Eugene Register-Guard – 26 Jul 1973
Once upon a time there was a man who ware a belt as well as suspenders. He called it «playing safe.» When the floods came, unable to struggle out of his clothes, he drowned. All the bridge players laughed because they knew that one sure way to get into trouble is to play too safe.
South ruffed the first spade and led out the ace of hearts. West discarded a spade, and South discarded his smile. After a moment, South saw a solution. He could get over to dummy, lead a trump for a finesse and thus limit East to one trump trick.
How was he to reach dummy?
Clubs seemed safer than diamonds, so South led a club to dummy’s ace. This was so safe that it cost South his vulnerable slam contract!
South returned a trump to finesse with the ten and then drew two more trumps with the king and queen. This left South with the four of trump; while East held the jack. South tried to run the diamonds, but East ruffed the third diamond. No matter what East returned, South was sure to lose a club.
South should save a side entry to the diamonds. There is no danger if East ruffs the first diamond. But there was great danger in wasting the ace of clubs before it was needed.
South should get to dummy with a diamond to take the trump finesse. Then he draws two more trumps with the king and queen, leaving East with the jack of trumps. Declarer next goes back to diamonds, allowing East to ruff whenever he wants to do so. South will still be able to reach dummy with the ace of clubs to discard a club on a good diamond.