Baldwin Quintet Runs Away with Open BAM Last-Round Rally Propels
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70th Fall North American Bridge Championships November 21 - December 1, 1996 San Francisco, California Volume 70, Number 5 Tuesday, November 26, 1996 Editors: Henry Francis and Brent Manley Last-round rally propels Four women from the Bay Area, to 35.50 for the team that led going into one ofWomens them suffering with bronchitis, BAMthe championsfinal round: Joann Glasson, came from behind on the last round to Pennington NJ; Jo Ann Sprung, Phila- win the Women’s Board-a-Match delphia; Sue Picus, New York, and Teams by .23 points. JoAnna Stansby, Castro Valley CA. The winners are Sherie Greenberg, In third, .45 out of second, were Palo Alto; Jyme Schmieder, Saratoga, Laurie Vogel and Gail Greenberg, New and Fran Dickman and Diane Shannon, York; Jill Blanchard, Riverdale NY, and San Jose. Rozanne Pollack, Warren NJ. They finished with a score of 35.73 Continued on page 8 They won the Open Board-a-Match Teams. Seated, from left, Peter Weichsel and Robert Levin; standing, Zia, Robert Baldwin and Michael Rosenberg. Womens Board-a-Match Teams champions. From left, Fran Dickman, Jyme Schmieder, Baldwin quintet runs Diane Shannon and Sherie Greenberg. A five-manaway team captained with by Rob- Openteam, were BAMJohn Russell, South ert Baldwin of Las Vegas took the lead Barrington IL; Howard Piltch, Andover after the first final session of the Open MA; Andrew Chesterton, Lexington Board-a-Match Teams and stormed to MA, and Rob Crawford, Fort Lauder- Bennett's efforts victory by more than five boards. dale FL. Baldwin, president of the Mirage The Baldwin team’s win was a liftThe Seniorlargest-ever SeniorTeams Knock- Hotel in Las Vegas, was playing with strong effort for a squad which trailed out Teams enters the third day Tues- Robert Levin, Orlando; Peter Weichsel, at the halfway point by two and a half day with 16 teams remaining from Encinitas CA, and Zia and Michael boards. the original field of 48. Among the Rosenberg of New York. The victory represents Baldwin’s survivors is a Bay Area player, Their final score was 39.06. In sec- first North American championship. A Hamish Bennett, whose efforts to ond, with 34.04, were a foursome from longtime bridge player, he met Levin promote the event helped build it up England -- David Mossop and Paul about 20 years ago at a tournament. For this year. Hackett of London, and Jason and Jus- the past year and a half, the two have Bennett is playing with Trudi tin Hackett of Manchester. been playing together on the Internet. Nugit, Mike Shuman, Chuck Said, In third, just .03 behind the Mossop Continued on page 8 Continued on page 7 Dick Shaver: Goodwill Member of Year Mike Aliotta ick Shaver of Reno got a sur- phone. “This is so wonderful and so to- prise phone call yesterday from tally unexpected. I didn’t even know I D Aileen Osofsky, chairman of had been nominated.” $911Mike Aliottafor air called ticket? his travel the ACBL Goodwill Committee. The His friends weren’t at all surprised agency recently to arrange for some phone call was the high point of the that Shaver received this honor. They airline tickets. Even before he could tell special Goodwill Committee meeting. know him as a man who was dedicated the agent where he wanted to go, the “Hello, Dick,” she said. “I’m call- to making sure that everything that is agent told him, “Yes, we can take care ing with good news. You are the good would happen for his club and unit. of that for you. The price will be $911. ACBL’s Goodwill Member of the His wife Gloria said that there And please come by now to pick them Year.” couldn’t have been any better medicine up.” The news floored Shaver -- it was for her husband than the honor that was Aliotta knew something was wrong totally unexpected. It never occurred conferred upon him. “He is recuperat- -- he hadn’t said where he was going, to him that the work he did for the club ing from a heart attack, and I’m sure the price was out of sight and they al- and the unit would make such an im- this will speed his recovery.” ways delivered the tickets to him. $911? pression on his fellow members that he He thanked the agent, hung up and would be nominated for such an honor. Letter of nomination quickly dialed 911. As far as he was concerned, he was Here is the letter of nomination re- Shortly afterwards the police broke just doing what had to be