2021-Apr-Jun D7 News
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The American Contract Bridge League Hosts to America’s Biggest and Best Tournaments Vol. 19 No. 2 April–June 2021 Knoxville “novice” Clerk Shaw started 2020 with less than 50 MPs—and won the ACBL-wide Mini-McKenney & Ace of Club races! Inside District 7 Regional Tournaments .............................. 2 District 7 Sectional Tournaments ............................. 3 What Will You Find on Our Website? ...................... 3 North American Pairs ............................................... 7 Grand National Teams ............................................. 8 New LiFe Masters ..................................................... 9 2020 District 7 Masterpoint Races ......................... 10 99er Nightly Bridge Game on BBO ......................... 15 District 7 News & Notes ......................................... 16 Challenges of Directing Online Games ................... 18 District 7 Regional Tournaments For up-to-date inFormation on tournament status and hotel availability & pricing, see district7bridge.org. The ACBL estimates that regionals will return in early October. Please note that these dates are subject to change as the year progresses. Two District 7 regionals are scheduled for the end of the year. The front pages of the tournament fliers are included. See the tournament link for schedules, which are not yet published. ¨ Charlotte (Oct. 25–31) – Hilton University Place, 8629 JM Keynes Drive (704) 547-7444. Co-chair: Arnold Hoffmann, [email protected] (980) 254-7476. Tournament link: tinyurl.com/ybyg3eml. See page 4. ¨ Myrtle Beach (Dec. 27–Jan. 2) – Embassy Suites, 9800 Queens Way Blvd. (843) 449-0006. Co-chair: Blondelle Grant, [email protected] (843) 240- 5236. Tournament link: tinyurl.com/y8c4vx9o. See page 5. District 7 entry vouchers with an expiration date of January 2021 will be honored at D7 Regionals through January 2022. 2022 Regionals Feb 7–13 Hilton Head Island Tom Schlossberg, [email protected] Apr 18–24 Gatlinburg Peter Misslin, [email protected] May 23–29 Raleigh Barbara Hudson, [email protected] Jun 20–26 Columbia Lee Webb, [email protected] Aug 30–Sep 5 Atlanta Jack Feagin Jr, [email protected] Oct 24–30 Charlotte Arnold Hoffmann, [email protected] Dec 27–Jan 2 North Charleston Mike Smith, [email protected] 2022 Non-Life Master Regionals Jan 6–9 Pigeon Forge TN Sylvia Waters, [email protected] Feb 24–27 High Point NC Cindy Wright, [email protected] TBD Flat Rock NC Sherry Sims, [email protected] District 7 News editor: Karen Brown, [email protected] District 7 News is published quarterly by District 7 of the American Contract Bridge League. It is posted to district7bridge.org and distributed via email. Contents of this magazine may be reproduced in full with proper citation. Mention of any product or service does not constitute endorsement by District 7. We reserve the right to reject any editorial or advertising material. District 7 News – 2 – April–June 2021 District 7 Sectional Tournaments For up-to-date inFormation on tournament status, see district7bridge.org or the ACBL listing (tinyurl.com/vv3nrhkp) The return of sectionals will run parallel to increased availability of vaccines. The ACBL estimates these tournaments to begin in August 2021, depending on local conditions (subject to change). The following District 7 sectionals are still viable as of publication date. Date Tournament Site Tournament Chair Aug 6–8 Macon GA Tom Wight, [email protected] Sep 10–12 Carthage NC Jeff Chulay, [email protected] Sep 17–19 Wilmington NC Nora Miller, [email protected] Sep 30–Oct 3 Raleigh NC Harold Albrecht, [email protected] Oct 1–3 Crossville TN Buck Martin, [email protected] Oct 7–9 East Ridge TN (Chattanooga) Bert Shramko, [email protected] Oct 8–10 Savannah GA Thomas Roush, [email protected] Oct 8–10 Salisbury NC Myrnie McLaughlin, [email protected] Oct 15–17 Abingdon VA Auggie De Weerd, [email protected] Nov 10–14 Knoxville TN Sylvia Waters, [email protected] Nov 11–14 Durham NC Chris Moll, [email protected] Nov 12–14 Hilton Head Island SC Richard Murray, [email protected] Nov 19–21 Spartanburg SC George Russell, [email protected] Jan 7–9 Carthage NC Jeff Chulay, [email protected] Jan 21–23 Wilmington NC Nora Miller, [email protected] 499er/Non-Life Master Sectionals (i.e., Future Life Master Sectionals) Aug 5–8 Durham NC Chris Moll, [email protected] Aug 6–8 Myrtle Beach SC Betsy Stanton, [email protected] Jan 14–16 Charlotte NC Arnold Hoffmann, [email protected] STaCs (Sectional Tournament at Clubs) Dec 6–12 STaC D7; U219 (D9); D10 Janet Case, [email protected] What Will You Find on Our Website? Do you ever visit our website, district7bridge.org? If you do, you’ll find lots of “stuff.” You’ll find