Friday, July 20, 2012 Volume 84, Number 8 Daily Bulletin 84th North American Bridge Championships Editors: Brent Manley, Paul Linxwiler and Sue Munday Westheimer wins Diamond exits Spingold in Round of 16 John Diamond’s team, the Spingold Knockout Wagar in a walk Teams champions in 2010 and the No. 3 seed in The team captained by Valerie Westheimer IMPs and then 12 IMPs, and never looked back. this year’s contest, did not survive their round- beat the squad led by Geeske Joel to win the “Everyone played solid, mistake-free bridge,” of-16 encounter with Mike Levine’s squad, as Wagar Women’s Knockout Teams in impressive captain Westheimer said. Levine advanced to the quarterfinal round 120- fashion, 159-92. Westheimer outgained Joel 53-35 in the first continued on page 5 The Joel team held the lead for the first three quarter, 47-33 in the second quarter, 28-17 in the boards of the match: plus 10 IMPS for making a third quarter and 31-7 in the fourth quarter. Rosenberg sets pace in nonvulnerable game that was set at the other table, Westheimer, New York NY, played with plus 5 IMPs for staying out of a nonvulnerable Hjordis Eythorsdottir, Huntsville AL; Mildred Mixed BAM game that didn’t make at the other table and plus Breed, Austin TX; Shawn Quinn, Sugar Land TX; Debbie Rosenberg’s squad topped the field 1 IMP for an overtrick. They would never see the Jill Levin, Henderson NV and Jenny Wolpert, of qualifiers in the opening round of the Freeman lead again. Jupiter FL. Mixed Board-a-Match Teams, scoring 37.83 wins, In quick succession, the Westheimer crew Joel’s teammates were Tobi Sokolow, Austin the odd amount the result of a slow-play penalty. gained 10 IMPs, 10 IMPS, 12 IMPs, 6 IMPs, 3 TX; Janice Seamon-Molson, Hollywood FL; Rosenberg is playing with Gabrielle Sherman, Jill Meyers, Santa Richard Zeckhauser and Joel Wooldridge. Monica CA; In second with 35.5 wins is Rita Shugart’s Sylvie Willard and team --- Shugart, Ron Smith, Nikolay Demirev Benedicte Cronier, and Brenda Bryant. Paris, France. continued on page 5 Winners of the Wagar Women’s Del’Monte, Bessis lead Knockout Teams: Fast quals Jenny Wolpert, Australia’s Ishmael Del’Monte and France’s Jill Levin, Thomas Bessis turned in the best performance Mildred Breed, captain Valerie in the opening round of the NABC+ Fast Pairs Westheimer, to lead the field of today’s 130 qualifying pairs. Hjordis Del’Monte and Bessis posted a 65.57% game in Eythorsdottir and the first session and followed it with a 60.46% Shawn Quinn. effort in the second. In second are David Grainger of Bend OR Technology changes continued on page 5 caddy roles, numbers Mini-Spingold 1500 final: There was a time in the not-too-distant past Before wireless scoring became commonplace, when some five or six dozen caddies were needed caddies were needed to pick up score slips in Lefevre vs Glick Today’s final of the Mini-Spingold II, for to run a successful NABC. With the advent of pair games after each round. The technology has players with fewer than 1500 masterpoints, will wireless scoring and the rise of a small cadre of eliminated that part of the caddies’ laundry list of feature a battle between the squads captained by professional-level caddies, however, that number tasks, however, dropping the number of workers Claude Lefevre and Max Glick. has decreased dramatically. How many caddies are required to staff the NABC. In yesterday’s semifinal matchups, Lefevre’s here at the Philadelphia NABC? According to Hughes, the caddies stay very “Nine,” says ACBL Caddymaster Pam busy despite these changes. continued on page 5 Hughes. “We have two or three other locals “The caddies are still needed to move boards who are working, also,” she says, “but with the in team games, of course, as well as pick up Semifinalists battle in extensively experienced core group of caddies, we entries at the beginning of each event. These guys can handle the entire tournament with a lot fewer are so fast, that just a small group of them can pick Mini-Spin I than we used to.” up all the entries in every event,” she says. This Four teams remain in the Mini-Spingold is an especially amazing I Knockouts. George Krizel’s team will face feat at a tournament such as Nicholas France’s squad in one bracket, while the Summer NABC with so teams led by captains Marc Sylvester and Yan many contests. Wang will meet in the other. A big part of the caddies’ continued on page 5 efforts goes completely unnoticed by most players because it involves pre-game