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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.”

1.  Draw trump control

win all	2		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto bi	—		1. S	A!
	2
	—
K		Q
—		—
A		K
—		—
	A
	A
	—
South leads	—

2.  Drive draw trump control

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

3.  Discard drive draw trump control

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

4.  Force trump control

win 1/2	—		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto bi?	—		1. S	A!
	3 2
	—
A		—
—		—
A		5 4
—		—
	K
	A
	—
South leads	—

5.  Drive force trump control

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

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Top Trump Control

6.  Duck trump control

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

7.  Repeat duck trump control

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

8.  Duck finesse trump control

win 2/3	Q 9		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto	4		1. S	2!	8	9!	10
	—
	—
J 8		K 10
—		—
A		—
—		A
	A 2
	A
	—
South leads	—

9.  Crash trump control

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

10.  Finesse refusal trump control

win 2/3	A Q		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto bi	2		1. S	2	10	A!	J
	—		2. N	2!
	—
10		K J
—		—
3 2		A
—		—
	2
	A K
	—
South leads	—

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Top Trump Control

11.  Overtake trump control

win 4/5	A Q 2		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto bi	4 3		1. S	K	9	A!	7
	—		2. N	Q	8	J	10
	—		3. N	3!
J 10 9		8 7
—		—
J 10		A K Q
—		—
	K
	A K Q J
	—
South leads	—

12.  Entry preservation trump control

win 3/4	—		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto	A K		1. S	K!
	4 3
	—
A		—
—		4 3
K Q J		10 9
—		—
	K
	2
	A 2
South leads	—

13.  Anti uppercut trump control

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

Enemy trumps must block for this to work.

14.  Jettison draw trump control

win all	—		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto	A		1. S	A	K	A!	Q
	3 2
	—
K		Q
—		—
J 10		A K
—		—
	A
	K Q
	—
South leads	—

15.  Jettison force trump control

win 4/5	—		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto	A		1. S	A	Q	A!	10
	5 4 3 2		2. S	K
	—
K Q		10
—		2
J 10 9		A K Q
—		—
	A J
	K Q J
	—
South leads	—

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Top Trump Control

16.  Trump retention trump control

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

17.  Entry gambit trump control

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

18.  Entry gambit jettison trump control

win 4/5	A		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto bi	J 10 9		1. S	8!	K	9	Q
	A		2. W	K	A	10	2
	—		3. N	A	Q	A!	K
K		Q
K		Q
K Q J		10
—		A K
	—
	A 8
	—
South leads	4 3 2

Anti trump control

19.  Duck anti trump control

win 2/4	5 4		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto bi	—		1. W	7	4	K	2!
	3 2
	—
Q J 7		K 6
A		3 2
—		—
—		—
	A 3 2
	—
	A
West leads	—

20.  Repeat duck anti trump control

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

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Top Trump Control

21.  Finesse block anti trump control

win 2/4	K 3 2		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
auto bi	—		1. W	8	K!
	A
	—
9 8		A J 10
A 3		2
—		—
—		—
	Q 4
	—
	3 2
West leads	—

Even if East ducks K, A ensures second trick.

22.  Finesse refusal anti trump control

win 2/4	6 5 4		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
bi	—		1. W	9	4	Q	2!
	2
	—
10 9		A Q J
A 3		2
—		—
—		—
	K 3 2
	—
	A
West leads	—

23.  Block anti trump control

win 2/5	A 10 2		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
bi	A		1. W	3	A!	J	6
	3		2. N	3!
	—
K 9 8 3		Q J
—		—
K		A Q 2
—		—
	7 6
	—
	6 5 4
West leads	—

24.  Overruff refusal anti trump control

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

Bi case trivial and N-S win 3 tricks.

25.  Unblock anti trump control

win 3/4	K 10 9		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	—		1. W	A	9	3	Q!
	—
	A
A J 2		5 4 3
A		2
—		—
—		—
	Q 8
	—
	4 3
West leads	—

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Top Trump Control

© 2014 Richard Pavlicek