Friday 16 May, 2014
USA top players are competing in Phoenix to represent their country in the 2015 Bermuda Bowl.
Thirteen teams started to play in the Round Robin phase of the 2014 USBC on Friday, May 9th. Eleven of the thirteen survived to the Round of 16, which started on Sunday, May 11th. The Gordon team joined in the Round of 16. The 6 teams that survived the Round of 16 KO joined Nickell and Fleisher in the Quarterfinals. Each of the KO stages is 120 boards long. Scores and Hand records available for: Click Here
The semifinals begun on May 15th, the matchs were:
Nickell vs Bramley and Fleisher vs Diamond
These were the standings when the sixth set begun: Nickel 141 – Bramley 120 and these were the standings only 15 boards later: Nickel 206 – Bramley 128, the set finished 65-8. WHY? These are some of the whys..
Board 17
After Katz’s 1
opening bid, Nickel showed his weak 4+ cards support. Katz asked keycards and after Nickell response he bidded the slam. Hamman-Lee played only game.
Board 19
Meckstroth passed over his partner’s 3
opening bid, Grabel instead showed his diamonds, and finished as declarer of a 4
contract.
Things were not easy for declarer and he was 5 down = 1100…
Board 26
After Hamman
1 opening bid, Weinstein showed his spades, Meckstroth closed the spades game after Lee double, Hamman occupied the 5th level, Rodwell passed and Lee declared the slam. Meckstrotth doubled, declarer went one down losing: two spades.
When Lee finished the hand, this was the dialog:
Lee “Trying to push you, looked like you wanted to”
Meck “I was going to hammer 5“
Grabel-Weinstein played 6 doubled two down.
So far Nickell added 53 IMps…Bramley only 8 Imps…
And came Board 29:
HWeinstein preempted with 3, Nickel doubled, Katz showed both majors. Now Nickel showed extras inviting to slam. Katz showed his better major, spades and Nickell declared the Grand Slam.
As the 
K was in South, declarer didnt have any problem to make 13 tricks…
Hamman -Lee investigated the grand, but Lee decided not to play a grand slam on a finesse.