Some safety-plays can look crazy

Jackie Chan, an action film star who hails from Hong Kong, said, "American stunt men are smart - they think about safety. But in Hong Kong, if you've got the guts, you do it. All of my stunt men have gotten hurt."

At the bridge table, we have safety-plays. Their aim, usually, is to ensure at most one loser whatever the lie of the missing cards in that suit. Experts know a lot of them; less capable players know far fewer. But, of course, often a safety-play proves unnecessary, because the distribution is docile.

The safety-play that is needed in this deal looks so strange that many would never even think of it. How should South play to guarantee making six no-trump? West leads the spade 10.

North made a sensible quantitative raise to slam.

Declarer starts with 10 top tricks: three spades, three hearts, two diamonds and two clubs. So he needs only four club winners, not five.

It is tempting to win the first trick in the dummy and call for the club jack (the right play in seven no-trump). And it is true that any time clubs are 3-2 or 4-1, or East has all five, there is no damage done. However, when West has all five clubs, suddenly the contract has died.

South should take out insurance. He should win the first trick in his hand and lead a low club toward the dummy. At the worst, this costs an overtrick. Here, though, if West wins with his club queen, four club tricks are established. Or, if West plays low, declarer wins with dummy's 10, plays a heart to his hand, and leads another club toward dummy - mission accomplished.