Emperor's Coup

An Emperor's Coup is a rare and flashy defensive coup in which a defender discards a high card (often an ace) to create an entry to partner's hand.

Perhaps the most famous example of an Emperor's Coup occurred in the 1982 World Championships in Biarritz, France. Sitting East was the late Swiss expert Jean Besse, who earned the year's Bols Brilliancy Prize on this deal.

		North
		J65
		AK
West		J9876		Besse
T982		T32		K74
T9				876532
QT		South		A3
A9654		AQ3		J7
		QJ4
		K542
		KQ8

West Pass All pass

North 3

Besse Pass

South 1 3NT

North-South were playing a weak no-trump, so South opened his strong hand with 1. Against the eventual 3NT contract, West led the 5.

South called for dummy's T, hoping that the jack was with West. When Besse covered with the J, though, declarer ducked. Besse continued clubs, West winning the A and returning the 4.

Besse read his partner's low club as a suit preference signal, so he made the spectacular discard of the A. Now when South tried to establish diamonds, West's Q became an entry to the long clubs. An amazing result.

Note that South could make the contract by playing a low club from dummy at trick one. That would have established the T as a second stopper. But it was a tough guess for declarer, and Besse took full advantage.

Additional Examples

The following two examples of the Emperor's Coup are from Guy Levé's book, "The Encyclopedia of Card Play Techniques at Bridge". The first hand is similar to the 1982 Biarritz deal.

		North
		54
		AQ75
West		987		East
KJ9876		KT93		Q3
32				JT984
J32		South		A
75		AT2		QJ864
		K6
		KQT654
		A2

"South plays 3NT; West leads a spade. Declarer ducks East's Q and not knowing the exact spade layout, ducks again when East continues the suit. West wins and plays the J, suit preference for diamonds. East should discard his A (an Emperor's Coup)! The J is promoted to an entry for the good spades."

The second example by Levé:

		North
		KQT
		864
West		876		East
976		A975		J853
QT973				AJ
T5		South		QJ432
JT3		A42		K2
		K52
		AK9
		Q864

"South plays 3NT; West leads the 10. East takes the ace and returns the J.

"If declarer ducks without thinking, West overtakes the Q and plays back the 3 (suit preference for clubs), as East jettisons his K, promoting an entry for West in clubs."

The Emperor's Coup is named after the last Vietnamese emperor Bao Dai, who supposedly executed the play many years before Besse. That deal is recounted in Victor Mollo's book, "The Other Side of Bridge".

"Introducing an opponent of impressive weight and strength, meet Jacques Blaizot, one of France's greatest players in the immediate post-war period. The Emperor Bao Dai was still on Indo-China's throne when Blaizot cut him as partner during a rubber at the Dalat Palace. Blaizot, West, dealt, with his side a game up.

		North
		95
		AKQ
Blaizot		J83		Bao Dai
J42		K8653		AT3
—				JT865432
Q2		South		AT
AQJT9742		KQ876		—
		97
		K97654
		—

Blaizot 3 Pass All pass

North Double 3

Bao Dai Pass Pass

South 3 3NT

"'I led the A', said Blaizot, 'and to the stupefaction of the spectators Bao Dai discarded the A! I continued with the Q and he threw the A.'

"The bystanders looked at each other incredulously. Had the emperor lost his senses?

"On the contrary, he had found the only defense to beat the contract. So long as he held those aces, whether declarer played on spades or diamonds, he could hardly fail to come to ten tricks. Finding Blaizot with stoppers in both suits was the only hope."