information on District and Unit leadership…the District 7 News…reports from our district director…goodwill and charity committee members. You can look up information on regional and sectional tournaments…results…changes in rank…current status of races…and you can even find a game (when we return to face-to-face play). There are links to all District 7 unit websites and links to other districts, bridge experts, bridge tips, and online bridge, You can find the most recent updates on our main page. So if you haven’t visited us for a while, try it—you’ll like it! District 7 News – 3 – April–June 2021 District 7 News – 4 – April–June 2021 District 7 News – 5 – April–June 2021 District 7 News – 6 – April–June 2021 North American Pairs D7 NAP coordinator: Lee Webb, [email protected], 803-331-6894 A highly prestigious grassroots event, North American Pairs (NAP), starts at the club level throughout June, July, and August. Qualifications may be earned at any club in any unit in any district and in virtual clubs online. A player may qualify as often, and with as many partners, as desired. To be eligible for the District final, both players must have qualified at the club level and must be dues- paying members of District 7. Fliers will be published, distributed, and posted on the District 7 website after all details are finalized in April. Flight Eligibility Masterpoints won in any other bridge organizations must be taken into account for placement in the appropriate flights. ¨ Flight A – Open to any player ¨ Flight B – Players with less than 2500 MPs as of the June Masterpoint cycle ¨ Flight C – Non-Life Masters with less than 500 MPs as of the June Masterpoint cycle * Note: The June Masterpoint cycle is run by ACBL data processing on May 6. Any points won but not included in this cycle do not affect Masterpoint eligibility. Schedule ¨ Club qualification: June–August. Qualifiers are the top 50% of each session, plus any pairs who score at least 50%. ¨ District finals: All one-day, two-session events, and concurrent with sectionals unless noted. Flight A (Open) – Nov. 20, Spartanburg Flight B (0–2500 MPs) – Nov. 21, Spartanburg Flight C (Non-LM, 0–500 MPs) TBA, North Carolina Nov. 13, Hilton Head Nov. 13, Knoxville Nov. 20, Spartanburg From District Stage The top three eligible pairs in Flight A and the top four eligible pairs in Flights B & C qualify for the NABC Finals. Additional pairs in Flight A may be invited by the method outlined in Appendix II in Conditions of Contest. Flight C is a multisite event; the top pair from each of the four playing sites will advance to the NABC. Continued at the bottom of page 8 District 7 News – 7 – April–June 2021 Grand National Teams D7 GNT coordinator: Brian Hingerty [email protected] Grand National Teams District 7 finals, as well as NABC finals, will be played online this year. Flight C (Non-LM < 500 MP) and Flight A (0-6000 MP) will play for the District championship on Saturday, June 5, and Sunday, June 6. If eight or more teams compete in Flight C, the runner-up also will qualify for the NABC finals. The Open (championship) competition and Flight B (0–2500) will play on Saturday, June 12, and Sunday, June 13. If eight or more teams participate in Flight B, the runner-up also will qualify for the NABC finals. Players are welcome to play in one flight June 5, and in another June 12. The NABC finals in all flights tentatively are scheduled to begin Wednesday, July 14. Complete details will appear in an upcoming issue of the District 7 News and on the District 7 website. Please get your teams together for this prestigious grass roots event. Registration is mandatory by no later than noon May 21 for Flight C and Flight A, and by no later than noon May 28 for Flight B and Open. The ACBL is awarding 80 percent of the normal Masterpoints. District overalls are all gold, except half red and half gold in Flight C. There are no platinum points or Grand Life Master qualifications on-line; all NABC finals points will be gold. District 7 will pay all fees for players properly registered for District finals. The only qualification is to have the appropriate number of Masterpoints. No club qualification is necessary. District 7 Grass Roots funds also will cover all costs of on-line play for the NABC finals. This is in lieu of any subsidies awarded to players who normally would pay for travel, lodging, food, etc., while attending a face-to-face NABC. ACBL management canceled all face-to-face tournaments, including the Summer NABC scheduled in Providence RI, through July. This led to the changes to on-line schedules, competition and conditions of contest. North American Pairs Cont. from page 7 If a qualified pair is unable to play in the ACBL final, the next highest willing pair will advance to the NABC.