Congratulations to Sheri Winestock, Fred Gitelman, Daniel Korbel, Roger Lee, Geoff Hampson and Haig Tchamitch from District 17 on winning the Grand National Teams at the 2019 Summer NABC in Las Vegas.

District 17 covers Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern Nevada, Eastern Utah, West Texas, and Wyoming.

In the final against District 24 (New York and Long Island) the score was tied after the 60 boards in regulation, so the match was extended with 8 extra boards to break the tie.

D17 had a couple of big boards and won by 15 IMPs.

Here’s the very last board that made it a tie, as presented by vugraph commentator extraordinaire Roland Wald.

3♠ can be made, but you need to guess well after a heart lead to the queen and ace. Declarer advanced ♠T, which was allowed to hold.

To make you now need to exit with a heart to West and when a club is led to East’s ace and a diamond comes through, you must guess to block the suit by rising with the ace.

However, declarer continued with a trump to Wooldridge’s ace and finessed in diamonds. Now EW had the tempo to get a diamond ruff for 1 down and 5 IMPs. Exciting deal.