Source: IBPA Bulletin June 2026

Dick Freeman Award for Junior Hand Of The Year

Candidate 3

Olivia SCHIRESON
Olivia SCHIRESON
Nominee: Olivia Schireson Journalist: Sally Brock Article: Four-IMP vulnerable game swing Event: European Transnational Championships Source: IBPA Bulletin 727, August 2025, page 14 “My team did not do very well in the European Transnationals in Poznań, but this was a high spot:” I thought this hand was very well defended by East, my teammate Olivia Schireson. The bidding was: Dealer South. E/W Vul
K 2 K Q 7 4 A Q 10 8 6 5 J
A 5 A 5 2 J 9 7 2 A 7 6 4
West North East South
Pass
Pass 1 Pass 1
Pass 3 Pass 3
Pass 4 All Pass
Your partner leads the five of clubs. I am sure we would all win our ace, but what now? There is only one way to defeat the game: a low diamond switch. Declarer wins and plays a heart (best) and now East has to fly in with the ace of hearts and play another diamond. Then in a trick or two she has to beat dummy’s king of spades with her ace and play another diamond, promoting a trick for her partner’s ten of spades. And Olivia did all of this.
K 2 K Q 7 4 A Q 10 8 6 5 J
10 7 6 10 8 6 3 K 3 Q 9 8 5 A 5 A 5 2 J 9 7 2 A 7 6 4
Q J 9 8 4 3 J 9 4 K 10 3 2
I would like to tell you that this excellent defence created a swing for her team, but in the event it was marginal because at our table the bidding was:
West North East South
3
Pass Pass Double Pass
4 Double All Pass
I won’t go into the details of the play! Suffice it to say that 4 did not play well, and we collected a 1400 penalty! So we scored 17 IMPs rather than the 13 IMPs

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