Page 15 - ABF Newsletter February 2025

The 2024 International Bridge
Press Association Awards
The world’s best bidding, declarer play and defence as voted by the IBPA
JUSTIN LALL PLAY AWARD Winner: Justin Mill Journalist: Nick Jacob
Justin Mill is one of Australia’s finest talents. His partner, Ro- drigo Garcia da Rosa of Uru- guay, is one of Argentina’s best players. People who know the two young stars have been excited to see what they can produce as a partnership. Take this board, where Justin found
a beautiful line of play in the quarter-finals of the 2023 National Open Teams in Australia.
Board 41. Dealer North. East-West vulnerable.
] Q 10 9 6 5 [A
}K42 {A965
]J73 ]—
[98 [Q7643
East’s club discard posed a problem for declarer. Had East held seven clubs – which looked a near-certain- ty on the auction – declarer would have been unable to trump a club low on the table without being over- ruffed. Hearts 4-3 would still provide the thirteen trick, so Justin turned his attention to that suit. A heart to the ace was followed by a diamond to the ace. The heart king was cashed for a club discard, but West’s club discard on the third round of hearts showed that this suit would not break either.
Justin trumped the heart low and took stock. East was now marked to be 0-5-2-6. Joan Butts’ spade jack would prevent a full crossruff, so Justin set about pruning East’s idle cards for an exquisite ending.
The diamond king was cashed before declarer trumped his third diamond on the table. Justin now finessed the spade ten to reach the following ending:
]Q9 [— }—
]J {96 ]— [— [Q7
} Q J 10 9 8 3
} 7 6
{ K Q J 10 8 4
{ 3 2
WEST Butts
pass pass pass
]AK842 [ K J 10 5 2 }A5
{7
} Q J 10 {—
}—
]K8 {QJ [ J 10
}—
{—
NORTH EAST Mill Courtney
1] 4{ 5]2 pass 6}4 pass 7] all pass
SOUTH Garcia da Rosa
4NT 1 5NT 3 6[ 5
When declarer continued with the spade queen from hand, East was caught in declarer’s entry shift- ing squeeze. A heart discard would allow declarer to overtake the spade with dummy’s king, a heart would be trumped to fell East’s queen, and dummy could be reached with a club ruff to cash the good heart for trick 13. A club discard fared no better. De- clarer could duck the spade in dummy, remaining in hand to trump East’s last club. Now a heart ruff to hand allowed declarer to win trick 13 with that precious club.
“Ah, an over-under squeeze,” mused Michael. “That’s what they used to call this in 1935.” With the oppo- nents failing to reach grand slam at the other table, Justin’s one-in-a-million play was rewarded with +1510 and 11 imps.
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1. RKCB for spades.
2. Two keycards and the queen of spades.
3. Confirming all keycards.
4. King of diamonds, denying the king of hearts. 5. Last train.
Lead: king of clubs.
Justin and Rodrigo brushed aside Michael Courtney’s preempt to breeze into the grand slam. The contract was excellent. Trumps breaking 2-1 would allow de- clarer to draw trumps and claim on a crossruff. Three trumps in East would allow declarer to draw trumps and establish the thirteenth trick in hearts. Hence, Justin played a small trump towards dummy’s ace. Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: February 2025