Volume 78, Number 6 78th Summer North American Bridge Championships DAILY BULLETIN Wednesday, July 19, 2006 Editors: Brent Manley and Paul Linxwiler Meet your TDs Brod squad wins Senior Swiss This is a continuing series of profiles of A Connecticut team captained tournament directors working at the NABCs. by Geof Brod came from behind Long before he became a tournament director, on the last round, climbing over Jim Chiszar observed three teams to win the Truscott the TDs at work and USPC Senior Swiss Teams by 1 thought it looked like victory point. something he would Brod and his partner, Steve enjoy doing. Earl, are from Avon CT. Their Later, when he teammates are Richard started in the DeMartino of Riverside CT and profession, he was John Stiefel of Wethersfield CT. surprised to find that With a round to go, the Brod TDs receive money in team had 104 VPs, trailing the exchange for their Michael Mikyska squad, the time and efforts. eventual runners-up, by 8. “I just wanted to do it,” he says. “I didn’t know Another team had 108.2 and a they got paid.” third had 104.3 Senior Swiss teams winners: Geof Brod, Steve Earl, Richard Chiszar, who lives in the Chicago suburb of Brod won their last match DeMartino and John Stiefel. Naperville, is winding down his long and successful 15-0 to get 16 VPs while Mikyska lost and is a consulting actuary and DeMartino is a retired career. He and wife Patty are set to retire at the end collected only 7. Brod won with 120 VPs to 119 insurance executive and a member of the ACBL of the year and will be moving to Sarasota FL. for Mikyska. The Los Angeles-based squad is Board of Directors. Chiszar was born and raised in South Bend IN. Mikyska, Catherine Podolsky, and Phil and Nell The win was the first North American He graduated from what was then Ball State Schaefer. championship for Brod and Earl. DeMartino won Teachers College, working as a teacher for three In third, with 116.3 were Ed Schulte, Jeffrey his third. His previous wins were the North years before signing on with a paper company, Hand, Steve Becker and Larry Bausher. American Swiss Teams in 1980 and the Senior selling cartons. He did that for 11 years. Brod is a retired investment manager. Earl is Knockout Teams in 2000. Stiefel won the Amateur One of his biggest customers, Quality Chekd, retired from his job as a labor negotiator and Swiss Teams in 1976. hired him to be their director of purchasing and he lobbyist and now owns a perfume business. Stiefel stayed in that position for 17 years. Before returning to the Chicago area, he lived in Dallas and Omaha, and it was in the latter city that Schwartz out in Beck-Premo leading he discovered duplicate. He ran a seven-table home game for a while, but all the players were Spingold upset Wernher Open Pairs competitive, and they eventually gravitated to the The team captained by Harry Apfel had a Kay Beck of Carmel IN and Jerry Premo of Cornhusker Bridge Club “All of those players,” he Sacramento CA led all qualifiers after two says, “are still playing today.” huge second quarter against the No. 7 seed, led by Richard Schwartz, to send the favored squad to sessions of the Wernher Open Pairs, which In 1975, he was just about to take over a game concludes today. at the Omaha club when he was transferred to the the sidelines in the Spingold Knockout Teams. Apfel, of New York City, is playing with In second with two sessions to go were Judy Chicago area. Two years later, the Chicago unit Kay-Wolff of Las Vegas and Jane Segal of decided more tournament directors were needed, James Scott, Tom Smith, Gene Saxe, Dan Nussbaum and Mark Ospeck. Schwartz’s team Villanova PA, just ahead of Spike Lay of Daytona and Chiszar was recruited. He went to a regional Beach FL and Jim Foster of Birmingham AL. and took training from Karl Johnson, one of his was Mike Becker, Drew Casen, Jim Krekorian, mentors as he gained experience at tournaments. His Tarek Sadek and Walid Elahmady. other mentor was Bobbie Shipley. Apfel trailed after the first quarter but won the second 80-33. Schwartz got to within 10 IMPs Mini-Spins Continued on page 4 after three sets, but Apfel took the last quarter by 26 to win handily. enter Day 3 Katz is Grand LM Schwartz wasn’t the only high seed to go Only 16 squads remain in the Mini-Spingold Dr. Richard Katz down. No. 16 John Onstott lost to the Ken 0-5000 KOs. is now an ACBL Kranyak squad, and No. 20 Jim Mahaffey was In yesterday’s action, the #2 seed captained by Grand Life Master. kayoed by Team Texans (No. 45), a group of Ian Findlay took an early exit from the event when He has had the Indian players. they lost to the original #51 seed led by Rob requisite North The other favored teams had it relatively easy. Meckstroth. American Top seed Russ Ekeblad won by 91 while No. 2 The other top upset involved the #5 seed led championship for Nick Nickell won by 46 despite trailing at the by Howard Einberg who lost to the original #46 many years, but half. seed led by Shaun Chooi. Einberg, captained the needed to get to winning team in 2002. 