Page 16 - ABF Newsletter February 2025

JUAN-CARLOS VENTIN BIDDING AWARD Winners: Linlin Hu and Yinghao Liu Journalist: Jian-Jian Wang
When watching a tournament, it is always delightful to see players achieving the best result with an out- standing bid or play, sometimes both. The following deal is from the Chinese National Club Championship.
Board 12. Dealer West. North-South vulnerable.
]Q8764 [94
}96 {KJ72
] K 10 9 5
[ J 10 8
}KQ }A432
a simple play of the spade three to dummy’s nine would secure the contract, as North would be end- played after winning the trick. However, when South showed four hearts, Hu had to clear trumps. Because South had nine cards in the red suits, Hu believed it was time to give up the simple finesse in clubs, and went for the strip-squeeze instead. When Hu played the ace of diamonds, North was hopelessly looking at dummy’s last four cards: ]K10 and {AQ. He could not afford to leave his spade queen or club king unguarded, which would give declarer two tricks in that suit. However, keeping two cards in both suits was no better. Hu played the spade king and exited to North’s queen, allowing the club ace-queen to become the slam-going winners.
An excellent performance in the bidding and play!
GIDWANI AWARD FOR BEST DEFENCE Winner: Yinghao (Dunga) Liu Journalist: Jian-Jian Wang
The 2022 Asian Games, officially the 19th Asian Games, were held from 23 September to 8 October 2023 in Hangzhou, China. Since 2018, bridge has been among the mind sports with full medal status at this second-largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.
Here is a brilliant defence executed by the bronze medalist Yinghao (Dunga) Liu of the China Open Team, in the early round-robin match against the final gold medal winner, Hong Kong, China.
Board 14. Dealer East. Neither side vulnerable.
]942 [AQJ63 } 10 9 8 3 {K
]KJ76 ]53 [4 [9852 }AJ642 }K75 {A43 {9762
] A Q 10 8 [ K 10 7 }Q
{ Q J 10 8 5
{AQ93
]J2 [7632
} J 10 8 7 5 {85
{ 10 6 4
It was a deal with East-West holding 32 HCP, but no eight-card fit in any suit. Linlin Hu and Yinghao Liu, representing ORG Club demonstrated their slam bidding skills with this auction:
WEST NORTH Yinghao Liu
1{ 1 pass 3} 3 pass 3NT 5 pass 4NT 7 pass
EAST Linlin Hu
1NT 2 3]4 4}6 6[8
SOUTH
pass pass pass all pass
1. 16+ any shape.
2. 12+ balanced.
3. 16-17 balanced with four-card major.
4. Four hearts.
5. Four spades.
6. Four diamonds.
7. Denies four diamonds.
8. Great four-card suit, offering choice of slams.
Liu upgraded his 15-count because of the nice middle-card combinations. Then Hu tried to locate a fit in red suits. When that effort didn’t pay off, he made the most important bid in the whole auction – 6[ as a choice of slam. With good three-card sup- port and doubleton diamonds, Liu decided that was the best spot to land. Among 16 pairs of competitors in this top-flight tournament, Hu-Liu were the only pair to choose heart as trumps. All other 15 pairs played notrump, with ten pairs gaining overtricks in 3NT or 4NT while five pairs went minus in 6NT.
South led a trump against 6[, and it was up to Hu to bring the contract home. Hu won the jack of hearts in dummy, followed by cashing the king-queen of diamonds and the heart eight to hand. After ruffing the third diamond, Hu came back to hand with the ace of spades and drew trumps. If hearts broke 3-3, Page: 16
WEST NORTH Yinghao Sze
1} dbl 2 2] dbl pass 4[
1. 2+ clubs. 2. 4+ hearts. 3. Takeout.
EAST SOUTH Hu Chiu
pass 1{1
2} dbl 3
3} 3[
all pass
]A3 [AKQ5
The contract is played from the correct side, as a spade lead from East would easily set it. With West
Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: February 2025