Vol. LIV No. 4 Dec. 2012 Top 100 Unit 188 Masterpoint Holders 1. Kay Schulle 19,092 26. Phyllis Quinn 5,023 51. Fred Hawa 3,348 76. Cecile Tomashevsky 2,331 2. Rick Goldstein 13,859 27. Mark Gordon 4,974 52. Betty Fleischer 3,308 77. Michael Prahin 2,324 3. Laura Brill 13,295 28. Lawrence Christianson 4,552 53. Linda Otness 3,262 78. Yoshie Hata 2,310 4. Richard Zucker 13,275 29. Thomas Simon 4,442 54. Eileen Paley 3,192 79. Allan Botchman 2,294 5. Chuck Lamprey 12,629 30. Joshua Parker 4,413 55. Stanley Sternberg 3,177 80. Farley Mawyer 2,275 6. Ethan Stein 12,025 31. Harry Silverman 4,394 56. Genevieve Hewitt 3,153 81. Alvin Galland 2,266 7. Ron Gerard 9,387 32. Barbara Skluth 4,257 57. Jill Marshall 3,104 82. Lester Gottlieb 2,259 8. Warren Rosner 8,664 33. Charlotte Brasel 4,213 58. Doris Staubi 3,026 83. Judith Chaice 2,238 9. Natalie Hertz 8,454 34. Susan Meyers 4,164 59. Peggy Mendes 2,972 84. Joanne Marks 2,200 10. Dan Hertz 8,336 35. Richard Laufer 4,102 60. Carol Dalzell 2,956 85. Bud Rottman 2,182 11. Gerald Sosler 8,195 36. Stephen Shane 4,093 61. Melissa Baker 2,829 86. Edith Alexander 2,178 12. Nancy Molesworth 8,154 37. Heidi Klein 4,061 62. Linda Heineman 2,689 87. Ruth Grant 2,155 13. Dennis Newman 7,354 38. Kassie Munoz 4,052 63. Barbara Warkol 2,685 88. Steven Huhman 2,153 14. Halina Jamner 7,324 39. Sylwia McNamara 4,030 64. Clifford Nebel 2,665 89. Ruth Wohl 2,136 15. Faye Marino 6,971 40. Idelle Katz 3,985 65. Jeff Rubens 2,620 90. Elizabeth Haas 2,134 16. Tania Reyes Hiller 6,812 41. Stephen Lippmann 3,929 66. Elizabeth Baecher 2,604 91. Nancy Sahlein 2,114 17. Rhoda Levine 6,809 42. Robert Stayman 3,927 67. Joyce Blumenthal 2,579 92. Stephen Sahlein 2,104 18. Robert Klein 6,778 43. Gina Tamres 3,882 68. Joyana Steinberg 2,556 93. Arthur Seelenfreund 2,066 19. Joan Gerard 6,453 44. Steve Surasky 3,882 69. K. Joel Sommer 2,491 94. Geoffrey S J Berry 2,061 20. Mimi Bieber 6,310 45. Mira Parikh 3,748 70. Eileen O'Neill 2,483 95. David Yates 2,052 21. Carlos Munoz 6,214 46. Irene Silver 3,572 71. John Schmidt 2,472 96. Ellyn Plato 2,027 22. Arch McKellar 6,029 47. Janet Lippmann 3,397 72. Marjorie Murstein 2,466 97. Amy Frolick 2,020 23. Jeff Aker 5,811 48. Susan Kraner 3,368 73. Ann Duncan 2,364 98. Elise Luskin 2,018 24. Bob Goldwater 5,355 49. John Boyer 3,367 74. Robin Brown 2,353 99. Marshall Frank 2,012 25. Michael McNamara 5,258 50. Yoko Ohnuma 3,355 75. Stanley Perlo 2,348 100. Gertrude Goldstein 1,985 as of 11-28-12 Sleepy Hollow Inside this CC, site of the issue: Winter in Westchester Teams Event on Tournament 4-6 Results January 6th. For the full Win- Winter in Westchester Entry 8 ter in Westches- Forms ter Schedule Club News 13 including Pro Am and Teams Masterpoint Races 14 entry forms, Rank Changes 15 please turn to page 8. VISIT US ON THE WEB AT WWW.BRIDGE-WCBA.ORG Page 2 Bridging the Counties CLIFF’S NOTES by Cliff Nebel By 1931, many of the leading bridge authorities had banded to- The goals seemed to be the same, but the Association would now gether to battle Culbertson. A group known as Bridge Headquar- sponsor national tournaments. ters formed an Official System to rival the Culbertson system. The leaders of this group were Milton Work (originator of the His next challenge would come from Sims in 1935. Apparently point count in collaboration with Bryanrt McCampbell), Wilbur they were affable partners, teammates and adversaries, but times Whitehead, and Sidney Lenz (and a little later P. Hal Sims). change, and they began bickering over anything and everything. Work and Charles True Adams were the editors-in-chief of their The grudge match was set for March 25, 1935. Sims would play own periodical known as The Bridge Magazine (not to be con- with his wife, Dorothy Rice Sims and Ely would play with his fused with Bridge Magazine of Great Britain). Its first issue was wife, Jo. Early on, Sims had about a 5000 point lead, but suc- October 1931 and ran I believe through 1933. Work, along with cumbed in the end by a little over 16,000 points. Amazingly, the Whitehead, also had run a periodical known as Auction Bridge husbands and wives played most of the 150 rubbers together, and Magazine (again not to be confused by the British magazine of came out none the worse for the wear. It was noted that not a the same name) in the late ’20s. To Culbertson’s fortune, this cross word was uttered by a spouse during the entire match. magazine