A Trump Coup is an unusual bridge playing technique: The leading of a plain suit card from a hand without any trumps, through a player with only trumps left, thus forcing a ruff, which can then be overruffed in the next hand. It achieves the same effect as a finesse in the trump suit but without requiring there to be a trump to lead. In preparing the play, the hand need to reduce the number of trumps to that of the opponent has. Also, entries are critical in planning this play.
This particular play technique can be found in publications about the game of Whist, which is a predecessor of the game of bridge. Below is the publication by Mr. Henry Jones, aka Mr. Henry Jones, called Cavendish on Whist, printed in 1880, page 254. Bridgeguys.com
The last match of the second playing day of the Sunchime Fund Cup 2012 the Monaco Team defeated the Beijing Evertrust Team 50 to 43. Monaco managed to win the match just in the last board, but in board 8 when the match was Beijing Evertrust 35-Monaco 15, Fantoni thanks to a Trump Coup was able to recuperate 11 precious IMPs for his team.
Board 8 Dealer West Vul None
|
| West | North | East | South |
| Dong Lidan | Fantoni | Shan Sheng | Nunes |
2 |
2NT | Pass | 41 |
| Pass | 4 2 |
Pass | 5 3 |
| Pass | 54 |
Pass | 55 |
| The End |
1- South African Texas = spades
2- 4
is a superaccept, so 4 is a not so good hand
3- Turbo Convention
4- odd number of keycards
5- not interested opposite 2
Lead: 8
East lead the 8 and West won the trick with his A to continue with his Q. Fantoni played his K and ruffed his last heart in dummy, East pitched a little diamond. Declarer played the Q, West played his 3, Fantoni played his little trump and East also played a little spade. North continued with dummy’s Q, where West contributed with his J and East with the 5, and the 7, West pitched a heart and East won the K with his A. Fantoni won the diamond continuation in his hand with the 10, ruffed his club looser in dummy and continued with the J to his Q.The 4 cards end position was:
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Now A and K pitching A and K from dummy and 6 to claim 11 tricks and 11 IMPs for Monaco.
In the other table the Chinese pair arrived to the same contract: 5 and received the same lead.
East lead the 8 and West won the trick with his A to continue with his Q. North played his K and ruffed his last heart in dummy, East pitched a little diamond. Declarer continued with the 7, West played his 3, Shi M his K and Helness the A. Declarer won the diamond return with dummy’s A, but continued with the Q…soon he find out the bad trump distribution but it was to late, he wasn’t able to reduce the number of trumps to that of East without loosing a trick…and went down 1.