Thursday, March 19, 2015 Volume 58, Number 7 Daily BulletinMarch 12-22 58th Spring North American Bridge Championships [email protected] Editors: Sue Munday and Brent Manley Nickell on the sidelines, Texans solid in mixed pairs win other high seeds Susan Stubinski and Bruce Wick from Houston TX never faltered on their way to a victory in the fall in Vanderbilt Rockwell Mixed Pairs. The married partnership The team captained by Gaylor Kasle, trailing took their fifth-place qualifying standing into the the top-seeded Nick Nickell squad by 11 IMPs with final day and turned on the heat with two 58% a set to go, rallied in the fourth quarter for a 94-92 sessions on Wednesday. They finished almost a victory in the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams. The board ahead of second. The win is the first NABC Nickell team won the event last year. title for both. Kasle is playing with Larry Kozlove, Dutch Stubinsky says the two started playing together players Berend Van Den Bos and Joris Lankveld, “a long time ago,” then took 20 years off before plus Polish players Piotr Tuczynski and Bartosz returning to the game in 2000. Chmurski. Sheila Gabay from Newton MA and Lloyd Other notables to fall included the team led by Arvedon MA finished second. Gabay won the Richard Schwartz, seeded No. 12. They fell to the Rockwell Mixed Pairs in 2012 playing with Pat Connie Goldberg team. The match was close at the McDevitt. halfway point, but Goldberg pulled ahead 92-60 in the third quarter to advance to the round of 16 today. Susan Stubinski and Bruce Wick won the Also on the sidelines is the No. 11 seed, led Rockwell Mixed Pairs. by Andrew Gromov. His team fell to Paul Street, Delray Beach FL. Two other high seeds had close calls as No.5 Carolyn Lynch came from 21 IMPs down with Chinese Ladies Red aims a quarter to play for a 112-107 win over the Jim Krekorian squad. No. 4 Martin Fleisher trailed John Onstott to be tested against the best 102-91 entering the fourth quarter but rallied to win You don’t find many 126.5-126 after an appeal. all-women squads in an open event like the Vanderbilt Knockout 10K Knockout in Teams, and in fact there were none as of last night. semifinal stage The 0-10,000 Knockout Teams enters the The event did, however, semifinal stage today. Here are the matchups by start with three all-female captain: teams, two from China. Russ Jones versus Sean Gannon and Donald The China Ladies Rumelhart versus Monica Angus. Blue team lost in the first Jones, of Jonesboro AR, is playing with Mick round, but China Ladies McGuire, Hernando MS, and Bill and Jane Eason, Red, originally seeded No. Nesbit MS. Gannon, of Decatur GA, is playing 48, took out the No. 17 with Blake Sanders, Jonesboro; William Higgins, Vinita Gupta squad that Cincinnati OH, and Yauheni Siutsau, Loveland OH. included two Vanderbilt Rumelhart, Ann Arbor MI, is playing with winners from Denmark and Jonathan Fleischmann, Bloomfield MI; Ned two Swedes with world Irving, Hot Springs Village AR; Morrie Kleinplatz, championships to their Windsor ON, Stephen Mackay, Markham ON, and credit. Ray Jotcham, Scarborough ON. The Chinese Ladies Red team in the Vanderbilt: Gan Ling, Ran Angus, West Vancouver BC, is playing with Jingrong, coach Wang Xiaojing, Wang Wenfei and Shen Qi. Continued on page 5 Rock Shi Yan, Richmond BC; Nongyu Li, Palo Alto CA; Yan Wang, Scarborough, and Edward Xu, School reform NorthYork ON. “I want to put bridge into Danish schools,” many things that kids need to learn – skills such declares Morten Bilde. To that end, he up and quit as socializing and communicating. When I saw his job three weeks ago to focus on making the how much work would be required to get these Playing in an NABC+ pairs game part of the Danish educational system. programs in place, I just knew I had to quit my Bilde, who is passionate about Junior bridge, job.” He worked for a company that developed game? Please buy your has been frustrated in previous attempts to digital signage. persuade the school system to consider a bridge Chair of the Danish Youth Committee for eight entry early! NABC+ pairs events requires time to allow component. “There was just no time,” he says. The years, Bilde has developed effective education and for proper seeding. The ACBL asks participants to Danish school day ran from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and training programs for players selected to participate please buy entries at least 15 minutes before game only basic academic subjects were taught. in international competition. Now on his plate is time. This is especially true if you expect to be a Last September, however, the system creating the concept, materials and teacher-training