Study 9N01   Main


Trump Control


  by Richard Pavlicek

Trump control is the state of having equal or greater trump length than an opponent, such that one or more side winners can be enjoyed, either by drawing trumps or forcing an opponent to ruff with a high trump. Observe that trump control does not require holding the highest trump, a common confusion caused by the unrelated term “suit control.” About the Techniques

1. Draw trump control

S win 2
auto bi 		S 2
H —
D 2
C — 		Trick
1 S 		Lead
S A! 		2nd 3rd 4th
S K
H —
D A
C — 		Table S Q
H —
D K
C —
South leads S A
H A
D —
C —

2. Drive draw trump control

S win 3
auto bi 		S 2
H —
D 4 3 2
C — 		Trick
1 S
2 W
3 S 		Lead
S K!
D A
S Q! 		2nd
A
2 		3rd
2
5 		4th
10
S 3
S A J
H —
D A K
C — 		Table S 10
H —
D 7 6 5
C —
South leads S K Q 3
H A
D —
C —

3. Discard drive draw trump control

S win 4
auto bi 		S 2
H A K 3
D 3
C — 		Trick
1 S
2 N
3 N 		Lead
H 2!
H K
S 2! 		2nd
4
7
10 		3rd
A
D 2
K 		4th
6
5
A
S A J
H 5 4
D A
C — 		Table S 10
H 9 8 7 6
D —
C —
South leads S K Q 3
H 2
D 2
C —

4. Force trump control

S win 1
auto bi? 		S —
H —
D 3 2
C — 		Trick
1 S 		Lead
H A! 		2nd 3rd 4th
S A
H —
D A
C — 		Table S —
H —
D 5 4
C —
South leads S K
H A
D —
C —

5. Drive force trump control

S win 2
auto bi 		S 2
H —
D 4 3 2
C — 		Trick
1 S
2 W
3 S 		Lead
S Q!
D K
H A! 		2nd
A
2 		3rd
2
5 		4th
9
S 10
S A K
H —
D A K
C — 		Table S 9
H —
D 7 6 5
C —
South leads S Q J 10
H A
D —
C —

6. Duck trump control

S win 2
auto bi 		S 6 5 4
H 3
D —
C — 		Trick
1 S 		Lead
S 2! 		2nd 3rd 4th
S K Q J
H —
D A
C — 		Table S 10 9
H —
D K Q
C —
South leads S A 3 2
H A
D —
C —

7. Repeat duck trump control

S win 2
auto bi 		S 6 5 4
H 2
D —
C — 		Trick
1 S
2 W 		Lead
S 2!
S K 		2nd
J
5 		3rd
4
9 		4th
8
3!
S K Q J
H —
D A
C — 		Table S 10 9 8
H —
D 2
C —
South leads S A 3 2
H A
D —
C —

8. Duck finesse trump control

S win 2
auto 		S Q 9
H 4
D —
C — 		Trick
1 S 		Lead
S 2! 		2nd
8 		3rd
9! 		4th
10
S J 8
H —
D A
C — 		Table S K 10
H —
D —
C A
South leads S A 2
H A
D —
C —

9. Crash trump control

S win 2
auto bi 		S 9 8 7 6
H 3
D —
C — 		Trick
1 S
2 E
3 S 		Lead
S 2!
D J
S 4! 		2nd
10
S 3 		3rd
6
Q 		4th
Q
H 3
S J 10
H —
D A K Q
C — 		Table S A K Q
H —
D J 10
C —
South leads S 5 4 3 2
H A
D —
C —

10. Finesse refusal trump control

S win 2
auto bi 		S A Q
H 2
D —
C — 		Trick
1 S
2 N 		Lead
S 2
H 2! 		2nd
10 		3rd
A! 		4th
J
S 10
H —
D 3 2
C — 		Table S K J
H —
D A
C —
South leads S 2
H A K
D —
C —

Study 9N01   MainTop   Trump Control

11. Overtake trump control

S win 4
auto bi 		S A Q 2
H 4 3
D —
C — 		Trick
1 S
2 N
3 N 		Lead
S K
S Q
H 3! 		2nd
9
8 		3rd
A!
H J 		4th
7
10
S J 10 9
H —
D J 10
C — 		Table S 8 7
H —
D A K Q
C —
South leads S K
H A K Q J
D —
C —

12. Entry preservation trump control

S win 3
auto 		S —
H A K
D 4 3
C — 		Trick
1 S 		Lead
S K! 		2nd 3rd 4th
S A
H —
D K Q J
C — 		Table S —
H 4 3
D 10 9
C —
South leads S K
H 2
D A 2
C —

13. Anti uppercut trump control

S win 2
auto bi 		S 5 4 3
H 2
D —
C — 		Trick
1 S
2 S 		Lead
S A!
S 2! 		2nd
8 		3rd
3 		4th
10
S K 9 8
H —
D —
C A 		Table S Q 10
H —
D 4 3
C —
South leads S A J 2
H A
D —
C —

Enemy trumps must block for this to work.

