Hybrid safety play

Most readers will know safety plays arise when a declarer plays the cards in such a way as to guard against bad distribution. The best safety plays do not sacrifice any advantage, while others may cost a trick.

Today’s hand, taken from a recent teams’ match at the Otago Bridge Club, features what might be called a hybrid safety play.

North was declarer in four hearts. Those Easts who quite reasonably overcalled two diamonds during the auction may well have met a sticky end.

Not surprisingly, East led the ace of diamonds then two more diamond honours, North ruffing the third. West had followed with his singleton diamond then the six and nine of spades. North, quite properly, asked East if his side was playing count, and was told, ‘‘Yes, standard’’. North, therefore, expected West to be showing an uneven number of spades, always assuming he was being honest.

North cashed his ace of hearts, noting the fall of East’s 10.

North now crossed to dummy with a spade and played another heart. Unwisely, West played the jack, so now North only had to concede a further trump trick for the contract.

Let’s say West had chosen not to split his honours and followed with the six of hearts instead. North falls back on a safety play by inserting the nine to protect against a fourone trump split. If East happens to win the trick, then North can simply draw the last heart honour upon regaining the lead. There should be no loss, because declarer always had a heart loser.

However, a twist in the tale is that, by now, West is probably out of spades. If, following the safety play, East had won the second heart (let’s say he held jack/10) then exited with a spade, West would secure a ruff. North’s seemingly costfree play has just seen him fail in a contract many would make.

So what would North have done if West had followed low on the second heart? Playing the king would have meant two heart losers and defeat. We will never know . . .