Saturday, March 17, 2018 Volume 61, Number 9 Daily Bulletin 61st Spring North American Bridge Championships [email protected] | Editors: Paul Linxwiler and Chip Dombrowski Cope-Crouch take Silodor title Londoners Simon Cope and Peter Crouch topped the field in the four-session Silodor Open Pairs. The winners, who won the qualifying round on Thursday, scored 52.34% in the first final session, and 64.83% to win the event by two-thirds of a board over runners-up Robert Schachter and Paul Meerschaert of Minnesota. This is the first NABC title for Brits Cope and Crouch, who have played in only one previous NABC: Las Vegas in 2014, where they finished fifth in the von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs. Cope and Crouch have previously won two of the top bridge events in England: the Gold Cup and the Crockford’s Cup. Winners of the Smith LM Women’s Pairs: Cope is a full-time player, and Crouch splits Fiona Brown and Sally Brock his time between a career in accounting and bridge Brock-Brown win Smith play, some of which includes coaching for top-level Winners of the Silodor Open Pairs: players. Peter Crouch and Simon Cope Women’s Pairs England’s Sally Brock and Fiona Brown grabbed the Smith Women’s Pairs crown Friday evening. It Limerick winners was the first NABC title for either player, each of The Daily Bulletin’s fourth-annual Limerick There once was a man from Nantucket whom have multiple European or world titles to their Contest drew 58 entries by 28 writers. The winner, Whose defense had just kicked the bucket credit. by Brenda Fortunate of Grand Blanc MI: The game-setting trick Brock and Brown, who qualified third in Believing my partner in need Was mine for the pick Thursday’s opening round, scored 61.69% in the Of help with his opening lead Oh why in the world did I duck it? first final session and followed up with a 63.92% I more than just toyed performance in the second to win by almost four With bidding a void And Alvarado: boards. Playing 4–0 exposed my misdeed. There once was a system so vile continued on page 5 Nobody could play it with style Fortunate placed third in the 2015 contest with It had relays galore Vandy semis: an almost identical limerick. But the judges were Multi bids and much more different then, so it was not familiar to the current The defense was to lead and just smile. Nickell vs. Berg, ones. And the change that was made – recasting it in first person – made it stronger. Cynthia Colin of New York took third place. Fleisher vs. Diamond Tied for second place are two of the contest’s He believed he was playing Precision In today’s semifinal round of the Vanderbilt most prolific writers, who submit several entries Though his bids often met with derision Knockout Teams, Nick Nickell’s squad will play each year. Last year Andy Avery of Jamaica VT Going down in slams twice Mary Ann Berg’s team, while Marty Fleisher and and Nancy Alvarado of Yucaipa CA placed first and His partner, precise, company will meet John Diamond’s squad in the second. From Avery: Said his methods could use some revision. other bracket. Nickell’s lineup is Ralph Katz, Jeff Meckstroth, continued on page 7 Eric Rodwell, Robert Levin and Steve Weinstein. Berg’s roster is Jason Feldman and Poles Krzysztof For I was blind, but now I see Buras, Grzegorz Narkiewicz, Michal Kwiecien and It might seem overly dramatic to title an article In February of 2017, however, the Canadian Marcin Lesniewski. about a visual aid with a line from “Amazing company eSight unveiled its product (of the same Playing with Fleisher are Joe Grue, Chip Grace,” but don’t tell that to Harriette Buckman. name) to allow legally blind people to see. Not Martel, Brad Moss, Geoff Hampson and Eric Greco. The 83-year-old former ACBL president, who has only does it help people suffering from macular Diamond’s team is Brian Platnick, and Norwegians been battling the effects of macular degeneration for degeneration, but also from cataracts, diabetic Boye Brogeland and Espen Lindqvist. years, describes the impact of her recently acquired retinopathy, glaucoma, retinal detachment and many In a victory for the seeding committee, three of device – the eSight3 – as nothing less than “a more vision-related diseases. the top four seeds remain in the event. miracle.” Buckman says that a friend saw an article In the quarterfinal round, Nickell survived in a In the United States alone, as many as 11 in the New York Times about eSight, and she swingy match against Vinita Gupta’s