Glossary of Contract Bridge Terms - K

K

Kaplan-Sheinwold (K-S)
A bidding system that uses five card majors and the weak notrump.
Key-card Blackwood
An "ace-asking" convention that counts five keycards, four aces plus the king of the apparent trump suit. Commonly there is a follow-up to ask about the queen of trumps, effectively sixth keycard.
Kibitzer
A spectator.
Kickback
An ace asking convention initiated by the first step above four of the agreed trump suit. See Useful space principle.
Kiss of death
At pairs, plus or minus 200. A score of minus 200, down two undoubled and vulnerable, or down one doubled and vulnerable, is a likely bottom against a part score by the opponents. A score of plus 200 from making five-odd of a major after stopping in a partial, is a likely bottom against the game contracts bid by other pairs holding the same cards.
Knockout
A type of team-of-four tournament in which the winning teams from each round advance to the next. The losing team is removed from play (but see repechage). In a double knockout a team is removed from play only after losing two matches.
Knockout squeeze
A type of squeeze that operates in part against the defender's trump holding, when the defender threatens to win a plain suit trick and then lead a trump, thus reducing declarer's ruffing tricks. It is usual to call this play a knockout squeeze when the squeezed defender is second to play to the trick, and to call it a backwash squeeze when the squeezed defender is fourth to play.
Kock-Werner Redouble
A rescue mechanism employed when partner's bid is doubled for penalties. Invented by Rudolf Kock and Einar Werner from Sweden. See also SOS Redouble.

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