Page 10 - ABF Newsletter April 2025

In the other room Hung had no such warning, and led his long suit, conceding the ninth trick in 3NT at once. The match score was 36-27 now after eight deals.
With Brake leading 72-63 at the halfway mark, the third set started out with Appleton on a tear:
Board 25. Dealer North. Neither side vulnerable.
] K 10 2
[ 10 9 7 4 2 }643 {A3
Suddenly, the momentum shifted to Brake, for no discernible reason except that was just how the match had been going!
Board 7 produced a fascinating problem for declarer and defence:
Board 31. Dealer South. Both sides vulnerable.
]1076542 ]QJ3 ]A98764 [A93
[— [AKJ86 } K J 10 9 7 }A
}J7 {84
{ 10 7 5 4 2
{J
]5 [KQ742 [Q53 }53 }Q852 {AKQ9 {KQ986
The set started off with a bang when Castellino - Appleton bid a slam off a cashing ace and king-ten fourth of trumps. The unopposed auction was a confusing one:
Each West led a heart after hearing 1[-2[-4[ on a club lead.
WEST NORTH Appleton Hung
EAST SOUTH Castellino Harrison
Declarer led a trump to dummy and a second trump as East followed up the line (maybe it is right to call for spades if playing suit preference). Appleton con- tinued clubs. Harrison won in hand and drew the last trump, stripped off the clubs and led a diamond to the eight. Castellino, down to ]K98 and }A10, was helpless. Had he kept one more diamond and pitched a spade, he could at least have given de- clarer a guess in the ending. Kaplan led a club and shifted to the diamond jack, covered all round. Back came a club and Haffer drew the last trump but did not take the last club before playing a second dia- mond. Brown could win and exit with a club, leaving declarer no recourse but the spade finesse. Down one and 12 imps back to Brake.
They regained the lead on a strange deal where it seemed that Markey’s discretion would pay divi- dends.
Board 35. Dealer South. Neither side vulnerable.
]AQJ53 [J72 }84 {AQ4
] 10 9
[ A 9 5
}KQ9763 }J
2] pass 4] pass 5} pass 6{ pass
3{ pass 4NT pass 5] pass 6] all pass
pass 1] pass
Trumps did not behave but the club ace could be discarded if it wasn’t cashed – and Harrison was not going to lead a club from {KQ986 on this auction. When he led a trump it not only allowed the discard it also simplified the trump position. Castellino’s 3{ call with a 6-5-1-1 shape earned the swing. Apple- ton trailed 68-72.
Four boards later Hung and Markey faced an open- ing lead problem against 4[ on essentially identical auctions, knowing declarer was strong and unbal- anced.
Which minor would you lead from:
] K J 8 [ 6 } J 10 6 5 4 { Q 8 6 4 2
Hung led a club and declarer shook a spade loser on dummy’s ace-king, Markey led the diamond jack and Haffer won his ace and the defence then cashed three spades. Appleton led 84-72.
They added a partscore swing when all four mem- bers of the Brake team could be argued to have done too much bidding on the same hand. That made it 84-73.
] K 7 6 2 [ K 10 6 4
{ J 10
]84 [Q83
} A 10 5 2 {K973
{ 8 6 5 2
]A3
[ } {
J 10 6 Q982 J1075
]K98 [85 }AK1064 {632
]QJ
Page: 10
Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: April 2025