Page 14 - ABF Newsletter June 2025

Photo: Mike Doecke
Aussie Seniors win APBF Teams
The Australian Senior Team (Phil Gue, George Koza- kos, Hugh Grosvenor, Maurits van der Vlugt, Laura Ginnan npc, David Beauchamp and Terry Brown) were leading as they started the final day of the seven-day event. They were faced with an intimidat- ing schedule: China, who were running fourth, then Japan (second) and Indonesia (third).
All four teams were in easy reach of the gold medal if they could score a couple of good wins against the other highly-ranked teams.
Grosvenor and Kozakos judged well on this early board in the first match:
Board 20. Dealer West. Both sides vulnerable.
]J752 [A3 }AJ {A7542
]A843 ]Q96
WEST NORTH EAST Jianwei Grosvenor Qingliang
SOUTH Kozakos 2} hearts
4NT
[ 10 8 6 4 }86432 {—
] K 10 [KQ752 }K75 {KQJ
[J9
} Q 10 9
{ 10 9 8 6 3
With a correct guess in spades, a 4-2 heart break and a 4-1 trump break, twelve tricks are possible, but the 5-0 trump break was fatal and a misguess in spades led to two off. 13 imps to Australia.
What would you bid with this hand, after partner has opened a strong notrump?
] J 9 7 6 [ Q 10 7 } K 7 6 5 4 { 10
Grosvenor chose 2{ Stayman, planning to pass whatever partner bid. That was a big success when this was the layout:
Brad Coles
pass 1NT pass 2[ all pass
pass pass
Holding a balanced aceless 17 opposite a 15-17 no- trump, Kozakos opted for an invitational auction. Grosvenor had an easy pass, with three of his alleged 15 HCP consisting of just two jacks. The Chinese pair reached the failing slam when South found the same invitational auction opposite a 12+ hand:
WEST NORTH van der Vlugt Yixin
pass 1{ pass 1] pass 2NT pass 6{
EAST SOUTH Beauchamp Songhe
pass 1[ pass 2} art GF pass 4NT all pass
Page: 14
Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: June 2025