Smother play
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- This article concerns contract bridge and uses terminology associated with the game. See Contract bridge glossary for an explanation of unfamiliar words or phrases.
Smother Play in contract bridge is a type of endplay where an opponent's apparent trump trick goes away. The situation can be best illustrated with the following end-position:
| ♠ | A | ||||
| ♥ | 4 | ||||
| ♦ | 4 | ||||
| ♣ | - | ||||
| ♠ | K6 |
N W E S |
♠ | - | |
| ♥ | J | ♥ | - | ||
| ♦ | - | ♦ | 1098 | ||
| ♣ | - | ♣ | - | ||
| ♠ | QJ | ||||
| ♥ | 10 | ||||
| ♦ | - | ||||
| ♣ | - | ||||
Spades are trump, and the lead is in the North (dummy) hand, declarer needing 2 tricks. It appears that the declarer is fated to take just one more trick with the Ace of spades. However, if the declarer leads dummy's diamond, pitching a heart (loser on loser play) (as does West), East gains the trick and has to lead something at trick 12. Whichever card he leads, South will play his trump and West's king is "smothered" – whatever spade he plays, South will take the last two tricks.
