Uppercut

A defensive play in which one defender ruffs with a card sufficiently high enough to promote a trump trick in his partners hand.  For example, with Spades as trumps:

                  2

                  2           

5                                 4

K                                 --

                 A3

                 --

West leads the King.  When East ruffs with the 4, South must overruff with the Ace, and West's 5 becomes a trick.

In the following hand, South is declarer in 6  :

                      Q92

                      A

                      754

                      AKJ873

A83                                         T4

KT8763                                  952

Q86                                        JT2

6                                             QT954

                     KJ765

                     QJ4

                     AK93

                     2

West leads the , dummy winning.  Diamond to the King, Queen covered with the King, ruffed, Diamond to the Ace, Jack pitching a Diamond and a diamond ruff, leaves us, with the lead in dummy :

                    Q

                    ---

                    ---

                    AKJ873

A83                                   T4

T86                                   ---

---                                      ---

6                                       QT954

                   KJ765

                   ---

                   9

                   2

No matter what declarer does, he must lose 2 tricks.  He cashes the Ace and plays the Queen which West ducks.  Then a club, ruffed with the J and over ruffed with the Ace.  West leads a heart which East ruffs with the T, promoting the 8 to a trick by an Uppercut.  

Compiled by Lorne Russell 2005