10,000 masterpoints, In the “Micro” Spingold 0-1500, the top which he Baker ousted seeded squad captained by Donald Addis got accomplished at the Summer NABC in Chicago. bounced by original #17 seed of Jack Bierig and Now with a family practice in Pittsburgh, Katz from Wagar his all-Chicago crew. for years specialized in emergency medicine. He has Lynn Baker’s top-seeded team in the Wagar Only eight teams remain in the 0-1500 event. 13 North American titles and has won major events Women’s Knockouts came up short in yesterday’s with five different partners, including Bobby Levin, action against the Japanese squad led by Miho with whom he won the von Zedtwitz Life Master Sekizawa. The defending champions lost 129-117 Goodwill message Pairs in 1989. to Sekizawa, the original #17 seed. The other • Greet and welcome opponents Continued on page 4 members of the winning squad are Ayako Amano, • Compliment opponents’ play Kimi Makita and Keiko Matsuzaki. Baker’s team • Discuss hands after the game NABC table count: included Kay Schulle, Lynn Deas, Beth Palmer, • Smile often Aileen Osofsky, Chairman 7975.5 through Tuesday evening. Sabine Auken and Daniela von Arnim. Eight teams remain the event. National Goodwill Committee Page 2 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS MEETINGS / SEMINARS / RECEPTIONS Wednesday, July 19 Thursday, July 20 9 a.m. - Club Director Update Course. Continuing education for 9 a.m. - Club Director Update Course. Continuing education for 12:30 p.m. bridge directors to increase their skills. Certificate given 12:30 p.m. bridge directors to increase their skills. Certificate for successful completion of all three days. Wednesday: given for successful completion of all three days. The Proprieties, running a successful club, dealing with Thursday: Advanced ACBLscore. Fee varies. problem people. (Continues Thursday.) Fee varies. Location:CANCELLED Skyway 260. Location: SkywayCANCELLED 260. 10 a.m. & Dealmaster Pro Demo and Q&A. Join Ed Marzo, creator 9 a.m. - Noon Building Better Boards. Tips for effective governance. 11 a.m. of Dealmaster Pro, as he demonstrates the features of this Location: Skyway 265. powerful program. Great for teachers. Location: Skyway 265. Two one-hour programs. Sunday, July 23 11 a.m. - Vugraph. Location: Columbus GBL. 3:30 p.m. 6 - 11:30 p.m. Vugraph. Location: Columbus GBL. CELEBRITY SPEAKER PROGRAM Daily at 9:15 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. in Columbus Hall A-D. Thursday, July 20 9:15 a.m. Harriette Buckman R & R C Rights and Wednesday, July 19 Responsibilities 9:15 a.m. Haig Tchamitch Balancing & Reopening Doubles 6:45 p.m. Karen Walker Was That a Penalty Double? 6:45 p.m. Richard Strauss How To Make a Nuisance of Yourself 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 Thursday, July 20 outside the ballroom. For information on any of the Special Events below, Klezmer Music Foundation visit the Tour Desk located in the Grand Ballroom Foyer. Special Events: Cubs baseball game, Art Institute tour Wednesday, July 19 Polonia Ensemble Friday, July 21 Special Event: The musical Wicked Mayer Irish Dance Academy, Second City Comedy Late night snack will be Polish sausage. Special Event: White Sox vs. Texas baseball Tonight’s ethnic Late night snack Lights, Camera . Tonight’s late night snack will be Polish A film company will be in Chicago July 13-23 entertainment sausage. for an upcoming documentary on professional The Northwest Center Traditional Polish Folk bridge players. Please extend your Dancers of Chicago was founded in 1984 under Bid Box Alerts and courtesy to director-producer the artistic direction of Celina Roznowska, an Kimberly Dawson and internationally known Polish choreographer and Announcements directors of photography her daughter Anna Krysinski. When using bid boxes, ACBL suggests that Noah Bean and Today, the Northwest Center Traditional players tap the Alert strip and say “Alert” at the John Orebaugh. Polish Folk Dancers consists of 150 young singers same time.