The following examples are classic lessons of safety play in declarer's bridge armoury where he needs to spot his best chances of success by relying not on any one single chance but a series of combination of chances. In bridge, to succeed, you need to utilise your cards to your best advantage.
When combining your chances, arrange the play in a manner where, as far as possible, failure of one does not prejudice your chance for trying the other. Probability of success is always higher if with option of 2 finesses, the finesses are taken into same defender's hand rather than in the opposing hands.
Let me give you 8 examples first for you to tackle as to how best you can achieve the desired result in making of your contract. In No 1 in the contract of 3NT after spade lead, you need both, clubs to break and heart finesse right for 9 tricks. In No 2 to rely entirely on club break for your contract 3NT on opening lead of spade would be foolish giving you a percentage of only 68 percent. Try clubs first and if it fails, finesse hearts twice.
In No 3 you can't simply rely on clubs for your 3NT contract on the spade lead. The best shot is to play low diamonds; then try club break; failing which rely on the diamond break with the last diamond making the 9th trick. In No 4, which is a bit complex in 3NT, on lead of 5H KH wins. Best course is immediate spade to the 9 to get that extra 7 percent of success percentage from 68 percent to 75 percent. Mere reliance on club break would give a lesser percentage of success.
In No 5 on the jack of hearts lead for your contract 3NT there are 3 chances (a) spade may break 33 (b) club finesse may be right (c) diamond finesse may be right or any minor queen doubleton can be considered. So in the longer suit as per rule cash top honours for dropping queen in either minor.
But before that try 3-3 spade break. Then AK of diamonds and lastly the finesse in clubs giving you spade 3-3 break 36 percent, QD dropping 21 percent, club finesse 22 percent, for overall total percentage of success at 79 percent. In No 6 with the AS gone you knock trumps in 2 rounds and then ponder? The choice is between finessing in clubs for KC or finessing in diamonds both have equal chances.
But by playing AC for dropping KC you get extra 2 percent to increase your chances besides the diamond finesse to 52 percent. So play AC and finesse diamond. In No 7 in 6D on trump lead, draw trumps in 3 rounds discarding spade and heart. Now your choice of plays are either a heart ruff on a hearts break or 3-3 club break or CJ dropping or finally KS finesse which percentages of 36 percent, 35 percent, 14 percent total 85 percent which is not bad but the best percentage comes from tackling clubs first, needing hearts ace as entry if clubs break 3-3 or 4-2 or club jack falls to give you 86 percent success and with the spade ace right, a further 7 percent totalling 93 percent overall success.
In No 8 in 3NT on the queen of hearts opening lead you hold of twice to QH and KH in other hand and then on 3H, west follows 10H. With 8 Top tricks, diamonds offer best scope on a 4-2 break but the dummy has no entry, needing therefore a 3-3 break which has a 36 percent chance.
But clubs on split honours of K&Q can give you 3 clubs tricks which coupled with 3 spades, one ace of hearts, you need only 2 diamond tricks. Thus use 2 diamond entries with QD and AD to achieve the best success ratio of 76 percent as against running after diamond and then relying on a singleton or doubleton club honour. Whenever entries are short they need to be craftily created.
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No 1 J4 A3
8742 Opposite AQ
A73 K9852
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AK82 Q654
Contract: 3NT
Opening lead: Low spade
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No 2 J4 A3
874 Opposite AQJ
A73 K9XXX
AK82 QXX
Contract: 3NT
Opening lead: Low spade
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No 3 75 AK4
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3 Opposite A10962
8654 AK3
KQ9743 A5
Contract: 3NT
Opening lead: Low spade
No 4 J743 Al09
KJ Opposite Q83
104 AJ52
AQ762 K54
Contract: 3NT
Opening lead: 5H
No 5 K764 AQ5
83 Opposite A6
K863 AJ72
A52 KJ83
Contract: 3NT
Opening lead: JH
No 6 76 A9
AQ1063 Opposite AJ982
4 AQ5
AQJ85 1043
Contract: 6H
Opening lead: SK
No 7 84 K76
A9762 Opposite K3
4 AKQJ95
KQ1053 A6
Contract: 6D
Opening lead: Low Trump
No 8 85 AKQ4
954 Opposite A73
AQ872 K6
J83 A1094
Contract: 3NT
Opening lead: QH
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