Bridge – Safety Games

Article is taken from “ Encyclopedia of Bridge “By G. Barone.

AS IF. “As if” games are defined as those situations in which the requirements of the contract oblige the declarer to play in a certain way and only in that way because, despite having little chance of responding to the real position of the cards, it is still the only one that can allow the success.

The name derives from the fact that, when the deal is successful, the declarer gives the feeling of having played “ as if knew the cards of the opponents.

For example in the following color distribution:

If South must necessarily take all the tricks because the opponents have already taken those of their competence with respect to the contract, it is evident that South has no choice but to beat. Ace And King hoping that one of the opponents has Woman And Infantryman without other cards.

And so in the following situation:

If South absolutely needs to draw four tricks from the suit, he has only to play the Ace in the hope of capturing the King dry of East then twice overtaking the West Infantryman.

And of a similar type, a multiplicity of examples referring to different combinations could be listed but all characterized by the fact of admitting only one game solution, not because it is the most probable but exclusively because it is the only one that allows obtaining the number of indispensable tricks. to the declarant.

For example in the following situation:

self South play without trump e it has no return to the dead in seeds to the side, it is evident that to develop the color he has no other hope than to find theSingle ace with one of the opponents: in fact if the Ace is second or third the defender who owns it will not take the first round and places South in the impossibility of achieving more than a grip. On the other hand, if the Ace is single, the other opponent has F 10 9 in the suit; hence the need for an “as if” game, ie card from the hand and from the dummy for the single Ace; the King and the Woman of the dead will make Fante and Ten falls, releasing all the seed.

And this situation also deserves to be reported, which seems to allow no solution and is considered hopeless by most of the players. Instead, it is a case in which the game is imposed “ as if ”Not only because it is the only one capable of guaranteeing the desired number of tricks but also because it does not involve any risk of yielding more.

In the following distribution of a color:

The correct game is to leave the map on the side where the Ace is. Self East pass the Ten he covers himself with Fante for the honor of the west and, beating the Ace on the second lap, he drops the other honor by losing a single hold; self East pass his King or his Queen, South on the second round plays the An infantryman from the hand and, overtaking West’s honor, he frees all the other holds.

Another situation that is good to highlight , although easier to solve, is the following:

If a trick can be lost in the suit, the best game is to bat period but if South needs to make all the tricks he must play Queen or Jack and play “ as if ”The subdivision of the color was that indicated in the diagram.

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