Breaking Declarer’s Entries

Declarer has a beautiful five-card suit in dummy. All they need is one entry to run it. Your job? Make sure they never get there.

This is entry-killing defense. It’s one of the most satisfying plays in bridge because it looks like you’re giving declarer what they want (a trick in a key suit), but you’re actually cutting their communications to pieces.

Why Entries Matter

Declarer needs to get back and forth between hands. To finesse. To ruff. To cash a long suit. Every time they can’t get to the hand they need, they lose tempo and tricks.

Your job is to cut the telephone lines.

The Basic Duck

Simplest entry-killing play: Don’t take your ace when declarer leads toward dummy’s long suit.

Example Hand #1: The Mandatory Duck

Contract: 3NT by South

Dummy (North)
♠ 8 6 3
♥ 7 4
♦ A K Q J 10
♣ 9 6 2

You (East)
♠ K J 10 2
♥ Q 10 6
♦ 8 7 2
♣ A 7 3

Bidding: 1NT - 3NT

Partner leads ♥5, your queen loses to declarer’s ace. Declarer leads a diamond to dummy’s ace. All follow.

Declarer plays another diamond from dummy.

Duck.

You have three diamonds. If you win the second diamond, declarer still has ♦K-Q-J in dummy and an entry (the ♦10 or an outside entry). They’ll get back to dummy, run diamonds, score up nine tricks.

If you duck twice and win the third diamond, dummy has two diamond winners left but no entry. Declarer can’t get there. They’re limited to maybe seven tricks total.

This costs you nothing (your ace was taking a trick eventually) and kills three of declarer’s tricks.

When to Duck

Duck when:

Dummy has a long suit
Dummy has limited outside entries
Taking your winner doesn’t immediately set the contract

Don’t duck when:

Declarer has plenty of entries anyway
Ducking lets declarer pitch losers on the suit
You need to win now to shift suits urgently

Attacking the Entry Before Declarer Uses It

Sometimes you can’t duck (dummy has too many entries or declarer will pitch losers). Instead, knock out the entry before declarer gets to use it.

Example Hand #2: Kill the Entry First

Contract: 3NT by South

Dummy (North)
♠ 9 6
♥ 8 5
♦ K Q J 10 9 7
♣ A 8 3

You (West)
♠ K Q J 10 3
♥ A 9 4
♦ 6 2
♣ K 6 2

Bidding: 1NT - 3NT

You lead ♠K, partner plays the 5, declarer the 4.

Dummy has six diamond tricks ready to roll. The only entry is the ♣A.

Should you continue spades?

No! Shift to the ♥4 (attacking the entry in dummy).

If declarer has the ♥K, they’ll win. But now when they lead a diamond, you duck. They win in dummy, but dummy has no more entries. They can’t get back to cash the rest of the diamonds.

If you’d continued spades, declarer ducks, wins the continuation, leads a diamond. You duck. Declarer uses the ♣A to get back to dummy and runs the diamonds. Nine tricks, game made.

Attacking the entry first (the heart shift) limits declarer to seven tricks. Down two.

Reading When to Attack Entries

Look at dummy. Count the entries. If there’s only one or two entries to a long suit, think: “Can I kill those entries before declarer uses them?”

Typical entry cards to attack:

Singleton kings or queens in dummy
Bare aces in a weak suit
Trump entries (if you can force dummy to ruff)

The Hold-Up Play

The hold-up is the flip side of the duck. You refuse to win your stopper in declarer’s suit so they run out of entries to the hand with the long suit.

This is classic notrump defense against declarer’s suit.

Example Hand #3: Hold Up to Kill Entries

Contract: 3NT by South

You (West)
♠ 10 8 6 3
♥ A 9 2
♦ K 9 3
♣ 7 6 2

Dummy (North)
♠ K Q J 9 4
♥ 8 4
♦ Q 6 2
♣ 10 5 3

Partner leads ♥5, your 9 forces declarer’s king.

Declarer leads a spade. Dummy plays the king.

Duck. You have A-10-8-6. If you take the king, declarer still has entries to dummy with the Q-J-9. They’ll get back, run spades, make the contract.