seeded pair. underwent reform. The government came around curriculum that will entice the schools and the Avoid the lines by buying your entry online. to understanding how important it is to expose students to participate. Go to BridgeWinners.com – your initial transaction students to non-traditional creative and physical “We have 20 to 30 schools, but we’ve just extends as long as your pair or team remains in the subjects, so they added a couple of hours to the started,” he says. “It needs a lot of marketing. event and you pay only the cost of the entry – there school day. Students have three or four options for these extra is no service charge. More time means new subjects, and Bilde, hours, and we need them to choose bridge.” of course, is peddling bridge. “Bridge teaches so Continued on page 9 Greet your opponents with a smile and introduce yourselves. ATTENDANCE through Wednesday 7902.5 tables Sandy DeMartino, Goodwill Chair Page 2 Wednesday, March 18, 2015 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS MEETINGS / SEMINARS / RECEPTIONS Friday, March 20 11 pm-Midnight Women’s International Team Trials meeting. 11 am-Noon History of Bridge. “Bridge in the Wild & Wooly West.” (Jackson, 5th floor) (Lafayette, 41st floor) Sunday, March 22 Peter Pender Memorial Vugraph. (Room TBA) CELEBRITY SPEAKER PROGRAM Don’t miss these free lectures by some of the best-known players Friday, March 20 in the game! (Mardi Gras Ballroom, 3rd floor) 9:15 am Josh Donn Support Doubles Speakers and topics are subject to change. 6:45 pm Mike Flader Ruling the Game Thursday, March 19 Saturday, March 21 9:15 am Lisa Berkowitz Signaling 9:15 am Ellen Kent Simple is Better 6:45 pm Tom Carmichael New-Minor Forcing 6:45 pm Jeff Roman The Difference Between ... HOSPITALITY Late-night snacks will be served at 10:15 pm at the Marriott in the Friday, March 20 Preservation Hall lobby (2nd floor) and Grand Ballroom lobby (3rd floor). Gumbo (no meat), corn chowder Thursday, March 19 Saturday, March 21 Muffulettas, assorted po’boys Bananas Foster No more lines! Check cashing Be Scent-sitive! The ACBL and Bridge Winners have teamed Some people have an extreme sensitivity to up to enable you to buy entries for NABC events and bridge bucks fragrances (colognes or perfumes). Many ACBL online in advance. You need not be a member of The check cashing desk, located in the foyer clubs, units and districts have adopted policies that the Bridge Winners community to use this service outside the Grand Ballroom on the third floor, prohibit players from wearing fragrances. The and you pay only the cost of the entry – there is will be open every day between noon and 1 p.m. ACBL has not issued an official policy on the no service through Saturday, March 21. matter, preferring instead to appeal to the goodwill charge. There is a limit of $500 per day for check of its members to refrain from using fragrances. Entries cashing. Members must provide their ACBL Because duplicate bridge requires players to may be number. be in close proximity to each other, individuals purchased Bridge bucks are available for purchase at who suffer from fragrance-related reactions up to 10 a.m. the check-cashing desk. Visa, MasterCard and cannot avoid those who are wearing them. Among the morning Discover can be used only to purchase bridge the commonly reported symptoms are intense of the event. bucks. headaches (indeed, fragrances can frequently be a Your initial trigger for migraine sufferers) or breathing-related transaction Opt in for electronic problems. For these individuals, the issue is much extends as more serious than simply disliking a particular long as your results notification smell — it’s a real health problem. pair or team Would you like to be notified as soon as The ACBL asks everyone to give this issue the remains in the event. Your credit card will not be results and Daily Bulletins from the NABC are consideration it deserves. Please, if you’re going to charged until after the event is over. posted online? Do you want information on your play in a club or a tournament, don’t wear cologne, A link at the top of the BridgeWinners.com performance in the events you played in? ACBL perfume or scented lotions. homepage will take you to the list of events. Click has introduced features that do just that. BUY AN ENTRY, fill out the form specifying who When you opt in to these notification systems, you are playing with (you’ll need partner’s ACBL you will receive two emails each night with links Email us number). If you would like a seeded entry, check that go directly to the information you’re looking Got a hand to share or a nice story? We’d love the box that says “Please seed me.” Bridge Winners for.