricks his way, East must win and exit with HK.