Trump gambits by the defence

Larry Hammick
larry@hammick.com
2000.06.22

Contents
;Introduction
;The defence will continue with _two_ trump rounds
;The trump stopper lost was already doomed to a trump reduction
;The trump return destroys a ruffer which would also function as an
 entry for a trump reduction

;Introduction
Of course, it is usually bad defence to ruff one of declarer's
losers or one of partner's winners. Even if you only expend a small
(losing) trump in so doing, the ruff tends to strengthen declarer's
control and may also give him an extra entry. Yet there are various
occasions for nipping in with a trump loser, and we hope to return to
them in a later, enlarged version of this article. For now, we just
look at some full-fledged gambits in which a defender ruffs one of his
partner's tricks with a trump _winner_ (or guard to a winner). There
are a several settings for this unlikely-sounding play, but in all
cases that I know of the intention is to return a trump, thereby
killing an adverse ruffing trick. To show a profit, the play must have
some additional value as well -- either another trump lead, or
something to do with entries and the endgame.

;The defence will continue with _two_ trump rounds
This gambit is related to the fairly common play of leading a trump at
the cost of a trump trick. When you lead a trump from Qxx against a
crossruff, for example, you budget to destroy a ruffer at the cost of
your Q. But the investment will show a profit if a second round of
trumps can later be led.

      Kxxxx
      xxx
      --
      xxxxx
--           AJT
KQxx         Jxxx
AJTx         Kxxxx
KQJTx        x
      Qxxxx
      AT
      Qxxx
      Ax
South is in a 4S sacrifice. West leads CK to South's ace. Declarer
ruffs a diamond and leads a club from dummy. East ruffs to lead the
ace and another trump, gaining a trick. Notice a characteristic
symptom: East cannot get on lead _except_ in trumps.

A related play is the second-hand uppercut to break into a crossruff.
For an illustration, see the article on trump promotion at
hammick.com.

;The trump stopper "wasted" was already doomed to a trump reduction
      86                S     N
      AK954             1S    2H
      A4                2S    3C
      T653              3D    3S
KQ92        7           4S(?) End
T2          QJ86
J76         QT32
J972        AK84
      AJT543
      73
      K985
      Q
In our article on trump reduction, we argue that with natural trump
stoppers, forcing is inadvisible and a short-suit lead can help to
score the trumps before they explode in the endgame. Not having read
that article, West led C2 to the K. East returned S7 to the J and Q.
West cannot wait for a trump reduction and must now lead another trump
up to the AT, and hope for two diamond tricks his way. On this occasion
an opening trump lead would also have been good enough. The hand is
from Kelsey, _Test Your Defensive Play_.

;The trump return destroys a ruffer which would also function as an
 entry for a trump reduction
This difficult play can arise when the defender's trumps are something
like KQxx behind declarer's strength, or AJTx in front of it.
      AT9875
      9
      K7632
      5
KJ2          Q4
--           AJT75
AQJT5        98
KJT63        Q842
      63
      KQ86432
      4
      A97
South opened 3H, West doubled, and the double was passed out. West led
DA and a diamond to the K, on which South pitched a spade. The
continuation was D ruff, SA, D ruff, CA, C ruff, and dummy's last D in
this position:
      T9875
      --
      7
      --
KJ           Q
--           AJT75
J            --
KJT          --
      --
      KQ864
      --
      x
There is no defence now. East ruffed with the T and South with the Q,
and two more trump tricks for South could not be prevented. East
should have ruffed the fourth diamond, or even the third, with the
trump ace. This sacrifices a trick, but his subsequent trump lead
would destroy both a ruffer and an entry to dummy. The hand is from a
European Championship, so you and I are not the only ones these things
happen to.

The following hand from Mollo's Menagerie illustrates an even more
advanced case. Partner, if allowed to win, would have to serve
declarer as an entry for the trump reduction.
      AT4
      65
      QT8764
      A2
J932        --
--          KQJT987
KJ9532      A
654         JT987
      KQ8765
      A432
      --
      KQ3
East opens 4H but South reaches 6S, and a diamond is led. South ruffs,
takes CA and another diamond ruff, then CKQ, throwing a heart. Now he
plays a _low_ heart. Fine play by declarer, and the only defence now
is for West to ruff and lead a trump. If East wins the heart he will
be forced to contribute to the trump reduction, which would not
otherwise have enough entries.