Declarer continues spades. Duck again.

Now declarer leads a third spade. Win your ace.

Declarer has no more spades. Dummy has ♠Q-J ready to cash, but declarer can’t get there. If dummy has no outside entries, those spade tricks die on the vine.

How Many Times to Hold Up?

General rule: Hold up until declarer (the hand with shortness) has no more cards in the suit.

Count declarer’s length from the opening lead and the bidding. If declarer has a doubleton (you can tell from partner’s lead and dummy’s length), hold up once. If declarer has three cards, hold up twice.

This isn’t perfect. Sometimes declarer has outside entries anyway. But it’s the right technique when dummy has the long suit and limited entries.

The Merrimac Coup

This is the spectacular play: You crash an honor into dummy’s honor to kill the entry while you still have a stopper in the suit.

Named after the USS Merrimac (a ship sunk to block a harbor), the Merrimac Coup sacrifices a high card to block declarer’s communication.

Example Hand #4: The Classic Merrimac

Contract: 3NT by South

Dummy (North)
♠ 7 6
♥ K 8 4
♦ A K Q J 10 3
♣ 9 4

You (West)
♠ K Q J 10 2
♥ A 7 2
♦ 6 4
♣ K 8 3

Bidding: 1♦ - 1♥ - 1NT - 3NT

You lead ♠K, declarer wins the ace, partner plays the 5.

Declarer leads a diamond toward dummy. Partner plays the 5, dummy the ace, you follow with the 4.

Declarer plays another diamond. You’re out. Partner shows out (pitches a spade).

Declarer has all six diamonds, but only one entry to dummy: the ♥K.

At some point, declarer will lead a heart toward dummy. When they do, hop up with the ace and crash dummy’s king.

Why? If you don’t take the ace, declarer wins the king, gets to dummy, runs all six diamonds, makes an overtrick.

If you smash your ace on dummy’s king, declarer has no entry to dummy. Those diamond winners are stranded. Declarer is limited to maybe seven tricks. Down two.

This looks crazy. You’re “wasting” your ace by crashing it into the king. But you’re not taking a trick with it anyway (declarer will eventually finesse or set up the hearts). What you’re doing is killing the entry.

That’s the Merrimac Coup: Sacrifice an honor to destroy dummy’s entry.

When to Merrimac

Use the Merrimac when:

Dummy has a long suit ready to run
Dummy has exactly one entry in a particular suit
You hold the ace (or king) in that suit
Killing the entry is more valuable than keeping your stopper

Don’t Merrimac when:

Dummy has other entries anyway (you’re just giving up a trick for nothing)
Declarer can get to dummy another way
Your honor is actually needed to stop the suit later

Merrimac in a Side Suit

The Merrimac doesn’t have to be in a suit declarer is attacking. Sometimes you lead your ace to kill dummy’s king in a side suit.

Example Hand #5: Offensive Merrimac

Contract: 6♠ by South

Dummy (North)
♠ 8 6 3
♥ K 4
♦ A K Q J 10 9
♣ 7 2

You (West)
♠ 7 4
♥ A 8 6 2
♦ 8 3
♣ K Q J 10 5

Partner leads ♣3

Your king wins (declarer plays the 4). You see six diamond tricks in dummy and one heart entry (the king).

Cash the ♣Q (partner follows, declarer follows). Now lead the ♥A!

You’re crashing your ace on dummy’s king. Declarer had to win it eventually (they can’t avoid it), but now they can’t get to dummy to pitch all their losers on those diamonds.

If you’d exited a club or trump, declarer draws trumps, leads a heart to dummy’s king, pitches all their losers on the diamonds. Slam made.

By leading the ♥A (the Merrimac), you cut the entry. Declarer is stuck. Down one.

Forcing Dummy to Ruff (Killing Trump Entries)

In suit contracts, dummy’s trumps are often entries. If dummy is short in a suit, you can force dummy to ruff, using up the trump entry.

