2008 District 16 GNT Finals, Superflight

Richardson, Texas - May 24, 2008

Bd# 1 Dlr N Vul None  AQ2  Q64  J2  KQ832  KJ8  A53  A95  AJT4  T97543  T72  83  95  6  KJ98  KQT764  76 Net IMPS: -12 IMPS Running Score: Hamman: 0 Kornegay: 12

OPEN ROOM Nancy Kornegay Ira Chorush Stephen Kornegay Hemant Lall WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH - Pass Pass Pass Pass 1 1N 3 3N Pass Pass Pass Pass 1   2* 3 Pass *Intended as Relay to 2 Contract & Result: 3N-North   -100-2     Opening Lead: T CLOSED ROOM Bob Hamman Hugh Hillaker Bart Bramley Kimmel Jones WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH - X Pass 1N XX Pass Pass 2 Pass Contract & Result: 2XX-South   +560+2     Opening Lead: 5

Open Room:  South intended his 2C bid as a relay to 2D, but North didn't take it that way and NS ended up in 3N. With Spades being 6-3 and both red Aces in the hand with only 3 Spades, 3N could have actually been made. Chorush, however, ducked the King of Spades at Trick 1, then won Trick 2 with the Queen of Spades. He led the Jack of Diamonds, but then switched to Hearts, trying to guess which red ace to knock out first.

Closed Room:  Here Hamman chose to make a lead-directing double of a Stayman 2C bid, which Hillaker was able to redouble and Jones elected to go for it. The opening lead was the 5 of diamonds, won in declarer's hand. A small trump was led towards dummy, and when Hamman played small, Jones figured he did not have the AJT9, and thus played dummy's King. And a diamond now came off the board, driving out the Ace.

At this point, Hamman made a crafty switch to the Jack of spades, which Jones, not wanting to lose more than 2 tricks outside of trumps, jumped on with the Ace. A heart was led to his Jack, Hamman ducking. Now Jones played a high diamond, pitching a heart from dummy, Bramley ruffing in with the 9. Bart Bramley, too, was apparently fooled by the Jack of spades play, for he played back a heart rather than a spade. This went to Hamman's Ace, and now Bob produced the mysterious King of Spades.

Jones was now in control as he ruffed the Spade with his last trump, reducing dummy to Qxxx of clubs, to Hamman's AJT and a heart. So Hamman conceeded the inevitible end play that was about to occur at trick 11. The defense took two aces and 3 trumps.