The Milwaukee Journal – Feb 28, 1950 Helen Sobel y Sam Fry Jr.
In an outburst of sheer whimsy we have invented a new safety play. It is directed at those duplicate fans who bring their mania for overtricks, a profitable mania when playing duplicate — to the rubber bridge table or IMPS score.
South dealer: Both sides vulnerable.
South opens the bidding with one diamond. North responds with one spade and South rebids two no trump. North has just to go to three, quite normally assuming that the diamond queen will be a very valuable card.
The king of hearts is opened and South can hold up only once and win the second round of the suit with his ace. South can count nine tricks for himself. He has a chance for 10, either if the clubs break three- three or if be can win the spade finesse, the latter being the more likely possibility.
The temptation for the inveterate duplicate player to take the spade finesse in an effort to make four, is obviously quite great. Equally obvious to the rubber bridge player is the fact that the percentages are all against this gamble and the game should not be jeopardized.
Here is the safety play we’ve devised to enable the duplicate funs to avoid temptation. South, after winning the heart ace should immediately run his diamonds. On the third round of the suit, at his first chance to discard from dummy, he should discard the queen of spades!
There is now no longer any opportunity to take a spade finesse for the 10th trick, and three no trump is secured!!!. We gladly offer this play as our contribution to world peace.