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Top 32 Playoff Match:
Bobby Chambers vs Nehemias “Nemo” Diaz
In the Round of 32, every remaining Duelist was guaranteed one of the swanky new U.S. National Championship 2009 card binders. From here on out though, the prizes only got better. Bobby Chambers won the opening dice roll and chose to go first. He started with “Celestia Lightsworn Angel,” “Honest,” “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner,” “Wulf, Lightsworn Beast,” “Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress,” and “Heavy Storm.” He Summoned Lyla and quickly ended his turn, sending another Lyla to the Graveyard during the End Phase. Diaz started with a flurry of cards, playing both “Solar Recharge” and “Charge of the Light Brigade” in quick succession. He searched Lumina from his Deck with the Charge then activated “Gold Sarcophagus” to remove a “Judgment Dragon” from his Deck. Diaz Summoned his Lumina and activated its effect by discarding “Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid.” Her effect Summoned the very same Aurkus, shutting down Chambers’ potential plays with Lumina and Celestia, then ended his turn. “Wulf, Lightsworn Beast” found its way to the Graveyard in the End Phase and was Summoned. 
Chambers attacked Aurkus with Lyla and then waited until damage calculation before activating an “Honest.” Doing it this way made sure that Diaz couldn’t use an “Honest” of his own to win the battle. In Main Phase 2, Chambers Tributed Lyla for Celestia and blew Diaz’s monsters away. The Duelists were playing at a furious pace, and next turn “Jain, Lightsworn Paladin” was Summoned. Jain defeated Celestia with the aid of “Honest,” and in the End Phase another Wulf was Summoned. Chambers unleashed a Lumina of his own next turn and used it to Summon another Lumina. He used that Lumina to Summon “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior.” Garoth took down Jain, and Chambers sent 10 cards to the Graveyard during the End Phase. He failed to draw any bonus cards with Garoth, and Diaz was up. “Judgment Dragon” was added to his hand, and he quickly played it, paying 1000 Life Points to clear the field. “Foolish Burial” came down next sending a “Necro Gardna” to the Graveyard.
Diaz attacked with his Dragon, but a “Necro Gardna” from Chambers’ Graveyard negated the attack. Chambers had no plays on his next turn, and Diaz struck again with the “Judgment Dragon”! Chambers had another “Necro Gardna,” however, and that attack was negated too. Chambers threw down his third Lumina and used it to Summon Garoth. He attacked “Judgment Dragon” with both monsters, drawing out both of Diaz’s “Necro Gardnas.” In the End Phase, Chambers caught his third “Necro Gardna” with Garoth, but he still didn’t get any bonus cards. Diaz did some quick calculations and Summoned a second “Judgment Dragon”! Both Dragons attacked, but the first was blocked by the final “Necro Gardna.” It didn’t matter though, as Diaz had “Monster Reincarnation”!
He discarded a card to bring back “Celestia, Lightsworn Angel,” and then Tributed a “Judgment Dragon” to Summon it. Finally, he put a card back on top of his Deck to Summon “Plaguespreader Zombie” from the Graveyard. He Tuned Celestia to the “Plaguespreader Zombie” to Summon “Dark Strike Fighter” and Tributed “Judgment Dragon” and the “Dark Strike Fighter” itself to deal the last 3000 damage and win the Duel!
Both players were moving at a furious pace, and neither showed any signs of slowing down as they barreled into the second Duel. Chambers was up first again, and he started things off with a “Solar Recharge,” discarding Wulf. He sent “Monster Reincarnation” and “Charge of the Light Brigade” to the Graveyard then activated a Charge from his hand! “Necro Gardna,” Wulf, and Lumina were sent to the Graveyard, and he searched out Lumina from his Deck! Chambers discarded “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior” to Summon it from the Graveyard, and sent “Beckoning Light,” Celestia, two copies of “Honest,” and a “Necro Gardna” to the Graveyard in the End Phase, catching no bonus cards.
Diaz started with a Charge of his own, sending “Solar Recharge,” “Brain Control” and Aurkus to the Graveyard to fetch “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior.” He discarded it to “Solar Recharge” and drew two cards before sending “Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress” and “Phantom of Chaos” to the Graveyard. He noted that Chambers had 2 copies of “Necro Gardna” in the Graveyard and Summoned “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner,” discarding “Plaguespreader Zombie” to bring back his Garoth. To the crowd’s surprise, he dropped “Soul Release” targeting both “Necro Gardnas,” both “Honests,” and the Celestia! Chambers chained the Gardnas, and all of the above were removed from play. Diaz ended his turn, sending 5 cards to the Graveyard and catching a bonus card off of Garoth.
Chambers discarded Ryko to his Lumina to Special Summon Wulf, and attacked Garoth. During Damage Calculation, Diaz had an “Honest” to pump his Garoth up to 3950 ATK! Wulf went down, but Chambers quickly struck down Lumina with his other Wulf. Chambers used an Honest of his own to make his Garoth big enough to beat Diaz’s, and with the way cleared, he attacked directly with Lumina. The score stood at 6150 to 4050 in Chambers favor. He sent a Wulf to the Graveyard in the End Phase in addition to catching a bonus card off of Garoth’s effect!
“Judgment Dragon” and “Honest” came down for Diaz, and he attacked with both of them! Chambers was down to 2050, and Diaz Set a Spell or Trap Card before returning “Honest” to his hand and ending his turn. “Judgment Dragon” dropped a “Necro Gardna” into his Graveyard in the End Phase, and Chambers dropped a “Judgment Dragon” of his own! He immediately activated its effect to clear the field, but Diaz had “Torrential Tribute” to destroy Chambers’ Dragon! “Monster Reborn” brought Celestia back to fight again, and he attacked Diaz directly!
Diaz removed “Necro Gardna” to negate the attack, and he Summoned Aurkus in Attack Position next turn. He attacked Celestia with Aurkus, and during Damage Calculation dropped an “Honest” to end the Duel! Nehemias Diaz and his Lightsworn blazed through to the Top 16 by defeating Bobby Chambers, 2-0!
reported by
Jerome McHale