done. ceived from Myrlen Ann Knafelc, presi- Goodwill Chairman Aileen Osofsky into the travel agency and arrested the “I’m absolutely speechless,” he dent of Unit 473. person who was holding the employees tells Dick Shaver by phone that he is said as he received the news over the the Goodwill Member of the Year. Continued on page 5 at gunpoint and threatening to dismem- ber them. 2 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS Larry DawsonDeja had an eerie vu feeling as he played in the second final session of the Life Master Open Tuesday, Nov. 26 Pairs. Board 17 made him think back to 1990 -- the 9:00 a.m. Club director’s course, Session 2, Pacific J. last time San Francisco hosted an NABC -- when he 9:00 a.m. Education Liaison Meeting, Pacific I. Julie Greenberg and Mary Oshlag conduct the came across two “intra-finesse” situations, diagnosed session. both of them and blotted out the opponents’ honors. 10:00 a.m. Morning stretch and aerobics with Sharon Hartley. Club Room. Dawson, of Oakland, played with Dick Walker of 11:45 a.m. Intermediate/Novice Speakers Program -- Jim Kirkham: Negative Doubles. Golden Emeryville. Gate Hall A. Dlr: North « Q J 10 2 6:45 p.m. Intermediate/Novice Speakers Program -- Michael Huston: Playing with Finesse. Vul: None Q J 8 6 Golden Gate Hall A. ª © Q 8 7 11:45 p.m. Barbary Coast Charity Casino Night -- blackjack, craps, roulettes and slot machines. 9 2 Win a trip to an upcoming NABC! Golden Gate Hall C. ¨ « 6 3 « A K 8 4 ª A 10 5 3 ª K 9 7 © J 5 2 © A 9 6 4 3 9:00 a.m. Club director’s course,Wednesday, Session 3, Pacific Nov. J. 27 ¨ A J 8 5 ¨ K 11:45 a.m. Intermediate/Novice Speakers Program -- Max Hardy: Reverses. Golden Gate « 9 7 5 Hall A. ª 4 2 6:45 p.m. Intermediate/Novice Speakers Program -- Bill “Kojak” Schoder: The Game of © K 10 Bridge. Golden Gate Hall A. ¨ Q 10 7 6 4 3 11:45 p.m. Dance to the DJ! Go for a number (of tunes). Golden Gate Hall C. West North East South Dawson Walker Pass 1© Pass Thursday, Nov. 28 1ª Pass 1« Pass Thanksgiving Day 1NT Pass 2NT Pass 11:45 a.m. Intermediate/Novice Speakers Program -- John Blubaugh: Law of Total Tricks. Golden 3NT All Pass Gate Hall A. North got off to the imaginative lead of the «2, ducked by Dawson to South’s 7. South returned a Fabulous Thanksgiving Day buffet -- $10 discount coupons to the first 500 people who show spade to dummy’s ace, and Dawson began to experi- up. Hospitality Desk, North Registration, lower B-2 level. ence deja vu as he eyed the diamond holding be- tween his hand and dummy. “It was just like 1990,” 6:45 p.m. Intermediate/Novice Speakers Program -- To be announced. Golden Gate Hall A. Dawson said. In dummy with the spade ace, Dawson played a low diamond toward his hand. South popped up with the king and fired back a spade to dummy’s king. Dawson, convinced that fate had dealt him another intra-finesse, played the deal wide open. He cashed Berkowitz-Cohen: first back-to-back ¨K and the ªK, then played a heart to his hand and cashed the ¨A. Then came the test. He put the ©J on the table -- low, low. .10. Bingo! The next diamond No pair has winnersever scored back-to-back in victoriesBlue withRibbon Berkowitz last Pairs?year. picked up the queen and Dawson had 10 tricks and a in the Blue Ribbon Pairs, but considering the record Kit Woolsey has three wins: with Steve Robinson fine score for plus 430. compiled by David Berkowitz and Larry Cohen at in 1973 and 1975 and with Ed Manfield at San “The only reason I played it that way was be- the last three NABCs, this may be the time. Francisco’s last fall NABC in 1990. cause of 1990,” Dawson said. Berkowitz-Cohen won In the 32-year his- the Blue Ribbon Pairs in At- tory of the Blue Rib- lanta last fall, the Open bon Pairs, there has Andersen, Hugh MacLean Pairs II at the Spring been only one tie: in 19761. Jay Alfelbaum, Bill Edelstein; 2. Jim Jacoby, NABC in Philadelphia and 1984, Jack Kennedy David Berkowitz the six-session Life Master and Bobby Wolff tied 19771. Lou Bluhm, Tommy Sanders; 2. Kathie Pairs at the Summer NABC with David Funk and Cappelletti, Mike Cappelletti in Miami Beach. Mark Lair. 19781. Ron Andersen, David Berkowitz; 2. Ted Cohen, for one, isn’t Lair waited an- Horning, Peter Nagy predicting a win. “I don’t other 10 years before 19791. Robert Levin, Ron Smith; 2. James Bennett, think any pair can ever en- claiming his second Chester Davis ter this event and have more title in 1994 with first- 19801.