Editing Safety play (section)

===Safety play at matchpoints===
Safety play usually involves giving up the chance of the maximum result in exchange for the best chance of making the contract. So one seldom sees safety plays made at matchpoints or board-a-match. But even at those forms of scoring, there can be good reasons to make safety plays.

Suppose that, at pairs, declarer is in a standard contract, one that the majority of the field will surely reach. However, the defense makes an unorthodox opening lead, presenting declarer with a possible overtrick. There may now be a way, unavailable to other declarers, that will guarantee the contract while retaining good chances for the overtrick.

Or declarer might be in an unusually good contract. [[Hugh Kelsey]]<ref>Kelsey, H.W. Match-Point Bridge. Faber, 1970.</ref> gives this example:

{{BridgeHandNS
|5|7&thinsp;6&thinsp;3|A&thinsp;Q&thinsp;9&thinsp;7&thinsp;5&thinsp;4|J&thinsp;8&thinsp;4
|J&thinsp;10&thinsp;8&thinsp;3|A&thinsp;K&thinsp;Q&thinsp;4|K&thinsp;6&thinsp;3|Q&thinsp;2}} The bidding goes 1{{Hearts}} &mdash; 2{{Hearts}}; Pass, and West leads the {{Spades}}K and continues with the {{Hearts}}10.

South is in an unusually good matchpoint contract. Most players will open the South hand with 1NT rather than 1{{Hearts}}. And it is very difficult to reach a heart contract if South opens 1NT or 1{{Diams}}: either way, North signs off in diamonds.

In any case, 2{{Hearts}} is both an exceptionally good matchpoint contract and difficult to reach. Assuming reasonably competent defense, plus 130 is the limit playing in diamonds, and plus 120 in notrump contracts.

But there's an easy way to score plus 140 in 2{{Hearts}}: take a safety play in hearts by ducking the first round. This gives up the chance of plus 170 (if hearts break 3-3) in exchange for the best chance of plus 140 (if hearts break either 4-2 or 3-3). Note that playing hearts from the top leads to defeat if hearts are 4-2, the most likely split.

{{clear}}