Example Hand #6: Ruff Away the Entry

Contract: 4♥ by South

Dummy (North)
♠ 8 6 2
♥ K 9 4
♦ A K Q J 10
♣ 7 3

You (East)
♠ A K 4
♥ 6 2
♦ 9 7 3
♣ Q 10 8 6 2

Partner leads ♣5, your queen wins, declarer follows with the 4.

You shift to a spade (ace). Declarer follows with the 7. You continue spades (king). Declarer follows with the queen.

Now lead a third spade.

Dummy is out of spades. Dummy has to ruff with the ♥9.

Why does this matter? Because dummy had exactly three trumps (K-9-4). Declarer needed to use dummy’s ♥K as an entry to run the diamonds.

But you made dummy ruff. Now dummy has ♥K-9 left. When declarer leads a heart toward dummy and you duck, declarer wins the king, but dummy only has one trump left (the 9). Declarer can’t get back to dummy to cash all those diamonds.

If you’d passively exited a club, declarer draws trumps ending in dummy, runs the diamonds, pitches all their losers. Contract made.

Forcing dummy to ruff killed the trump entry. Down one.

The Communication-Breaking Opening Lead

Sometimes you kill entries on the opening lead.

Lead Through Strength

Dummy has bid a suit. You have honors in that suit. Lead it immediately, crashing your honor into dummy’s before declarer can use dummy’s honor as an entry.

Example Hand #7: Lead to Break Entries

You (West)
♠ K 10 7 3
♥ 9 6 2
♦ Q 8 5
♣ K 7 4

Dummy bid hearts (1♥ - 2♥ - 4♥)

Lead the ♥9 (passive, safe). No! Lead the ♠3 if you think dummy has the ace, or lead the ♣4 if dummy has club honors.

Actually, hard to say without seeing the auction. But the principle: If dummy bid a suit and you suspect declarer needs dummy’s honors as entries, attack that suit immediately.

Better example: Dummy bid diamonds (1♦ - 1♠ - 2♦ - 4♠). You hold ♦Q-J-10.

Lead the ♦Q. You’re attacking dummy’s diamond honors immediately. If dummy has ♦A-K-x-x-x and declarer needs to get to dummy to ruff clubs, your diamond lead might crash dummy’s entries before declarer can use them.

The Counter-Attack: Preserving Your Entries

While you’re attacking declarer’s entries, don’t forget to preserve your own.

If you need to get to partner’s hand (they have a long suit or you need them to lead through declarer), keep your entries intact.

Example Hand #8: Save Partner’s Entry

Contract: 3NT by South

You (West)
♠ Q J 10 9 3
♥ 8 6
♦ A 7 2
♣ 9 5 4

Partner (East)
♠ 8 6 5
♥ K Q J 10 2
♦ 9 4
♣ A 7 3

You lead ♠Q, declarer wins the ace, partner plays the 5.

Declarer attacks diamonds. You have the ace. Should you duck?

No! Win the ace and shift to the ♥8.

Why? Because partner has a heart suit ready to run (you can see from their high-low in spades that they liked your lead). Partner needs an entry (the ♣A) to cash hearts.

If you duck diamonds, declarer will eventually knock out partner’s ♣A. When partner wins, they can’t cash hearts because you’re out of hearts. You wasted partner’s entry.

By winning ♦A immediately and shifting to hearts, you establish partner’s suit while they still have the ♣A as an entry. Partner will get in, cash four heart tricks, defeat the contract.

Preserve partner’s entries. Attack declarer’s. That’s the balance.

The Framework

Ask yourself three questions:

Question 1: Where are dummy’s entries?

Count them. If there’s only one or two, you can attack them.

Question 2: Can declarer use a long suit?

If yes, killing entries becomes priority #1.

Question 3: What’s worth more: my stopper or killing their entry?

If killing the entry saves more tricks than keeping your stopper, Merrimac. If your stopper is critical for later, keep it and find another way to attack entries.

Practice This

Next session, look at dummy and immediately ask: “How many entries does dummy have?”

Then: “Can I kill them?”

If yes, formulate a plan. Duck their suit. Attack the entry suit. Merrimac if you must.

Breaking entries turns laydown contracts into hopeless ones. It’s one of the most powerful weapons in defense. Use it.