Hold Up

To withhold the taking of a winner, whether for strategic or deceptive reasons:

Deceptive:

                 KQT954

  J82                             A3

( A82)                         ( J3)

                76

In both cases above when South leads toward the KQ, the holder of the Ace should play low.  This will force South to guess correctly on the next round of the suit to hold his losers to 1.

Strategic:

                        986

                        KQJT2

                        83

                        982

  Q32                                    63

  986                                     7543

  QJT9                                  76542

  KT7                                    J3

                       AKJT7

                       A

                       AK

                       AQ654

Against South's 6NT contract West leads the Queen.  South wins the Ace and plays the Jack.  West must strategically hold up the Queen, sacrificing a spade trick, but preventing South from reaching dummy to cash the heart tricks. 

Compiled by Lorne Russell 2005