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SCISSORS COUP
This is a strategy play, especially by the declarer, targeted at disrupting the line of communication between the opponents in order to prevent a ruff, which will defeat the contract. The following illustration should clarify this concept.
A10 J973 J7 KQ1076
8753 65 Q64 9852
QJ42 A8 AK10853 3
K96 KQ1042 92 AJ4
East opens the auction with 1 Diamond. The final contract is 4 Hearts. South is the declarer. West leads a small Diamond, which is won by East, who returns the 
3.
South, before playing to the first trick, counts only 3 losers: 1 Heart and 2 Diamonds.
As soon as East plays the 3 on the second trick, South has to calculate an additional loser in Clubs, which will defeat the contract, since the inference is that the 3 is a singleton and West has a Diamond winner as an entry. The problem is that when South begins to pull trump, East wins, returns a Diamond to West, who then leads a Club, which East can ruff with the 
8.
The strategy behind the Scissors Coup is to cut the line of communication regarding the Diamonds. Therefore, South, after winning the Club lead by East with the Ace, plays to the 
Ace in the dummy, returns to the King in his hand, plays the 9 and throws the second Diamond instead of ruffing. In this manner, the defenders get only one additional trick in the trump suit.
In the next example, both scenarios are explained and illustrated, and demonstrate a what-if-situation:
763 Q9652 KQ 653
102 KJ104 9743 A104
KQJ985 873 J1065
A4 A A82 KQJ9872
In this deal, East is the dealer, both sides are vulnerable, and East opens, not completely inaccurately, 3 Spades. South jump overcalls to 5 Clubs, showing a very strong holding. West immediately doubles, and all pass.
West, on lead, decides to lead 10, showing a high-low for a possible ruff, which would defeat the contract. South, the declarer, plays low from the dummy, East plays the King and South the Ace. South should now attempt to disrupt the line of communication between the opponents in order to prevent a ruff, which is likely to happen if South begins collecting trump. In the case that South decides to collect trump first, West takes the Ace of trump, plays 2, which East overtakes and returns. If South trumps high, then South loses a trump trick to West's 10. If South trumps low, then the scenario is the same. Down one trick.
To guard against this possibility, South must, at trick two, play the Ace. At trick three, South leads a Diamond to the King (or Queen). At trick four, South leads the Queen and discards the 4. This is also known as a Loser-on Loser Play, but more importantly, South has disrupted the line of communication between East and West by voiding his holding of Spades and Hearts, and has successfully performed a Scissors Coup. East and West can only win one more trick, the Ace of Trumps. Instead of down one for a minus score of -200 points, South has fulfilled the contract for a plus 750 points.
In the third example, the declarer must recognize in advance the danger of false play, recognize who is the more dangerous defender, and guard against allowing that defender to lead a suit, which will defeat the contract:
J4 Q762 K983 A107
K82 A AJ764 Q543
7 9843 Q1052 KJ96
AQ109653 KJ105 82
In the above example it is the goal of the defenders, East and West, to defeat the contract. West leads the singleton Ace. West has an entry with the King of trumps and must somehow find / establish and entry by/with East so that East can return a Heart for a quick trump trick. After viewing the dummy West decides against a Diamond lead and the only remaining possibility is Clubs. West plays the 3. The declarer wins with the Ace in dummy, and East signals an encouraging 6 (or 9).
If declarer now begins to pull trumps, West wins with the King, plays 4 to East, who wins with the King, and immediately returns 4 for West to ruff, defeating the contract.
Both defenders have recognized almost immediately the possibility of setting the contract, but the declarer also has not been sleeping. The declarer has recognized who the more dangerous defender is: East. If East wins a trick, then declarer is unable to fulfill the contract. The declarer must choose a different strategy.
Winning Play: At the second trick, South wins with the Ace, and plays the 
King, playing and discarding the losing 2. The logic behind this play is that South, from the bidding, knows with a high degree of certainty, that West possesses the Ace and will win the trick. The declarer must play in such a manner that the lesser dangerous defender wins the trick, the defender who is unable to lead that suit, which partner can ruff.
West must now lead to the fourth trick. But West now realizes that the declarer, South, has executed a perfect Scissors Coup and has cut and severed the line of communication between East and West.
No matter what West now leads, the declarer only loses one trump trick, one Heart trick, and one Diamond trick.
If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.
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