14. Jettison draw trump control

S win 3
auto 		S —
H A
D 3 2
C — 		Trick
1 S 		Lead
S A 		2nd
K 		3rd
H A! 		4th
Q
S K
H —
D J 10
C — 		Table S Q
H —
D A K
C —
South leads S A
H K Q
D —
C —

15. Jettison force trump control

S win 4
auto 		S —
H A
D 5 4 3 2
C — 		Trick
1 S
2 S 		Lead
S A
H K 		2nd
Q 		3rd
H A! 		4th
10
S K Q
H —
D J 10 9
C — 		Table S 10
H 2
D A K Q
C —
South leads S A J
H K Q J
D —
C —

16. Trump retention trump control

S win 3
auto bi 		S A Q J
H A
D —
C — 		Trick
1 S 		Lead
S 7 		2nd
D 3 		3rd
J! 		4th
K
S —
H 4
D 5 4 3
C — 		Table S K 10 9
H —
D A
C —
South leads S 8 7
H 3 2
D —
C —

17. Entry gambit trump control

S win 3
auto bi 		S A
H J 10
D A
C — 		Trick
1 S 		Lead
H 7! 		2nd
K 		3rd
10 		4th
Q
S K
H K
D 5 4
C — 		Table S Q
H Q
D 3
C A
South leads S —
H A 9 8 7
D —
C —

18. Entry gambit jettison trump control

S win 4
auto bi 		S A
H J 10 9
D A
C — 		Trick
1 S
2 W
3 N 		Lead
H 8!
D K
S A 		2nd
K
A
Q 		3rd
9
10
H A! 		4th
Q
C 2
K
S K
H K
D K Q J
C — 		Table S Q
H Q
D 10
C A K
South leads S —
H A 8
D —
C 4 3 2

Study 9N01   MainTop   Trump Control

Anti trump control

19. Duck anti trump control

S win 2
auto bi 		S 5 4
H —
D 3 2
C — 		Trick
1 W 		Lead
S 7 		2nd
4 		3rd
K 		4th
2!
S Q J 7
H A
D —
C — 		Table S K 6
H 3 2
D —
C —
West leads S A 3 2
H —
D A
C —

20. Repeat duck anti trump control

S win 2
auto bi 		S 6 5
H —
D 4 3 2
C — 		Trick
1 W
2 E 		Lead
S 8
S Q 		2nd
5
3! 		3rd
K
9 		4th
2!
6
S J 10 9 8
H A
D —
C — 		Table S K Q 7
H 3 2
D —
C —
West leads S A 4 3 2
H —
D A
C —

21. Finesse block anti trump control

S win 2
auto bi 		S K 3 2
H —
D A
C — 		Trick
1 W 		Lead
S 8 		2nd
K! 		3rd 4th
S 9 8
H A 3
D —
C — 		Table S A J 10
H 2
D —
C —
West leads S Q 4
H —
D 3 2
C —

Even if East ducks S K, D A ensures second trick.

22. Finesse refusal anti trump control

S win 2
bi 		S 6 5 4
H —
D 2
C — 		Trick
1 W 		Lead
S 9 		2nd
4 		3rd
Q 		4th
2!
S 10 9
H A 3
D —
C — 		Table S A Q J
H 2
D —
C —
West leads S K 3 2
H —
D A
C —

23. Block anti trump control

S win 2
bi 		S A 10 2
H A
D 3
C — 		Trick
1 W
2 N 		Lead
S 3
D 3! 		2nd
A! 		3rd
J 		4th
6
S K 9 8 3
H —
D K
C — 		Table S Q J
H —
D A Q 2
C —
West leads S 7 6
H —
D 6 5 4
C —

24. Overruff refusal anti trump control

S win 2
auto bi? 		S Q
H A
D 4 3 2
C — 		Trick
1 W 		Lead
H K 		2nd
A 		3rd
S 9 		4th
D Q!
S A K
H K Q J
D —
C — 		Table S 9
H —
D 8 7 6 5
C —
West leads S 10 2
H —
D A K Q
C —

Bi case trivial and N-S win 3 tricks.

25. Unblock anti trump control

S win 3
S K 10 9
H —
D —
C A 		Trick
1 W 		Lead
S A 		2nd
9 		3rd
3 		4th
Q!
S A J 2
H A
D —
C — 		Table S 5 4 3
H 2
D —
C —
West leads S Q 8
H —
D 4 3
C —

Study 9N01   MainTop   Trump Control

© 2014 Richard Pavlicek