Page 16 - ABF Newsletter February 2026

A GAME
AT THE
CLUB
Barbara Travis
www.bridgeatbeaumont.com
Finally, I got to play! Here are some of the more in- teresting hands.
Partner has passed, RHO opens 1} and you hold: ]KJ9642 [Q6 }— {QJ432
What would you bid?
We were not vulnerable against vulnerable oppo- nents, so I decided to preempt as high as I was will- ing to go. My decision, given the vulnerability, was to call 3].
That left North a little ‘fixed’:
]AQ7 [ J 10 4 3 }7532 {A8
]KJ9642
[Q6 [AK52 }— } J 10 9 4 {QJ432 {97
]8
[987 }AKQ86 { K 10 6 5
At the table, North chose to pass, a dubious action unless planning to penalty pass if South reopens with a double. The other options are to make a neg- ative double, although that may mean you miss 3NT whenever South has not got four hearts (the power of a 3] overcall) or to bid 3NT, a mild overbid. Any- thing could be right!
What happened? South did not reopen with a double, though they should with that distribution, since North may be sitting there with a penalty double of
3]. South passed, and I ‘got away with murder’. 3] can fail by one trick – South leads a trump through when on lead with the {K, and North draws all three trumps, leaving declarer with two spade losers and three club losers – but I was allowed to make.
You are playing in 3NT, East:
]853 ]KQ7 [ J 10 3 [ A Q 7 6 }84 }AKJ2 {KQ963 {A4
South leads the ]4 - three - ten - queen. This hand looks easy. Have you stopped to develop a plan?
Having won the first trick, you should start on the clubs. You cash the {A, then cross to the queen to cash the king. North follows to the third round and South discards a random heart. The one thing you should NOT do now is to lead a club. That will give the lead to North, but North is your ‘danger’ hand – being able to lead a spade through your K-x, leaving South with several spade winners.
Your best play now that clubs have not broken is to lead the [J, finessing. When South wins the king, your spades are protected. Furthermore, the [10 is another entry to dummy for you to try the diamond finesse, which wins. This will ensure 10 tricks, rather than risking going down.
How would you bid the next hand?
] A K 10 6 4 [ K } A K 9 8 6 3 2 { —
I don’t think many Souths bid this hand optimally. The opening bid of 1} is totally fine. West overcalls 1[ and partner passes. East raises to 2[ or 3[. Your best rebid now, ensuring no accidents (i.e. playing in
] 10 5 3
Page: 16
Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: February 2026