Volume 78, Number 7 78th Summer North American Bridge Championships DAILY BULLETIN Thursday, July 20, 2006 Editors: Brent Manley and Paul Linxwiler Meet your TDs Lin, Zhu win Wernher Pairs This is a continuing series of profiles of A partnership that was formed a half hour Lin was born in Shanghai, but has lived in the tournament directors working at the NABCs. before the start of the event took first place in the U.S. for nine years. Although he knew how to Wernher Open Pairs. play bridge when he lived in China, he took up Nancy Boyd’s Jianrong Lin and Julie Zhu paired a 53.70% Continued on page 8 introduction to game in the first final session with a massive tournament directing 72.89% game in the second final to win the four- actually had little to session contest. Lin, of Arlington Heights IL, and do with the Zhu, who splits the year between Weston MA and profession and Vero Beach FL, posted a total of 1714.15 everything to do with matchpoints. her primary interest In second with 1706 was Cameron Doner of at the time, which Richmond BC and Bob Etter of Sacramento CA. was playing. Top on a board was 51. The year was Lin, a software engineer, and Zhu, a retired 1971 and Boyd, who financial investment specialist, met at the Wernher Open champs Jianrong Lin partnership desk the day of the qualifying round. now lives in San Ramon CA (San Francisco Bay and Julie Zhu. area), at the time was fresh out of college and playing a lot of bridge. “I decided I wanted to understand what the Three high seeds Wagar Knockout tournament directors were talking about when they came to the table,” she recalls. exit Spingold in semifinal round So she took the tournament director test with Two squads will enter the semifinal round of no intention of doing anything with it beyond her In yesterday’s Spingold action, the squads led the Wagar Women’s Knockout Teams today well stated goal. In fact, National TD Tom Quinlan by Carolyn Lynch (the #8 seed), Steve Robinson rested after their opponents withdrew early – and asked her at one point if she wanted to take up (#9) and Roy Welland (#12) were defeated. two others will be starting play after grinding out directing and she politely declined. The Chinese team of Hu (npc) defeated tough wins on Wednesday. A native of Oakland CA, Boyd is a lifelong Lynch 149-114. Hu (#25 seed) includes Fu Zhong, The blowout winners from Wednesday – resident of the bay area. She studied math in Jack Zhao, Ze Jun Zhuang, Shi Moojun, Lixin teams captained by Kathy Baum and Judi Radin – college and worked for Blue Cross of California in Yang and Jian Ming Dai. Lynch played with their actuarial division for a time before becoming Continued on page 8 Continued on page 8 an actuarial division manager. After about a decade and a half of toiling for Blue Cross, Boyd decided she preferred working for herself, so she quit and started a word Mini-Spin 5000: Micro-Spin 1500 processing and desk-top publishing business. “l learned how to be really poor,” she says. QF Round in Semis Eventually that business morphed into her Eight teams remain in the Mini-Spingold 0- Four teams remain in the Mini-Spingold 1500 current job as co-founder of a consulting group 5000 KOs. In yesterday’s upset action, the #4 seed KO. Today’s matchups will see the Chicago-area that does human resources work for school led by Toronto Brian Johnston got the axe from team led by Dennis O’Dowd take on the districts in 37 states. the #13 seed captained by Paul Stern and his Minneapolis-based squad captained by Eric Along the way, Boyd married and had two District 13 squad. Hendrickson. sons, but when they grew up she decided – about The original #46 seed (Shaun Chooi, captain) In the other bracket, the #3 seed of Edward 10 years ago – to check with Quinlan to see if the continued their advance by beating David Foran and his teammates from Georgia will play TD offer was still open. Zapatka’s all-Missouri squad 125-94. the squad led by 2006 King of Bridge Sam Katz. On arrival in Continued on page 7 Night of the Pakistan, we were driven to the Beatty is Grand LM meeting with an generals impressive police Steve Beatty, two- By Zia Mahmood escort. I will time North American admit, however, champion, became a The phone call was totally unexpected. that I wasn’t sure Grand Life Master at “Could you be in Islamabad in May? You are whether the the Summer NABC in to receive an award from the president of Pakistan discovery that our Chicago when he and play in a tournament.” car was bullet- surpassed 10,000 The caller was Tariq Aziz, a longtime bridge proof was masterpoints. friend, now the national security advisor and right