team. Down million people are affected by age-related macular immediately checked out their website to schedule 5 IMPs after the first quarter, Nickell jumped out degeneration, a number that is expected to double an appointment with one of the company’s continued on page 14 over the next 30 years as the number of seniors in “ambassadors” (their term for “representative,” the U.S. continues to climb. chosen because many of eSight’s employees are legally blind people who use the product themselves) to see if she was a candidate to benefit from use of Goodwill Message the device. “I went in for my evaluation in March 2017, Everyone plays to win. When it’s not your but it turned out my vision wasn’t sufficiently bad turn to head the list, let your sportsmanship shine. for the product to be much help. But by July of that Winning is only part of being a champion. year – at the Summer NABC in Toronto – my vision Sandy DeMartino, Chair had dramatically deteriorated. I scheduled another Aileen Osofsky ACBL Goodwill Committee appointment – they were located across the street from where the tournament was being held! – and ATTENDANCE they told me that I had definitely become a candidate for the product. through Friday “I was shocked at how much my eyesight had changed in just four months. They took me to 8953 tables Harriette Buckman models the eSight3. continued on page 9 Page 2 Saturday, March 17, 2018 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS CELEBRITY SPEAKER PROGRAM Don’t miss these free lectures by some of the best-known players in the game! Room: Franklin 5-8, 4th floor. Speakers and topics are subject to change. Saturday, March 17 Sunday, March 17 9:15 a.m. David Legrow Balancing Noon - 4 p.m. Peter Pender Memorial Vugraph. (Room 403) Noon - 4 p.m. Peter Pender Memorial Vugraph. (Room 403) 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. HOSPITALITY Late night snacks will be served nightly, following the evening session, in the pre-function space outside the Marriott ballroom on the fifth floor. Tonight, enjoy bags of popcorn. Fair is foul Janice Seamon-Molson’s partner, Sheila Get your prize Cesarano of Miami Beach FL, found an excellent If you’ve won any strat of any event at all defense on Board 24 in the first final of the Smith in Philadelphia, come LM Women’s Pairs. Unfortunately it happened on a to the Prize Desk on the fouled board. This was the layout as they played it: fifth floor (to the left of the escalators) and claim Dlr: West ♠ Q 10 8 your prize. The Prize Vul: None ♥ 10 7 6 4 2 Desk is open 8:30–10 ♦ 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. ♣ A Q 5 2 and 6:30–7:30 p.m. ♠ J 9 ♠ A 5 ♥ K J 5 ♥ 8 3 ♦ A J 8 6 5 ♦ 9 4 2 ♣ K 10 9 ♣ J 8 7 6 4 3 Check cashing ♠ K 7 6 4 3 2 ♥ A Q 9 and Bridge Bucks ♦ K Q 7 3 The check cashing and ♣ — Bridge Bucks desk is located West North East South on the fifth floor of the Marriott Cesarano S.-Molson across from Salon H. The desk 1♦ Pass 1NT 2♠ hours are 9:30 to 10 a.m, and Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ noon to 1 p.m. All Pass Cesarano started with the ♠J, the only lead that doesn’t give the contract away. Seamon-Molson won Attention daylight players the ace and switched to the ♥8 to declarer’s queen The coupons you receive at your games are good and partner’s king. Cesarano continued spades, won only the day they are given. If you try to use them on in dummy. Declarer played the ♦10 off the board to a later day, they will not be valid. her king and Cesarano’s ace. Cesarano managed to find the only safe exit – a diamond to partner’s 9 and the queen. Now declarer must lose either a heart or a Parking Discounted parking tickets are available for two diamond for the setting trick. nearby garages at the Information Desk. On the hand record, the ♣7 and ♠7 are switched. 12th & Filbert – immediately across Filbert Street from the entrance to the Marriott – $16/day. Buy your NABC 12th & Walnut – entrance on the west side of 12th at entry online Sansom Street – $12/day. Don’t wait in line! Buy your entries in advance These discounts have been for all national-level events at BridgeWinners.com. arranged through Parkway Entertainment Entries must be purchased by 10 a.m. the day Corporation. Philadelphia Sightseeing Tours of the event EXCEPT for events that require pre- The Information Desk is open daily at the See Philadelphia – $20 discount tickets (usually registration, in which case following times: 8:30–10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.