ACBL19 – Declarer: Safety Plays              Ward Trumbull

                                                                                                                   May 2, 2005 Rev 12/2/2019

                                                                                                                   Page 1 of 4

 

What if the suit doesn’t break favorably?

 

      That is the key phrase to making safety plays.  The bridge player who  

is a pessimist has it all over the optimist.  

 

1. Don’t Lose to a Singleton Queen

 

                 Dummy                                  Declarer

                 -----------                                  -----------

                 A J x x                                    K x x

 

      You are going to finesse your left hand opponent (LHO) for the missing

      queen.  However, before you lead small to the jack, play the king in

      case the right hand opponent (RHO) has a singleton queen.  It do

      happen.

 

2. Going for a 4-3-3-3 Split

 

                 Dummy                                  Declarer

                 -----------                                  -----------

                 A x x x                                    K x x

 

      You’re either in a notrump contract or a suit contract after trump has

      been pulled. You need to get three tricks out of the suit.

 

              1st  - Leave the suit alone as long as possible.  An opponent with

                       4+ cards in that suit might discard one or more.

 

              2nd - Give up a trick in the suit before you cash your ace and

                       king.  That way you will still be in control if you can’t pick

                       up the last trick in that suit.

 

 

 

                     ACBL19 – Declarer: Safety Plays                  May 3, 2005

                                                                                                                    Page 2 of 4

 

3. The Split Ain’t Always 3/2

 

      When you have an 8 card suit headed by the Ace/King, the outstanding

      cards will hopefully be 3 and 2.  That way you can cash the ace and

      king and let the queen sit.  In the real world they split 4 and 1 about as

      often.  So if you want to take four tricks in such situations, learn to be

      cautious and make safety plays.

 

                 Dummy                                  Declarer

                 -----------                                  -------------

                 10 8 5                                     A K 7 6 2

 

     .  A.  You cash the ace and RHO plays the jack.  If you need all five

              tricks in the suit to make your contract, cash the king and pray

              the RHO has the doubleton queen/jack.

 

             BUT if you need only four tricks in the suit to make your contract,

             then after you see the jack (on your right), lead the 2 to the 10.

             Whether the queen is left or right, you’ll take four tricks.  Because

             if she’s on the left, the ten/king will be good four 4 tricks; and if

             she’s on the right, the king/seven will be good for 4 tricks.

 

    .  B.  You cash the ace and LHO plays the jack.  Again, if you need all

             five tricks in the suit to make your contract, cash the king

             and pray the LHO has the doubleton queen/jack.

 

             BUT if you need only four tricks in the suit to make your contract,

             then after you see the jack (on your left), lead the 2 to the 10

             (SAME AS IN “A” ABOVE). If the queen is on your left, the ten/king

             will be good for 4 tricks.  If she’s on the right, the nine (on the right)

             will be finessable by the king/seven for four tricks..    

             

 

 

 

                       ACBL19 – Declarer: Safety Plays                  May 3, 2005

                                                                                                                      Page 3 of 4

 

4. Eight Card Suits with the Ace, King and Ten

 

            Whenever your 8 card suit has the ace, king and ten, it’s prudent to

             take a finesse to the 10 first.  In this case you are finessing for

            both the jack and queen in one hand.

 

 

    Examples:

 

                 Dummy                                  Declarer

                 -----------                                  -------------

                 A 8 5                                      K 10 7 6 2

                                         OR

                 8 6 5                                      A K 10 7 2

 

            In both examples, start by leading dummy’s 5 to declarer’s 10.  If

            The finesse works, the queen/jack are in RHO’s hand.  If not, you

            still have a chance for the 3/2 split.

 

    NOTE: In the first example, the RHO can split the queen/jack to defeat

                a finesse to the ten.  BUT usually they don’t make that good

                  play. DO NOT cash the ace first.  It tips off good players to

                  split the queen/jack.

 

                  In the second example, splitting the queen/jack does no good.

                  Most defenders don’t recognize the difference, and thus never

                  split the queen/jack.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                       ACBL19 – Declarer: Safety Plays                  May 3, 2005

                                                                                                                      Page 4 of 4

 

5. Limited Entries to a Long Suit

 

                 Dummy                                  Declarer

                 -----------                                  -------------

                 7 5 2                                      A 8 4 3

                 8 4 3                                      J 10 9 2

                 J                                            A K 5

                 A K Q 9 4 3                            5 2

 

       You are in a 3 notrump contract, and the opening lead is the 4 of

       diamonds. The jack of diamonds holds the trick.  You now have ten

       tricks.....1 spade, 3 diamonds and 6 clubs (if the clubs break no worse

       than 3/2).  But you don’t need 6 club tricks to make the contract you

      only need five.    ENTER THE SAFETY PLAY.

 

      If clubs split 4-1 after you cash the ace/king/queen, you can’t get back

      to dummy for the 5th and 6th clubs. So…….lead dummy's club 3 to declarer's 5.

      Don't lead a spade because you have only 1 spade stopper.  You will now get 5

      club tricks if the split is either 3/2 or 4/1.  Aren’t those better odds?