Your chance setup or post-game “resets.” continued on page 5 to shine Calling all shower singers! Time to blow off ACBL Caddymaster Pam some steam from the rigors of tournament play. Hughes (right) with Join your fellow players for a good old-fashioned a few of the National “sing-a long” tonight at 8 p.m. in Salon G on the Head Caddies here in Philadelphia: brothers fifth floor. The evening’s selections will feature Trevor Ames (left) and such great standards as “Moon River,” “Yankee Tony Ames and Stacey Doodle Dandy,” “Chantilly Lace,” and “American Hutchinson. Pie,” all accompanied by a professional pianist and emcee Walter Mitchell, president of District 4. Snacks and a cash bar will be available, along with Table count 9390 through Thursday evening a songbook with lyrics from more than 40 popular songs. Page 2 Friday, July 20, 2012 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS MEETINGS / SEMINARS / RECEPTIONS Friday, July 20 Saturday, July 21 9:15 am Haig Tchamitch “Support Doubles” 9:15 am Ellen Kent “Panicville” 6:45 pm Richard Braunstein “Money in the Bank” 6:45 pm Barry Harper “A Short List of Conventions You Need” CELEBRITY SPEAKER PROGRAM Daily presentations (except Sunday) by some of the best-known Saturday, July 21 players and teachers at 9:15 am and 6:45 pm. Free. Marriott, 5th floor, Salon I. 9:15 am Ellen Kent “Panicville” Friday, July 20 6:45 pm Barry Harper “A Short List of Conventions 9:15 am Haig Tchamitch “Support Doubles” You Need” 6:45 pm Richard Braunstein “Money in the Bank” HOSPITALITY All hospitality is on the 5th floor of the Marriott. Friday, July 20 Saturday, July 21 Ice cream, water ice, granola bars (break) Bagels, muffins, donuts (morning) Cash bar, pretzels (evening: live entertainment) Sunday, July 22 Bagels, muffins, donuts (morning) It’s a bidder’s game Marriott’s Smoke-Free Robert Lebi and David Lindop couldn’t find Tell Me More anyone to play with them in the regional knockout Policy teams on Tuesday. Entering the Wernher Open Name We would like to remind our guests that Pairs was their default plan. Four sessions and Robert Lebi since October 2006, all Marriott hotels in North a Wernher win later, they had an NABC title to America are smoke-free. In addition, the City City of residence support their default position. of Philadelphia prohibits smoking in all lobbies, Toronto ON Lindop offered this deal as an example of the hallways, sleeping quarters and other common gentle Lebi’s bidding. It wasn’t an extraordinary areas of all lodging establishments. Place of birth When we establish that a guestroom has been board – just a bit over average. When all was said Paris, France. and done, there were plenty of plus 650s East- smoked in, we perform a thorough and extensive room recovery/cleaning of the room so that we West. Still, it had Lindop shaking his head. What is your can return it to its previous smoke-free condition. Bd: 20 ♠ Q 4 3 all time favorite If we determine that smoking occurred in your Dlr: West ♥ Q 8 7 movie? guestroom, your credit card will be charged our Vul: Both ♦ 10 5 Heaven Can Wait. ♣ A Q 9 6 4 standard $250 room recovery fee per occurrence. ♠ A K J 5 2 ♠ 10 9 7 6 What kind of music do you listen to? We have provided a designated smoking area ♥ — ♥ 10 5 4 2 Rock. outside of the hotel. It is located outside of the ♦ A K 9 7 6 2 ♦ J 8 4 3 Filbert Street entrance. ♣ 8 7 ♣ 2 What do you see as your best ever bridge We thank you for your cooperation and ♠ 8 result? are pleased to provide you with a smoke-free ♥ A K J 9 6 3 Second in the 1989 Reisinger. environment. Should you have any questions ♦ Q about our smoke-free hotel environment, please ♣ K J 10 5 3 Who is your favorite bridge player? don’t hesitate to contact us. West North East South George Mittelman. Lindop Lebi Junior Coupons What is your favorite bridge convention? 1♦ Pass 1♥! Pass Junior coupons will be made available for Transfer responses/advances. 1♠ Pass Pass 2♥ junior members in good standing for entry into events at NABCs: 3♠ Pass 4♠!! All Pass Is there a bridge book that had a significant Any junior under the age of 26 years who Lindop insisted on the exclamation points. influence on you? is a full time student (must provide proof of “He took two unforced bids with this hand!” 5 Weeks to Winning Bridge. When last seen, Lebi and Lindop were eligibility) will be entitled to coupons that can looking for a pair to play in Thursday’s regional What jobs/occupations (not bridge-related) be used for any event.