Mortons Fork Coup

A play which forces a defender to choose between winning a trick and establishing 2 or more tricks for declarer, or not winning the trick and never getting it.  The defender is said to be stuck on Mortons Fork:

                                    W      N      E       S

                                                                1

              K52              X      2NT   P      3

              JT42            P      3      P      5

              AQ32           P      6     (all pass)

              76

A987                JT43

3                       Q

KT97                J654

KT98                J543

             Q6

             AK98765

             8

             AQ2

West leads the 3 .  The takeout double has placed the cards for South so a low spade puts West on Mortons Fork.  If he wins with the Ace he will establish an extra spade trick, and south can later take the diamond finesse and discard his 2 clubs on the King and Ace.   So he ducks.  South now re-enters hand, takes the diamond finesse and discards his other spade on the Ace, then concedes a club and ruffs a club to make the slam.

The play gets its name from Archbishop Morton, Henry the VIII's Chancellor whose responsibility it was to get money for the King.  If a person lived an opulent life, Morton would require a large amount, as the person could obviously afford it.  If a person lived a frugal life, a large contribution was required as they had obviously saved it!  Either way, the person was caught on "Mortons Fork".

Compiled by Lorne Russell 2005