With a total of 10,301 tables, the NABC in Las Vegas continued the upward trend in attendance since the Pandemic, taking the total for the year to 26,618.50, compared to the 22,110.50 of the previous year and the 2022 total of 20,344.50.

The majority of those attending the Championships play match points and there are events for everyone.

Jeff Meckstroth and David Berkowitz won the Nail Life Master Pairs. These deals helped them on their way:

Dealer West. None Vul.

East led the ♦J and declarer won with the ♦A, ruffed a diamond, cashed the ♠A and played a spade to the queen, East discarding the ♥2. Declarer ruffed another diamond, cashed the ♠K and came to hand with the ♣A. He then played the ♣KQ and the ♣8. West ruffed, but declarer discarded his losing heart and on the enforced red suit return he took the remaining tricks.

An initial heart lead looks dangerous, but declarer has more than one way to succeed. Perhaps the prettiest is to win with the ♥A, cash the ♦A, ruff a diamond, take the ♠A and play a spade to the queen. When East discards a heart declarer cashes the ♦K, ruffs a diamond, plays three rounds of clubs ending in hand, ruffs a diamond with the ♠K and plays the remaining club, scoring the ♠10 en passant.

Were East to have started with four diamonds, declarer could change tack after cashing the ♦K by playing three rounds of clubs ending in hand. He then ruffs a diamond with the ♠K and plays the last club and West has no answer.

In a match pointed event, every trick is vital. On this deal from the final the winners turned a good board into a great one.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.

3NT is not in danger, and when East led a spade and dummy’s ♠Q took the trick declarer could see that 11 tricks were almost certain. He took seven rounds of clubs before exiting with the ♦Q, West winning with the ♦A. This was the position:

When West exited with the ♠10 declarer could win and cash the ♦K, squeezing East in the majors. A diamond return would have been no better, as East would become the victim of a crisscross squeeze. Only the ♥6 will hold declarer to eleven tricks. +490 was worth 98%.

The Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs went to Simon Cope and Thomas Paske, who led the qualifiers into the final and consolidated their position with 62.10% in the first session of the final, going on to win more than two tops. This was one of many good results:

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.

They reached 6NT played by Simon who was sitting North.

Although the 62% chance that the heart suit would play for five tricks failed, the spade finesse was enough to get declarer up to 12 tricks once the ♣A had been dislodged.

Were South to be declarer, a spade lead would to be awkward, as declarer is unlikely to risk the contract at trick one. He wins with the ♠A and forces out the ♣A. He wins whatever West returns, cashes three clubs and plays hearts. West’s third round discard is a blow, but on the fourth heart West, down to ♠Q ♦973, has to part with a diamond. Then declarer can play three rounds of diamonds, scoring the slam going trick with the ♦5.

The Whitehead Women’s Pairs was captured by Elisabeth Sjodal and her daughter Sofie, fresh from a second place finish in the Women’s Pairs at the World Bridge Games in Buenos Aires.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.

This was a virtual top for the winners as they went all the way to 7♠!

With Mixed events becoming increasingly popular, Las Vegas saw the inaugural NABC+ Mixed Pairs, which attracted a massive 312 pairs! Victory went to Lin-Huan Chen and Ding-Hwa Hsieh, who posted a huge 68.33% in the first session of the final.

They collected a complete top on this deal:

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.

South led the ♦9, ruffed the third round of the suit and switched to the ♣10. Declarer took dummy’s ♣A, ruffed a club and played two rounds of spades forcing South to surrender a trick to the ♥K. Well played, but -500 did not trouble the scorers.