Page 13 - ABF Newsletter August 2024

won a game swing on the last board to let SA sneak into the final over Victoria. For the second year in a row, SA had made the final in every section.
Board 23. Dealer South. Both sides vulnerable.
] A K J 10 8 5 4 [J
}973
{83
]2 ]Q63 [AK8753 [Q64
The final
Board 4. Dealer West. Both sides vulnerable.
]KJ32 [— }A943
} K Q 8 4 { J 4
WEST Leibowitz
1[
then establish the clubs while the [Q is still intact as
an entry.
Fortunately for NSW fans, 4[ made ten tricks. At the other table, North-South got to play in 3] down one for 11 imps in. The margin was now down to 3 imps going into the final board.
Board 24. Dealer West. Neither side vulnerable.
{Q10872 ]Q109765 [ Q 10
]97
[ 10 9 2 }AJ65 {A965
} 10 2
{ K Q 10 7 2
]8
[KJ762
}KQJ8 }7652 {AK3 ]A4 {6
NORTH Demarco
EAST SOUTH Jacob Morgan-King
WEST NORTH Davey Sieredzinski
1[ dbl
EAST Simpson
all pass
SOUTH Watkins
[A98543 } 10 {J954
3]
pass 4[ all pass
Usually six trumps and a couple of aces is enough to penalise at the one-level, but today it wasn’t. Davey won the club lead, ruffed a club, then exited with the [Q. South couldn’t draw Fletcher’s trumps, so he had to sit back and watch him take two high clubs, a club ruff in dummy, the [KJ and two heart ruffs in his own hand for +160. On the hand, the only killing defence is to lead a spade to South’s ace, so he can draw dummy’s trumps and prevent the club ruff.
]AKJ10974 [6543
}8
{10
At the other table, our auction was ]8
[ Q J 10 2 Clifford Forster-Rohal Wright Tomlin }Q1092
WEST NORTH EAST Leibowitz Demarco Jacob
pass 3] dbl 5[ all pass
]Q [K87 }A7643
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
1[ dbl 2] dbl {J864 {KQ95
pass 3{ all pass
]6532 [A9 }KJ5 {A732
I made a “takeout” double of 2] with the hope that partner would pass it with his assumed four-card spade suit. Not as bloodthirsty as myself, partner decided to bid 3{. This was a fine spot where he managed nine tricks for 7 imps in.
After four sets, we had built a 56-imp lead with 12 boards to go. Nothing disastrous happened in the final stanza, and when I came out three of the four matches were decided. NSW got out to an early lead in the Open and Seniors and won convincingly, and we had won our match by a comfortable margin. The Women however had been back and forth all day.
With one table already finished play, NSW were down 14 imps as the penultimate board arrived (see top of next column). 4[ is an excellent contract, but careless declarer play could result in down two. For example, if trumps are drawn before the clubs are established, South can lock declarer out of dummy’s club winners by ducking one round. The most ac- curate way to play the hand is to cash the [AK first,
Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: August 2024
SOUTH Morgan-King
4]
After the 3] preempt, it was not clear to anyone at the table who was bidding to make and who was sacrificing. On the hand it turns out EW were sacri- ficing in their seven-card at the five-level! This went four off and with no double there was no trouble, only -200. At the other table their teammates played in 4] bringing back +450 and 6 imps to narrowly win the final in exciting fashion!
Congratulations to the NSW Women, Seniors and Open teams and commiserations to the respective SA teams. Shout out to the Victoria Youth team for a well-played match, and congratulations again to my teammates for their well-earned victory.
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