THE GAME OF BRIDGE Weekly Chat on Contract Specially Written fob "The Post" by "Approach Bid"

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 73, 23 September 1939, Page 19

THE GAME OF BRIDGE Weekly Chat on Contract Specially Written fob "The Post" by "Approach Bid"

A safety play is a play made in order to reduce to a minimum the risk of losing the contract, by guarding against abnormal distribution. The following example of a <safety play consists of the playing of honour combinations so that you are prepared to deal with the worst possible distribution of the outstanding cards in the suit. . 4 A.9.4. 9 6.5.3. + 10.7.3.2. £ A.S.C. 6 J. 8.5.2. y or th. \ 4 — 9 A.K.Q. - sf 9J. 10.4.2. J. 9.5.4. £ & K.Q.5.6. Jj, 9.2. I South. I J. 10.7.5.4. £ K.Q.10.T.6.3. 9 9.8.7. ♦ Aj, K.Q.3. North-South have reached a contract of four spades and West leads the King of hearts. The heart lead is continued and at the fourth trick West leads a small diamond, which is won by South with the Ace. South cannot afford to lose another trick. The game is safe unless one of the adverse hands is void in trumps. Friend distribution is well known as playing many pranks, so that if there is a way of providing for this possibility South must take it. At the fifth trick therefore he makes a saf'y play by leading the King of spades, rather than a small spade, to dummy's Ace. If either adversary shows a void, South can play to catch the Jack, irrespective of which adversary may hold it. If it is West who shows the void, South will win the second round of trumps with dummy's Ace, and finesse the ten on the third round, dropping East's Jack on the next round. If it is East who shows the void, as in the above hand, South will lead a low spade on the second round and finesse the nine in dummy. The Ace is next led, and, on returning to his own hand with the Queen of clubs, South leads the Queen of spades, dropping West's Jack. Thus it will be seen that th* leao of the King of spades protects South against any distribution. The same principle applies to all combinations of cards which permit "two-way" finesses, if the distribution proves to be unfavourable. Where a two-way finesse is impossible the pro-

SOME SAFETY PLAYS

cedure is different, as the following hand will illustrate. £ A.9.4.3, 9 6.5.3. 4>> 10.7.3.2. 4> A-8" 4k —. North. \ X 10.5.3 9 A.K.Q. ■£ £ J. 9.6.5.4. • £ b 4>. E.Q.S. Jfe 9.6.4.3.2. I South. 1 10X - 4 K.Q.8.7.6. ff 9.8.7. ♦ A. - jf, K.Q.J.5. Again South is playing a contract ot four spades, and again at the fourth trick South obtains the lead with the Ace of diamonds. The same position is present as. in the preceding hand, in that there ii just one chance of defeat —one adversary may hold all the missing trumps-^-J.10.x.x. In this case, however, if West holds the four trumps, no play by South can prevent him from making the Jack, as his ten can force out the Ace, and eventually West's Jack will be a winner. If East, on the other hand, holds the four trumps, he will not make his Jack if South leads a small spade up to dummy's Ace. When West shows a void, the nine in dummy gives South a perfect tenace with K.Q.B over East's J. 10.5. The play of the Ace of spades on the first round of the suit provides against this distribution, whereas the play of I the King provides against no contingency whatever. A very fine example of the opportunity for making a safety play is shown in the following hand, which appeared recently in the London "Times":— . £ A.K.Q.X.X.X.X. "—Nortb. I 4fc ■ I.X.X. •ft A.x.x. -S5 ■& I tf X.S.X. 4» x.x. I South. 3 Jfr A.K.X.X.T. West is playing the hand at a contract of four spades. North leads the Queen of clubs, which suit he had called during the auction. West should duck the Srst trick in dummy and, if North continues the suit, should duck the second trick also. If clubs are I still continued, West can ruff high, and then draw the adverse trumps. Dummy can be.given the lead on the second j trump lead, when the Ace and King ol clubs will now give West the two i discards necessary for the success of I his contract. East-West make two club tricks and one diamond. In the actual play of this hand, West i played dummy's King on North's Queen, and South, with a void in clubs, ruffed. A diamond return was taken Iby North, and another club was ruffed by South. -

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