Monday, July 16, 2012 Volume 84, Number 4 Daily Bulletin 84th North American Bridge Championships Editors: Brent Manley, Paul Linxwiler and Sue Munday Championship Day in Philadelphia With eight events ending on Sunday, there’s little room on the front page for anything but photos. Check tomorrow’s Daily Bulletin for a report on the ACBL Bridge Hall of Fame ceremony. Winners of the von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs: Alan Osofsky and Alan Sontag. They won the Morehead Grand National Teams, Championship Flight, on the final board by making a grand slam off two aces: Warren Spector, Gary Cohler, David Berkowitz, Mike Becker, Eric Rodwell and Jeff Meckstroth (District 9). They were tops in the Sheinwold GNT, Flight B, from District 5: Fred Winners of the Goldman GNT, Flight A, from District 23: Viktor Yellen, Judith Padgug, John Bacon and Michael Creager. Anikovich, Paul Markarian, Howard Einberg, Robert Kent, Fred Zhang and Edward Piken. They won the Bruce 0-5000 Life Master Pairs: Donald Caplin and Zachary Grossack. These players from District 6 won the Mac Nab GNT, Flight C: Sylvia Shi, Alexander Prairie, David Soukup and Hakan Berk. Winners of the Young 0-1500 Life Master Pairs: Neil Jaffe and Gregory Gorshkov. The University of North Carolina is the winner of the Collegiate Team Championship: Jensheng Zho, Patrick Domico, Ovunc Yilmaz and Xiyuan Ge. Table count 4264 through Sunday evening Page 2 Monday, July 16, 2012 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS MEETINGS / SEMINARS / RECEPTIONS Monday, July 16 Wednesday July 18 — Must attend both sessions. Sign 8:30-9:30 am Foundation for the Preservation and Advancement of up at the door. Marriott, Room 404. Fee: $15 covers both Bridge board meeting. Marriott, Room 403. sessions. 6:30-8:30 pm Goodwill Reception. Marriott, Room 302-306. Wednesday, July 18 8:30-9:30 pm Competition and Conventions Committee. Marriott, 9 am-Noon Club Director Refresher Course. Second day of the Room 403. continuing education seminar for bridge directors to Tuesday, July 17 increase their skills. Must attend both sessions (Tuesday 9 am-Noon Club Director Refresher Course. Continuing education and Wednesday). Marriott, Room 404. for bridge directors to increase their skills. Continues on CELEBRITY SPEAKER PROGRAM Daily presentations (except Saturday evening, July 14 and the final Tuesday, July 17 Sunday) by some of the best-known players and teachers at 9:15 am and 9:15 am John Rayner “Opener’s Rebids” 6:45 pm. Free. Marriott, 5th floor. 6:45 pm Mike Flader “Ruling the Game” Monday, July 16 Wednesday, July 18 9:15 am Allan Mazer “Tell Your Partner Where to Go” 9:15 am Jeff Roman “Look Beyond Your High-Card Points” 6:45 pm Billy Miller “Dear Billy” 6:45 pm Bruce Greenspan “Bruce’s Top Ten Tips” HOSPITALITY All hospitality is on the 5th floor of the Marriott. Monday, July 16 Wednesday Cookies (break) Soft pretzels (break) Tuesday, July 17 Pretzels (evening: movie night) Bagels, muffins, donuts (morning) Thursday, July 19 Muffins, bagels, donuts (morning) Eunice “Jane” Leigh Not so obvious Convention card reminder Eunice “Jane” Leigh, a former member of By Barry Rigal Each player is required to have a convention District 23 and a member of District 22 since On this deal from the first semifinal session of card filled out legibly and on the table throughout the Eighties, passed away unexpectedly on the von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs, I thought the a session. Both cards of a partnership must be Saturday in a freak accident. Leigh was active defense to 4♠ was straightforward, but not many identical and include the first and last names of in the Palm Springs CA area, serving on her players found it. each member of the partnership. the Unit 533 board in a variety of capacities, Bd: 11 ♠ 8 5 2 If a director determines that neither player has including president. She leaves her longtime Dlr: South ♥ 5 4 2 a substantially completed card, the partnership companion, Jim Darvey (also a bridge player), her Vul: None ♦ K J 8 5 may play only the Standard American Yellow father, brother and many friends in the bridge ♣ 5 4 2 Card and may use only standard carding. This community. ♠ A 10 9 7 6 4 ♠ J 3 restriction may be lifted only at the beginning ♥ A 10 9 8 3 ♥ Q 7 of a subsequent round after convention cards Marriott’s Smoke-Free ♦ — ♦ A Q 10 9 4 3 2 have been properly prepared and approved by ♣ Q 8 ♣ K J the director. Further, the partnership will receive Policy ♠ K Q a 1/6-board matchpoint penalty for each board We would like to remind our guests that ♥ K J 6 played, commencing with the next round and since October 2006, all Marriott hotels in North ♦ 7 6 continuing until the restriction is lifted. In IMP America are smoke-free. In addition, the City ♣ A 10 9 7 6 3 team games, penalties shall be at the discretion of of Philadelphia prohibits smoking in all lobbies, West North East South the director. hallways, sleeping quarters and other common 1♣ If the director determines the partnership has areas of all lodging establishments. 