The Aces On Bridge by Bobby Wolff

Few historical characters play much of a role in the naming of bridge coups, though the Deschapelles Coup is named after a famous whist player, and the Merrimac Coup is named after a historical event.

Cardinal Morton’s role in history is relatively minor. As Henry VII’s grasping cardinal, he impaled England’s peers on the horns of a dilemma. Either they entertained him well — in which case they were wealthy — or they tried to look poor, in which case their thrift also implied funds in the bank. Either way, they had to pay heavy taxes to the king.

Opening Lead:  ♣K

Here is a Morton’s Fork coup. In four hearts West leads a top club and shifts to a trump. You win cheaply in hand and play a second club. West wins and exits in trumps, letting you take both red aces and the club queen, then cross to hand with a trump.

When you lead a spade toward the king, it presents West with a Morton’s Fork. If West takes this, he provides a home for your diamond loser, so he must duck the trick. You win dummy’s king, and now cash your last two trumps, reducing to a three-card end position. If you judge that West has reduced to a single diamond, you cash the diamond king and score your diamond jack. If West keeps two diamonds, he must come down to a bare spade ace. You exit in spades and wait for him to play a diamond around to your jack.

Bid with the aces

This Hand of the Day was originally published on aces.bridgeblogging.com.

Click here to play earlier Hands of the day ▶