Smother Play
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.
