A Double Morton’s Fork Coup by Tim Bourke

IMPs;  Dealer West; All Vulnerables

	K J 9 4  7 5    J 8 7 5            Q 6 3
A 8              A K 9 8 3 2  10 4  A J 9		10 7 6 5 3  6  6 3 2            10 8 4 2
	Q 2     Q J 10 4  A K Q 9       K 7 5

The Auction:

West	North	East	South
1	Pass	Pass	Double
2	2	Pass	3NT
Pass	Pass	Pass

Contract: 3NT

West began with A, K and another heart. Dummy threw a low diamond while East parted with a spade and a diamond.

After winning with the J, declarer counted the six tricks in the red suits and saw that he needed three tricks from the black suits. As West was marked with both black aces, declarer took advantage of this by leading the 2 from his hand at trick four.

This caught West in a Morton’s Fork: he could not afford to rise with the A as that would give declarer have three spade tricks and his contract.

Morton’s Fork: is a Coup in Contract Bridge that forces an opponent to choose between letting declarer establish one or more extra tricks in the suit led, and losing the opportunity to win any trick in that suit.

After dummy’s K won the trick, declarer crossed to his hand with a diamond and led a low club, catching West in a second Morton’s Fork.

Again, West would have given the contract away if he had played his ace and so dummy’s Q won the trick. This brought declarer’s trick count to eight and all that remained was to play a low spade to his Q and West’s A.

Dummy parted with a club on the heart continuation and declarer won the trick with his Q. After crossing to dummy with a J, declarer cashed the J and then claimed nine tricks.

He made two spades, two hearts, four diamonds and a club.

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