Contract Bridge

In notrump play, declarer often refuses to win the opening lead even though he has the ace of the suit led. This refusal to win the trick, called a holdup play, usually occurs when declarer is under attack in a suit where he is relatively weak. The ace is withheld in the hope of disrupting enemy communications.

The holdup during suit play is much less common, but it can be just as effective as the holdup play in notrump. Consider this deal where South gets to five diamonds and West leads the king of clubs.

If South takes the king with the ace, he goes down one against best defense. Whenever declarer leads a club, West wins with the jack and shifts to a low spade. East’s king forces the ace, and declarer winds up losing two clubs and a spade.

But if South refuses to win the king of clubs, he makes the contract regardless of what West does next. Suppose West plays another club. South takes the ace, draws trump and returns a club. Dummy’s clubs thus become established and take care of South’s spade loser.

Now suppose West shifts to a low spade at trick two. Declarer wins East’s king with the ace, draws trump and returns a spade, establishing dummy’s jack as a parking place for his second club loser.

Observe that there is no risk attached to ducking the king of clubs. Even if East has only one club, South cannot lose more than two tricks. If West continues with a club, it makes no difference whether or not East ruffs; either way, declarer cannot be stopped from establishing dummy’s fifth club as his game-going trick.