Who first spotted this defensive coup?

[Photo/China Daily]

Social media is everywhere. Peter Jackson, a New Zealand moviemaker, when talking about selfies with fans, said, "It's a social coup to nail you on their cellphone."

We have several coups in bridge. Let's start this week's columns with two defensive coups.

How can East-West defeat South's contract of three no-trump after West leads the heart jack, and the defenders take the first three tricks in the suit ending in the East hand?

North should have opened two no-trump. He should have given himself an extra point for his good five-card diamond suit and credit for all of those aces and kings. Then this contract would have been played from the preferable - and making - side.

West is known to have two heart winners, but how can East get West on lead?

West needs one other honor card, and the only useful one is the spade king. If he does have that card, how does it become an entry?

At trick four, East must lead the spade queen.

If declarer ducks, East plays another spade. Or, if South takes the queen with dummy's ace, cashes his clubs, and takes the diamond finesse, East wins and leads another spade.

You will have noticed that East's leading a low spade at trick four is not good enough.

This play of leading an unsupported honor to create an entry in partner's hand is called the Deschapelles Coup, after Alexandre Louis Honore Lebreton Deschapelles, who was born in 1780 and died in 1847. He was one of France's top chess and whist players.