Thursday, June 24, 1993
Breakfast with Jean Besse is always an opportunity for good copy.
«Have you heard of an advance safety play?», he enquired. I had not. «Did you see this play problem from Round 22? » he asked. I had:
 J 7 4 K J 6 4 7 6 5 3 A 6 |
| A K 9 6 5 3 2 A 10 8 2 A 2 |
South is in 6 on a club lead. You win and play a trump. East shows out. Play on.
Shenkin and Steel of Britain had a good auction to that spot, » I interjected, «investigating seven on the way». This was their unopposed sequence, with South the dealer:
1-2; 4-4; 4NT-5; 5-5; 6-6; pass.
4 was a splinter, 4 showed first or second round control, 4NT was RKCB, 5 showed one or four, 5 was an unnecessary enquiry about Q needed to set up an ask (6) about THIRD round control in the suit. North gave a negative response.
Shenkin won the club lead and played a trump to the Ace. Realising he might need an extra entry to dummy he continued with a LOW trump. West won and played a second club. South ruffed, drew the last trump ending in the dummy, and turned his attention to the hearts. Clearly he would finesse through East, but how could he cope if East had four?
The solution was to start with the JACK of hearts. Then if East covered, the K remained as entry for a later finesse.
(Declarer in the same contract at the other table failed to take this precaution, but as the suit broke 3-2, was not punished by the lay-out.) «And if West has singleton Q?», enquired Jean Besse innocently. «Unlucky,» I replied. If the hearts are 4-1 the odds favour the Queen to be in the longer holding.
«But there is a play,» continued Jean, «which caters for BOTH. When declarer wins the first trump, he must abandon the suit, and switch at once to hearts, playing to the King and running the Jack. If West has a small singleton and ruffs, the J becomes the second entry.
If East covers the Jack, and West does not ruff, you then make the play of a low trump to ensure your second entry to the dummy. And because you were able to start the hearts with the King you cannot lose to the bare Queen with West. The play of hearts BEFORE the second trump, is an advance safety play».
Sadly, such brilliance was not needed with the actual layout:
| J 7 4 K J 6 4 7 6 5 3 A 6 |
||
| Q 10 8 7 3 K 10 9 2 K Q 10 9 |
Q 9 5 Q J 8 4 J 8 7 5 4 3 |
|
| A K 9 6 5 3 2 A 10 8 2 A 2 |