APR_08_EB_p44-45 Senior + Quiz 14/3/08 4:02 pm Page 41

the jack loses to bare queen offside. The safety play or need to go all out for four On this last deal, South becomes the de-

safety play is to start with the king then diamond tricks. Declarer should therefore clarer in 4♠ after West opened 3♣ and led

lead low towards the nine. If the next hand win the heart in dummy and lead a spade the king of clubs.

plays small on the second round declarer to the queen. If this wins, he then follows This is a very different kind of safety

puts in the nine, while if it plays an honour the sure safety play as described above. play, which does not revolve around a suit

declarer wins and the jack and nine are combination so much as counting winners

equals against the remaining honour. That and playing accordingly.

guards against the 4-1 break and, if the ♠ K9 A careless declarer will win the ace of

nine loses, the remaining card will fall on ♥ Q 10 8 3 clubs and ruff a club with dummy's nine.

the third round as the suit has broken 3-2. ♦ Q97532 When East over-ruffs and returns a trump,

Should the second hand show out, de- ♣ 7 he will be left with two more club losers

clarer goes up with the ace then leads back ♠ 3 ♠ J542 plus a heart, for down one. Unlucky?

towards the jack. ♥ 754

W

N

E

♥ KJ96 Hardly.

Though declarer has a 5-3 instead of a ♦ 10 8 S ♦ KJ64 The safety play is to ruff a club with the

4-4 fit, exactly the same technique is ♣ KQJ9643 ♣ 10 king at trick two, cross back to hand with

successful with combination (viii). How- ♠ A Q 10 8 76 a red ace and ruff another club with the

ever, (ix) is a little more awkward. Again, it ♥A2 nine. Yes, that gets over-ruffed, but de-

is correct to cash the top honour from the ♦A clarer had budgeted for one trump loser

hand containing the jack, so start with the ♣A852 and there is only one club loser left and

king, but now a low card away from the one heart – ten tricks made.

jack would fail if East held queen-ten-to-

four. Instead, declarer must cross to the

North hand to lead the second round low

towards the jack. Again, any 4-1 split is

negated.

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Considering the context

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Good declarer play is not, however, about

learning how to play different suit com- TAKE a look at the play situation below

binations in isolation: it is about playing and give your answer. Please include very

those suit combinations in the context of brief details of your reasoning.

the whole deal. For example: There are three categories in our

competition: for players up to and

including County Master; for those

♠ 53 up to and including Regional Master; and

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♦ K963

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♥ 10 9

W

N

E

♥ 76432 in our series of play posers set by Julian ♥ 92

♦ Q 10 7 5 S ♦ 8 Pottage. PIATNIK is giving a prize for each ♦ AJ75

♣ 63 ♣ 954 of the three winners. ♣ QJ3

♠ AQ

♥ K85 N

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South plays 6NT on the lead of the ten of ♥ Void

hearts and quickly recognises that the Entries to Julian Pottage, 17 Beach ♦ K 10 9 4 2

diamond combination is ripe for a safety Road, Porthcawl CF36 5NH, or e-mail ♣ A 10

play. However, it would be a major error to ebuquizmaster@tiscali.co.uk. Entries

play on diamonds immediately. It will do must arrive by April 20.

declarer no good to hold his diamond losers West North East South

Please indicate on the top left-hand

to one if the spade finesse loses, as he will 4♥ 4♠

corner of the envelope, or in the e-mail

have only eleven tricks. Equally, it will be 5♥ 6♠ All Pass

subject line, the category for which you

tragic if the spade king is onside but

are entering. Julian Pottage will judge

declarer then loses two diamond tricks. West leads the five of hearts.

the entries and the first correct answer

The solution is very simple: take the

drawn in each category will win a prize. What is the best line for twelve tricks?

spade finesse before playing on diamonds,

then you know whether you can afford the

www.ebu.co.uk April 2008 English Bridge 41