I am using this summer series to hammer home a lot of the advice I’ve provided in prior columns — today I’m doing a deep dive into defending against the “Bath coup” in 3NT contracts, and after reading this you had better not ever get it wrong again as this represents the definitive work on the subject!

Let’s first define the problem:

You hold KQ1097 of hearts against 3NT — you lead the King, dummy has two small, and you are allowed to hold the trick — what next?

Do you continue hoping partner holds the Ace or the Jack or do you switch, believing declarer has employed the Bath coup by holding up with AJx?

Today’s column will clear all this up for you, but there are certain rules you have to follow:

The minute you lead the King you must promise holding a suit headed by KQJ or KQ10 — no exceptions and nothing less! If you want to lead the suit and you have KQ865 or KQ86 you cannot lead the King you must lead fourth best as much as you hate it.

So the defensive rule is that if your partner has the Jack and you lead the King, partner must throw the Jack under the King, and if he has the Ace he must overtake the King and lead the suit back.

Having established that, let us look at the usual layouts that can cause a problem.

In all of these assume that you and your partner have not bid.

Simple, once your King is allowed to hold you know declarer has the AJx so you must switch.

Simple again, as partner throws the jack under your King telling you it is safe to continue.

This one often causes a problem … partner must overtake the King with the Ace and lead back the suit — problem solved.

This is a teaser …..you lead the King and it is allowed to hold — what do you to next?

Well, clearly if partner has the Ace he cannot overtake as that would set up the Jack, so do you continue hoping he has the Ace? The answer must be yes, you do — if declarer had the Ace he would almost certainly win the King knowing that the Jack now becomes a trick.

There you are, the Bath Coup is no longer a mystery.

With all of that in mind let me give you a hand which came up in a big money game in the Bahamas in the 70s — sitting South was a popular and swashbuckling American whose name I forget and have forgotten the last four times I covered this hand.

I recently had a brain-flash that said it was the great John Crawford, so that is who I am going with — I looked up his biography and it fits!

And, oh how I wish I had made this play!

South opened 1NT, West bid two hearts (this was a long time ago!), and North made the practical bid of 3NT based on the long club suit.

West led the King of hearts, East played the nine and in one smooth move John played the Jack! West’s eyes lit up and he immediately, and naturally, led another heart to clear the suit — curtains!

John won this trick, knocked out the Ace of clubs and when East had no heart to return, claimed an easy 11 tricks!

Brilliant! But should a good West player have smelled a rat? I think so, if he had noted partner’s nine of hearts on the first round — clearly the start of a high-low play showing two hearts! If South actually had AJ doubleton that would have left East with 985 and he would have followed with the five at trick one … don’t you just love this game?

The next set of Beginners Bridge Lessons will start on Monday, September 14 at 6:45pm to 9pm and run until the end of March with a break for Christmas. Message bridgelessons@bermudabridge.com for details and registration.

• David Ezekiel can be reached at davidezekiel999@gmail.com

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, July 24

North/South

1 Charles Hall/Stephanie Kyme

2 Jane Smith/Margaret Way

East/West

1 Martha Ferguson/Judy King

2 Richard Hall/Molly Taussig

Monday, July 27

1 Linda Pollett/William Pollett

2= Richard Gray/Wendy Gray

2= Jane Smith/Sancia Garrison

Tuesday, July 28

North/South

1 Felicity Lunn/Linda Manders

2Ian Boatman/Muna Vallis

East/West

1 Joshimar Hussey/Julia Tadman

2 Richard Bruton/Chris Van Rooyen

Wednesday, July 29

1 Patricia Siddle/Diana Diel

2 Charles Hall/Margaret Way

3 Louise Rodger/Molly Taussig