THE great thing about this wonderful game of ours is that it keeps coming up with something new — either in the bidding, defence or play. Last week I wrote about various declarer ‘coups’ and this week I came across another — the Belladonna Coup. Named after the great Italian, Giorgio Belladonna — one of my bridge heroes when I first got into the game — the play is a brilliant extension of these plays which are designed to keep the ‘danger’ hand off lead.

Here is the hand where Belladonna first made the play which now carries his name.

Dealer: South

IMPsNorth

[spade]8 6 3

[heart]K 6

[diamond]A K 5 3 2

[club]K 6 4

West East

[spade]K 7 2 [spade]10 4

[heart]Q 10 5 3 [heart]A 9 7 4

[diamond]10 6 [diamond]Q J 8 7

[club]9 8 3 2 [club]J 10 5

South

[spade]A Q J 9 5

[heart]J 8 2

[diamond]9 4

[club]A Q 7

West North East South

1[spade]

Pass 2[diamond] Pass 2[spade]

Pass 4[spade] All PassWest got the defence off to a good start by leading a small trump to the 10 and declarer’s jack. What now?

Prospects for a natural heart trick are good. Lead towards the king. If it loses to the ace, go back to dummy and lead towards the jack. If the ace is in with West or the queen with East, we can set up a natural heart trick.

That’s roughly a 75% shot. But wait — isn’t there a 100% line? Why not just lose two hearts and ruff the third? round.

Not so fast! If both honours are offside, the opponents will be able to contrive to lead three rounds of trump before we can get our ruff. We’ll end up losing three hearts and a spade for one in the glop. Is here a way to avoid that bleak future?

Belladonna found a way! He crossed to dummy in clubs and led a small heart toward the jack — away from his doubleton king! West won the queen but was unable to continue trump without blowing his trump trick. Belladonna was eventually able to ruff the third heart and make his contract.

The other line for the defence would be for East to jump up with an honour and lead another trump. But even if he made the inspired play of rising with an unsupported queen, declarer now has his natural heart trick. Giorgio’s line of play, even with the good lead and both honours offside, is still 100%!

The Belladonna Coup gives the opponents the Hobson’s choice of setting up a natural trick for declarer that he can’t get for himself or allowing declarer to ruff the third round of the suit. When West wins the queen he’s caught in a sorta, kinda endplay thing.

In most endplay situations, any suit the victim leads immediately gives away a trick. In this one he can lead three suits that don’t immediately give up a trick, but what he loses is a tempo that several tricks later does lead to the loss of a defensive trick.

LATEST RESULTS

Bermuda Bridge Club

Monday morning, July 24: 1. Peggy Sinclair-Louise Rodger, 2. Pat Siddle-Vivian Siddle, 3. Ann Sims-Joan Sims.

Monday evening, N/S:<$> 1. John Rayner-Don Airey, 2. Lynanne Bolton-Margaret Way, 3. Gordon Bussell-Patricia Hayward. E/W: 1. Alan Douglas-Barry Rahman, 2. (jt.) Stephen Ball-Audrey Smith and Julia Beach-Cathy Kinsella.

Wednesday afternoon, N/S<$>: 1. Wendy Gray-Richard Gray, 2. Joan Sims-Julia Beach, 3. Aida Bostelmann-Bea Williams. E/W: 1. Lynanne Bolton-Stephen Ball, 2. Michael Bickley-John Hoskins, 3. Annabella Fraser-Cathy Kinsella.

Wednesday evening: 1. Terry West-Judy Patton, 2. Joan Ross-Ron Ross, 3. George Ogden-Sandra Ogden.

Friday evening, N/S: 1. Alan Douglas-David Pereira, 2. Craig Hutton-Rachael Gosling, 3. Judith Bussell-John Hoskins. E/W: 1. (jt.) Vera Petty-Roman Smolski and John Burville-David Cordon and 3. Charles Pearman-Jane Smith.

Monday morning, July 31: 1. David Cordon-Vera Petty, 2. Gillian Gray-Joan Sims, 3. Harry Kast-Sancia Garrison.

Monday evening, N/S: 1. David Pereira-Sven Pride, 2. David Sykes-Sally Sykes, 3. Alan Douglas-Barry Rahman. E/W: 1. David Cordon-John Burville, 2. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 3. Charles Ball-Joseph Wakefield.

Wednesday afternoon, N/S<$>: 1. Gillian Gray-Mary Arton, 2. Nea Willits-Bea Williams, 3. Eileen Sharpe-Louise Rodger. E/W: 1. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 2. Julia Beach-Cathy Kinsella, 3. John Hoskins-Michael Bickley.

Wednesday evening: 1. Sally Godet-Pat Siddle, 2. Tracy Nash-Caroline Svensen, 3. Margaret Potts-Bob Darginda.

Friday evening<$>: 1. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 2. Craig Hutton-Sheena Rayner, 3. Stephen Ball-Lynanne Bolton.