comforting or not. Beatty is chief hand to General Pervez Musharraf, the president The president executive officer of a of Pakistan. The 62-year-old general took power was a delight. Informal and charming, he Seattle-based company, in October 1999 and became president in June described how he grew to love bridge in his early Helix Biomedix, a public company with bridge 2001. Continued on page 7 players owning the controlling interest. He lives in The combination of the honor and the Mill Creek WA. prospect of meeting the legendary general was Goodwill message The former Birmingham AL resident has two irresistible Always say, “Director, please.” Yes, I would certainly be available. major titles, the North American Swiss Teams in Accept defeat and victory with grace President Musharraf is well known to the West 1998 and the Mixed Board-a-Match Teams last Say “Thank you, partner,” — as a vital ally in the war against terror as well as year. even when dummy is a the leader of a sometimes-volatile land who has disappointment! Win a deluxe poker set from the successfully balanced the precarious pillars of Aileen Osofsky, Chairman politics and religion. I personally also know that U.S. Playing Card Co. Find out National Goodwill Committee he is a genuine lover of bridge. I looked forward how on page 8. to the meeting. Page 2 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS MEETINGS / SEMINARS / RECEPTIONS Thursday, July 20 Sunday, July 23 9 a.m. - Club Director Update Course. Continuing education for 11 a.m. - Vugraph. Location: Columbus GBL. 12:30 p.m. bridge directors to increase their skills. Certificate 3:30 p.m. given for successful completion of all three days. 6 - 11:30 p.m. Vugraph. Location: Columbus GBL. Thursday: Advanced ACBLscore. Fee varies. Location: CANCELLEDSkyway 260. 10 a.m. & Dealmaster Pro Demo and Q&A. Join Ed Marzo, creator 11 a.m. of Dealmaster Pro, as he demonstrates the features of this powerful program. Great for teachers. Location: Skyway 265. Two one-hour programs. CELEBRITY SPEAKER PROGRAM Daily at 9:15 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. in Columbus Hall A-D. Thursday, July 20 Saturday July 22 9:15 a.m. Harriette Buckman R & R C Rights and 9:15 a.m. Jade Barrett The Learning Curve Responsibilities 6:45 p.m. Ellen Wallace The Value of Game Tries - To Go 6:45 p.m. Karen Walker Was That a Penalty Double? or Not To Go Friday, July 21 9:15 a.m. Allan Mazer The Art of Finding Queens 6:45 p.m. Jeff Roman Let’s Talk About Game Tries LATE NIGHT / ENTERTAINMENT All entertainment will be held between sessions at 6:45 p.m. on the stage Friday, July 21 outside the ballroom. For information on any of the Special Events below, Mayer Irish Dance Academy, Second City Comedy visit the Tour Desk located in the Grand Ballroom Foyer. Special Event: White Sox vs. Texas baseball Thursday, July 20 Klezmer Music Foundation Saturday July 22nd Special Events: Cubs baseball game, Art Institute tour Chinese Dragon Dancers Late Night Food: Connie’s Pizza Special Events: Frank Lloyd Wright/Hemingway House tour, Restaurant Bus to Chinatown Notice to players Tonight’s ethnic Lights, Camera . Each player must have an ACBL convention entertainment A film company will be in Chicago July 13-23 card filled out and on the table. Please note that for an upcoming documentary on professional Klezmer is the Yiddish word for a folk other types of convention cards, such as the WBF bridge players. Please extend your musician. It refers to traditional Jewish dance convention card or homemade cards that do not courtesy to director-producer melodies from Eastern Europe. The lost art of the sufficiently resemble the ACBL convention card, Kimberly Dawson and klezmer has been revived over the past three are not acceptable substitutes. directors of photography decades as part of the World Music movement. Noah Bean and Traditionally played at weddings and other John Orebaugh. celebrations, klezmer music has now become part Most filming of the performance arts repertoire and includes ♠♥♦♣ will be in the songs of the Yiddish theater in addition to folk GNT and Spingold music. areas following the Lynch team. The producer is As Jewish immigrants came to America, they Today’s tours interested in hearing great stories (no hands brought this style with them. They adapted it to Today is the Art Institute Tour, including please!) related to people’s obsession with the American tastes and instrumentation. The result drinks at the prestigious Chicago Athletic Club game and the extreme measures they take to be was an organic fusion of everything from Russian and the trip to the Cubs baseball game.