Page 10 - ABF Newsletter June 2024

2024 Autumn Nationals Barbara Travis This special deal arose in Match 3 of the Pairs. Board 5. Dealer North. North-South vulnerable. \]QJ54 \[ J 10 9 5 4 \}J75 \{4 \] A K 8 7 6 3 \[A \[KQ8762 \}KQ964 \}A \{8 \{A63 \]— \[3 \} 10 8 3 2 \{ K Q J 10 9 7 5 2 In the Mixed Pairs (12 tables), only Warren Lazer made 6\]. In the Open Pairs (28 tables), only Zoli Nagy and Peter Buchen made 6\]. Well done. The deal is an exercise in “never give up”, even with the 4-0 trump break offside. Typically, declarer found North with the four spades and conceded one off. Watch what happens if you play the hand. Bear in mind, South has made a high level preemptive overcall in clubs, sometimes 4\{ and sometimes 5\{ (which was often doubled for 800). The \{4 is led and won with dummy’s ace. You lead a trump towards hand, South showing out. You win the trump, cash the \[A, and cross to dummy in diamonds. When you lead the \[K from dummy, South shows out, so you now have a count of North’s hand – four spades, five hearts, one club (likely from the lead of the four, especially if South played the two at trick one), and three diamonds. You can discard two diamonds on the top hearts, then trump a heart to hand, beginning to shorten your trumps. Now you cash one top diamond, then trump the other top diamond in dummy, so that you can trump another heart. ANOT Teams winners Matt McManus, Hugh McGann, James Coutts, Justin Mill \] 10 9 2 At this point, North and West are reduced to three spades: Too many declarers were too quick to concede! I must say, I’m glad my opponent was one of them. From the Open Teams final, Justin Mill and Hugh McGann combined for a perfect defence: Board 3. Dealer South. East-West vulnerable. \]QJ5 \]— \] K 8 7 You simply exit with the seven, and North is end- played. \]K9 \[QJ64 \}9832 \{QJ8 \]532 \[983 \}54 \{A7532 At the first table, South played in 3NT after East overcalled in spades, so West led a spade and de- clarer had nine tricks. At the other table: WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH McGann Rew Mill Kozakos 1\} pass 1\[ 1\] 3\} pass 3NT all pass After South’s mild overbid, there was less bidding space available, leading to North being declarer. Justin Mill led the \[A and Hugh McGann played the nine, starting a critical unblock. Mill continued with a small heart to the eight and jack. Declarer now led a spade, and Mill rose with his ace to lead the \]QJ6 \[ 10 \} A K J 10 7 6 \{ K 10 6 \] 10 \]A10874 \[AK752 \}Q \{94 Page: 10 Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: June 2024