Page 19 - ABF Newsletter December 2024

World National Teams
In the World Championships in Buenos Aires, the Australian Senior Team finished 13th of 24 teams in the qualifying rounds, to qualify for the knockout stage.
From the World Championship Daily Bulletin, BRIAN SENIOR reports on the team’s round-of-16 match against Israel.
Australia won the first quarter of their Se-
niors Round of 16 match with Israel by
48-23 imps. However, Israel won the next
two sets to close the gap to 98-104 going into the fourth quarter, which proved to be a low-scoring affair.
Board 21 offered some scope for a swing:
Board 21. Dealer North. North-South vulnerable.
]AKJ84 [4 }QJ95 {965
than bid the heart game. Robert Kroch- malik led his club, so Grinberg made all 13 tricks for +510 and 1 imp to Israel, making it 101-105.
Of the six matches in the Senior series, only one pair reached slam. They were Steve Hamaoui and Mario Abate of Italy, against Türkiye. Hamaoui made a two-suited overcall and Abate made a pass or correct jump to 5{. Hamaoui
could afford to go on with a passable 5[ slam try: WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
Abate Ince Hamaoui Kokten 1] 2]* 3]
5{ pass 5[ pass
6{ all pass
Abate liked his minors sufficiently to go on to 6{, to gain 10 imps against 4[ making 12 at the other table.
Then, at last, a significant swing:
Board 23. Dealer South. Both sides vulnerable.
]72 ]3
[97 [AKQJ53 ]AJ
} A K 10 8 4 {KQJ2
}7
{ A 10 8 4 3
[A962 }K43
{ Q J 10 7
] Q 10 9 6 5
[ 10 8 6 2
}632 [K4 [85 {7 }72 }AJ65
Both EW pairs stopped in game and the cold slam was missed:
{K98542 {A3 ]864
[ Q J 10 7 3 } Q 10 9 8 {6
Both Norths opened 1NT, both Souths transferred to hearts, and both Norths broke the transfer with a jump to 3[. Cohen went on to game, Krochmalik did not.
Grinberg led the eight of hearts against 3[, Kalish al- lowing dummy’s queen to score. Paul Lavings played the jack of hearts to the king and ace, then a dia- mond to the ten. When that held the trick, he played a second diamond to the king, which was ducked, but Grinberg had to win the third diamond with the ace and he returned the three of clubs, hoping to get partner in for a spade lead through declarer’s possible ace-queen holding. Kalish duly won the king of clubs and switched to the queen of spades, but Lavings could win that, ruff out the ace of clubs, and take a spade discard on the queen of diamonds. That was 11 tricks for +200.
WEST NORTH Braithwaite Engel
EAST
De Livera
SOUTH Cohen
1] 2] 3]
dbl pass 4[ all pass
For Australia, Arjuna de Livera made a Michaels Cuebid, and Andrew Braithwaite showed values by doubling the preemptive spade raise, but de Livera felt unable to do more than rebid 4[ due to the weak- ness of his second suit. Dani Cohen led the queen of spades, and Engel overtook to play a second spade, but that was ruffed and de Livera quickly claimed the rest for +480.
WEST NORTH Kalish Lavings
EAST SOUTH Grinberg Krochmalik
1] 2[ 3]
dbl pass 4[ all pass
Nir Grinberg preferred to start with a simple over- call. Avi Kalish too made a value-showing double but Grinberg, like de Livera, felt unable to do more
Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: December 2024
Page 19
] Q 5 3
] K 10 9 7 2