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass at least one substantially completed convention When we establish that a guestroom has been 2♥ Pass 3NT Pass card but has not fully complied with ACBL smoked in, we perform a thorough and extensive 4♥ Pass 4♠ All Pass regulations, the director may give warnings room recovery/cleaning of the room so that we On a club lead to the jack and ace, what or assign such penalties as he deems to be can return it to its previous smoke-free condition. would you do as South at trick two? appropriate under the circumstances. If we determine that smoking occurred in your A trump shift may look superficially The objective of these warnings and penalties guestroom, your credit card will be charged our attractive, but is partner going to produce the is the encouragement of full compliance with standard $250 room recovery fee per occurrence. goods in hearts for you? ACBL regulations. We have provided a designated smoking area Maybe, but at the table Glenn Milgrim outside of the hotel. It is located outside of the returned a club to dummy. Declarer played the Masterpoint disclaimer Filbert Street entrance. ♥Q next, covered all around, then he tried to Scores as reported in the Daily Bulletin are We thank you for your cooperation and sneak a heart through to the 7. Milgrim won the subject to change because of score changes or are pleased to provide you with a smoke-free ♥J and played a third club, ruffed in dummy. The corrections. environment. Should you have any questions ♠J went to the king and ace, and back came the The masterpoint awards as shown are, about our smoke-free hotel environment, please ♠9 to the queen. Now a fourth round of clubs therefore, also subject to change. don’t hesitate to contact us. promoted the ♠8 to the setting tricks. Plus 50 was good for 76 out of 90 matchpoints. Daily Bulletin Monday, July 16, 2012 Page 3 JUST FOR NEW PLAYERS Do we know ♠6 2 ♥K Q 7 ♦A 8 ♣A K 9 6 4 2, the whole story? I’d just open 1♣. I have two By Lynn Berg doubletons and one of them is I am always unstopped. Too much variation sorry for players from what partner expects. And if who shy away from I held: playing notrump - not just because the ♠A Q ♥K 6 ♦A 8 4 ♣K 9 7 5 4 2, rewards are greater for tricks in notrump, I’d still open 1♣. While I but also because I have all suits stopped, now I have am a normal, lazy doubletons in both majors. But bridge player. I’d be sighing; 1NT does look like When I can tell the best bid. So what if I gave in virtually the whole to temptation and opened 1NT? story of my hand Would the bridge police come? Of with one bid, I’m delighted. And that’s what an course not. But that would be the opening notrump bid does. Partner knows within moment partner held very narrow limits what my hand is like. There are two other benefits: Partner has to make all the ♠K J 9 5 4 ♥A 8 7 3 2 ♦Q 6 ♣8 decisions and I almost always get to be declarer. What’s not to like? Now, knowing that I don’t The same can be said when I open in a suit open NT with doubletons in both and my first rebid is in notrump. I’ve defined majors, partner would get us to and limited my hand and partner has to make all game in one of the majors, and subsequent decisions. He may ask me a question the bridge fates would give us a with a raise or a bid like new-minor forcing, but disastrous trump break. my answers are based on quantity of points or It’s when I have an unbalanced cards in a particular suit. I don’t have to make hand that I have to make sure any decisions. Like I said - a normal, lazy bridge partner has heard my whole story. would bid 2♠ with: player’s dream. Say you open 1♠ with Partner knows I usually have no more than ♠K J 9 8 5 4 ♥6 ♦A 8 7 ♣A 8 6, one doubleton and that I don’t have a singleton.