Page 8 - ABF Newsletter February 2026

WEST NORTH Fischer Milne
Pass 1] 2] Pass
EAST SOUTH Bookallil Hung
2[ dbl
3[ All Pass
TBIB Open Swiss Pairs
Lauren Travis
from the Summer Festival bulletins
What better place to start the TBIB Open Swiss Pairs than at Table 1 with Liam Milne - Andy Hung facing Marianne Bookallil - Stephen Fischer? Liam and Andy defended Board 1 nicely to defeat 3[:
Board 1, dealer North, neither side vulnerable.
]K9642 [QJ }KJ4 {Q75
]A875
[ 10 3 2
}A6 }Q872 {J984 {62
]Q3 [875
} 10 9 5 3 { A K 10 3
draw the last trump. She cashed the ]A then played a small spade which Liam won. He exited with the ]9, giving Andy a trump promotion along with the two top clubs to beat the contract by one trick.
A Precision auction on Board 3 landed Andy in the hot seat, having to make game with a distinct lack of high-card points:
Board 3, dealer South, East-West vulnerable.
]QJ53 [K7654 }6 {A74
]6 ]K97 [Q9832 [AJ }983 }AKJ54
With his side holding about half the points, Andy Hung found the only winning lead: a trump, which went to the two, jack and ace. Marianne got to work setting up dummy’s ruff, playing a diamond to the ace and another diamond, won by Liam, who contin- ued trumps: [Q-K-8-3. A low diamond was ruffed in dummy but Marianne lacked an entry to her hand to
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Fischer Milne Bookallil Hung
1] pass 4] all pass
Andy’s 1] opening looks aggressive, but as dealer at favourable vulnerability and playing limited open- ings, it’s fairly normal. Liam took advantage of the limited nature of Andy’s hand, jumping straight to game.
Like Board 1, a trump lead is the only key to killing this contract, but Stephen didn’t find it, leading a third/low [2. Marianne won her jack then attempt- ed to cash the [A which was ruffed. Andy had a bit of work to do – he needed to ruff three diamonds in dummy and also required the ]K to be onside in order to make. He played }10 to Marianne’s jack, and she led another diamond making dummy ruff. Andy trumped a heart to his hand then a diamond to dummy then cashed {A and {K. He played }Q, ruffed by Stephen and overruffed by dummy, then [K, ruffed by Marianne and overruffed by dummy. Down to ]A10 and a club, he exited the club, forcing whichever opponent won the trick to take the spade finesse for him and gaining six well-deserved imps.
Liz Adams started Match 3 with a bang:
Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: February 2026
] J 10 [AK964
{J932
] A 10 8 4 2 [ 10
} Q 10 7 2 { K 10 5
{Q86
2nd place in the Open Pairs Lysandra Zheng & Tim Pan
Page: 8