Page 8 - ABF Newsletter February 2025

WEST NORTH Dyke Hughes 1{ 16+
4[ 4NT minors
EAST
A Dalley dbl majors
6[
SOUTH Giura
pass all pass
That’s a useful lesson for all tournament players: if you ever think that Tony Nunn has given you a chance to make an unmakeable contract, you’re wrong.
At this week’s Gold Coast congress, Paul Marston gave a talk on Wednesday morning about three- card raises by opener. Here are a couple of deals from the NOT where a three-card raise paid off.
Board 34. Dealer East. North-South vulnerable.
]72
[ 10 3 2 }K7542 {K72
I don’t think either of the 6[ bidders here will be feeling very proud of themselves. With North open- ing the bidding (in one case with a 16+ strong club) any missing king is likely to be onside. 7[ is a great spot opposite the king of hearts, and a decent spot opposite any hand with a singleton spade; not a lot to ask from a partner who has just jumped to game.
Tony Nunn picked up 8 imps here, instead of losing 9 imps, with an old trick:
Board 36. Dealer West. Both sides vulnerable.
]A632 [ 10 6 2 }J75 {963
] A 9 6
} A 10 6 3
{ Q
In the Dalley vs Emul semi-final, both tables bid 1[- 1]-2}. In the Ashton vs Yoshka match, both tables bid 1[-1]-2].
As the cards lie, both contracts can only be beaten on good defence; both Souths found the killing trump lead to defeat 2}, but a club lead against 2] allowed an overtrick for +140.
I think it’s clear that 2] is the safer bid – it’s a guar- anteed seven-card fit, and on a good day it might be eight. In fact, that is literally the rule for raising on three: if there’s a reasonable chance that you might have an eight-card fit, then you are allowed to raise on three (assuming that you are open to the idea of three-card raises).
The three-card raise provided a bigger swing on this deal:
Board 51. Dealer South. East-West vulnerable.
] Q 10 6 4 2 [65
}9
{ A 10 9 6 2
]A7 ]983 [J98 [ A 10 2 }AK874 } Q J 10 6 3 {Q73 {KJ
]KJ5 [KQ743 }52 {854
] J
[AKJ874 [9
} Q 8 6 { K 4 2
WEST Clifford
1[ 2[ 3NT
]KQ97 [Q53 }932 {QJ7
NORTH EAST SOUTH P Dalley Emul Nunn
pass 1] pass pass 2NT pass all pass
Almost any layout of the cards will give EW a decent play for 4[ on this deal, but three of the four tables reached 3NT via the above auction. The fourth table ended the auction prematurely when Arlene Dalley passed 2[, making twelve tricks for +230.
In one match, both Souths led the {Q against 3NT, and there was not much to the play: the heart suit is the only source of tricks, so you have to finesse the jack of hearts and cross your fingers. When the [J held and the }J came down, declarer had nine tricks, and the 3-3 break provided three more. One North threw a club on the run of the hearts, allowing de- clarer to pin the {9 for 13 tricks.
Tony Nunn took a different approach. He started with the ]K, eventually picking up declarer’s ]10 to take the first four tricks. He then switched to the jack of clubs. Declarer had not been feeling too good about his prospects up to that point, but the {J gave him a ray of light: he took the jack with the king, and then finessed the ten, playing North for the queen. This lost to Tony’s queen for one off.
] 10 8 5 4 } A K 10 4
{ A 10 8 5
} Q J 8
{ J 10 6 5 4 3
]KJ83 [AQJ54 }9 {A98
] Q 10 5 4
[— [K9876
Page: 8
Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: February 2025