went bankrupt in September of 1929, the month before the launching of The Bridge World. As thousands of people were The American Bridge League and the United States Bridge Asso- switching daily from Auction to Contract, Culbertson had the ear ciation feuded constantly. By 1937, the ten year old American of the American public. Bridge League and the five year old United States Bridge Associ- ation decided to call a truce in their battle for bridge supremacy. Culbertson called his system Approach Forcing. With the publi- The American Contract Bridge League was formed. The fighting cation of Bridge Headquarters’ Official System, Ely knew he was between Culbertson of the USBA and Bill McKenney (think old in for a dog fight. His response was to challenge Lenz to a gruel- name of the Barry Crane Top Five Hundred Trophy) of the ABL, ing match of 150 rubbers. He would put up $10,000 to $1,000, with mediation from Nate Spingold (think Summer National with all the money going to charity. Lenz would choose any part- Master Team of Four Trophy) and Waldemar Von Zedtwitz ner he wanted, while Ely would play with his wife, Jo. A loss (think Life Master Pair Championship Trophy), came to a halt. A would ruin Culbertson. Thus, The Battle of the Century was set. masterpoint plan for conversion of each league’s points was put The systemic battle took place between Dec 7, 1931 and January, into effect. 15, 1932. For five weeks, bridge was front page news in all pa- pers across the country. At one point, the Culbertson team was up With the Eastern U.S. under the auspices of one ruling body, it over 20,000 points, and they held on to win by just under 9,000. remained only to bring the West into the fold. The Pacific Bridge Culbertson’s authority in the bridge world was now unrivaled. League under the tremendous guidance of Tom Stoddard began collaboration in 1940, became stronger in 1948, and the final In 1932, Ely announced the formation of the United States Bridge merger took place in 1956 collaboration in 1940, and joined the Association. All members of the National Bridge Association ACBL in 1948. would automatically be members with no further dues that year. BRIDGING THE COUNTIES (ISSN 1059-3586) is published Unit Board Nominations four times a year in March, June, September and December by the Westchester Contract Bridge Association, 190 East Post The WCBA nominating committee, consisting of Betty Road, White Plains, NY 10601. $1 of yearly membership fees Fleischer, Dan Hertz, Idelle Katz, Joel Sommer and shall be applied to yearly subscription for the publication. Periodi- Chairperson Marjorie Murstein offers the following slate cals postage is paid at White Plains, NY. of candidates for 2013: Officers for one year terms POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Bridging the Coun- President: TBD ties, 190 East Post Road, White Plains, NY 10601. Vice-President: Farley Mawyer Secretary: Eileen O’Neill WESTCHESTER CONTRACT BRIDGE ASSOCIATION Treasurer: Dan Wolkowitz www.bridge-wcba.com Directors for three year terms District: www.bridge-district3.org Abbye Bosses, Gail Cannold, Henry Deutsch, Jason Fuhrman, President: Michael McNamara Rich Laufer, Jill Marshall Editor: Ellyn Plato If you wish to nominate anyone else, please e-mail me at [email protected] Contributors: Glenda Calkins, Jason Fuhrman, Mike McNamara, Respectfully submitted, Marjorie Murstein, Cliff Nebel, Bernard Schneider, Ethan Stein Marjorie Murstein December 2012 Page 3 THIS N THAT My thoughts and prayers are with all of you who were impacted We will be working hard to fulfill our mission and vision. I will by Hurricane Sandy. It has been an incredibly difficult time, but report more to you on our plans after San Francisco. also one that has demonstrated the best of the human spirit with so many stories of Our Regional in Danbury was somewhat people helping one another to pick up the Glenda affected by the threat of the upcoming pieces. storm, so our attendance was a little less Calkins than last year. Thanks to all of you who As I write this I am preparing to go the San were able to attend. Next year we hope for Francisco, for the Board meetings, Thanks- better weather and more bridge. giving, and the NABC. I hope many of District 3 you will be able to attend. Director The next event for District 3 is the tourna- ment January 15-21 at the Rye Town Hil- The first item on the agenda of the Board ton.