Polish Squad Tough in Vanderbilt Final
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Sunday, March 16, 2008 Volume 51, Number 10 Daily Bulletin Detroit, Michigan 51st Spring North American Bridge Championships Editors: Paul Linxwiler and Dave Smith Stiefel in front in Open Swiss The squad led by John Stiefel narrowly won the Polish squad tough in qualifying round of the Jacoby Open Swiss Teams, slightly ahead of Perry Johnson’s team. Stiefel earned 120 Victory Points; Johnson scored 118. Vanderbilt final Stiefel, of Wethersfield CT, played with Betty and Steve Bloom of Duanesburg NY and Rich DeMartino of Riverside CT. Johnson is a local expert from Bloomfield Hills. His lineup includes Chris Compton of Dallas, Jeff Meckstroth Tampa and Eric Rodwell of Clearwater Beach FL. Of the 114 teams in contention, 58 qualified for the final. See page 10 for the list of qualifiers. Westheimer tops quals in Women’s Swiss In the qualifying round of the Machlin Women’s Swiss Teams, the team captained by Valerie Westheimer posted the highest score and finished a full match ahead of the field. Westheimer of New York played with Migry Zur-Campanile of East Palo Alto CA, Rozanne Pollack of Basking Ridge NJ and Disa Eythorsdottir of Huntsville AL. They scored 125 Victory Points. Continued on page 11 District 22 pair leads The 2008 Vanderbilt Knockout champions: npc Piotr Walczak, Jerzy Skrzypczak, Boguslaw Gierulski, Krzystof Martens and Krzystof Jassem. NAP, Flt. B Playing for the runners-up were Ron Rubin, Ron Fertig and Dayou Zhou paired a 62% game in A team of Polish players who have represented Russ Ekeblad, Peter Weichsel, Marcin Lesniewski, the first qualifying session of the Golder North American their native country in international competition Jan Jansma and Louk Verhees. Rubin, who is very Pairs Flight B with a 63% in the second session to lead captured the Vanderbilt Trophy in yesterday’s final, ill, did not play in the final, and the Rubin-Ekeblad the field by two boards going into today’s final. Fertig, of defeating the squad led by Ron Rubin, 118-96. partnership was sidelined during Saturday’s final. San Diego, and Zhou, of La Jolla CA, posted a total of Playing for the winners was Jerzy Skrzypczak, The match was very close for the first three 814 matchpoints (top was 25). Boguslaw Gierulski, Krzystof Martens and Krzystof quarters, although the Poles maintained a slight Zhou, playing with a different partner, won the NAP Jassem. It was the first time an all-Polish squad has edge. They led by 2 IMPs after the first set, by 9 at Flight C last year. won a top-level ACBL team championship. the half, and by 2 again after the third set. A very In second with 768 are the District 4 pair of “We’re happy to know that we created some Christopher Marlow of Wilmington DE and Andy history,” said Jassem. Continued on page 11 Muenz of Brookhaven PA. Sixty-eight pairs played in the qualifier; 28 will play in the final. Co-chairs thank Compton crosses See page 6 for the list of qualifiers. staff, players for 20,000 MP level NAP Flight C leaders Chris Compton from Dist. 25 smooth NABC recently earned his 20,000th masterpoint. Robert Steinberg and Donald Katz of Nashua Compton, of Dallas NH topped the qualifiers in yesterday’s North TX, is a Grand Life American Pairs Flight C opening round. Steinberg Master and a WBF and Katz scored a modest 54.86% in the first set, but Open International caught fire in the second with a 66.08% game. Their Master. He is an matchpoint total was 786.10 on a 25 top. attorney who returned Close behind are Dmitri Bourlikov of to play bridge full- Gainseville FL and Abraham Pallas of Lake City FL time after practicing law for 10 years. with 777.40. They represent District 9. Compton won the Reisinger Board-a-Match Of the 62 pairs that played yesterday, 28 made Teams in 1989. In international play, he was fourth the cut for the final. twice in the Open Pairs: in Miami Beach FL, in See page 7 for the list of qualifiers. Detroit NABC co-chairs Ron Horwitz, Sandy Arlinghaus and Bill Arlinghaus 1986, and in 1998 in Lille, France. He was President Goodwill Message of the United States Bridge Federation in 2004, and With years of planning having finally come to has been recently appointed to the Laws As we prepare to leave this fruition, the Spring 2008 NABC co-chairs, Sandy Commission. wonderful Detroit NABC, let’s and Bill Arlinghaus and Ron Horwitz, reflected on Continued on page 2 all take an extra moment to say their successful accomplishments and thanked the “thank you” to our hosts. The many volunteers who made the tournament hospitality and entertainment smoothly successful. Smoking notice have been spectacular. “The tournament went well because of the staff All Marriott hotels, which include I look forward to seeing you of about 200 local volunteers who signed up. We Renaissance properties, are smoke-free. at the Summer NABC in Las Vegas. had more than enough to take care of everything, Smoking is not permitted inside these Aileen Osofsky, Chairman hotels, including the guest rooms. National Goodwill Committee Continued on page 2 Page 2 Daily Bulletin Co-chairs Parking? Two Great Deals! Compton Continued from page 1 Park in the Beaubien Place Parking Garage at Continued from page 1 amazingly low rates: $8 per day on weekdays and just $1 per day on weekends. You must present a and they all did a terrific job,” said Bill. “And if discount coupon to get these rates. (Standard rates Bridge has been an important part of Compton’s something needed doing at the last minute, we life since an early age. He learned to play when he are $12 and $5.) These coupons are available at the simply had to ask someone to take care of it, and was 11 years old. About that time he moved to Tournament Information Desk (Level 4, West they stepped in to do it.” Houston TX where he played as a teenager in his Foyer). Bill also noted that many of the volunteers acted father’s club. As a youth, he was a frisky player. not only out of love for bridge but also out of a The Beaubien Place Parking Garage is attached “I was barred from playing there three times sense of civic pride. directly to the RenCen via an interior, covered because I liked to psych,” said Compton. “Everybody who agreed to work wanted to do walkway. You don’t have to go outside to get to the Compton tried college, but dropped out six something positive for the people of Detroit,” he playing site. times to play bridge. One of these times was when said, singling out Peter Karmanos, the CEO of When you enter the garage, pull the parking he was 21 years old. That year, he went on the tournament sponsor Compuware, which is based in ticket. When you exit, present the ticket and the bridge tournament circuit and was fifth in the race downtown Detroit. coupon to the cashier to receive the discounted for the McKenney trophy (now called the Barry Sandy praised the staff at the Marriott for their price, which is also good for multiple night stays. Crane Top 500). professionalism. Please note that there is a handy map on the back of “Bridge was the first thing I found that I could “The hotel has been first-rate, especially with each coupon. be good at if I applied myself,” said Compton. “I our food requests. They’ve gone way beyond what The least expensive parking during the week is have learned discipline through bridge, and I learned they normally do, especially for custom menus that at the GM Lot along the river. This is a very large the value of long-term commitment.” featured local cuisine, and they did it in the price surface lot near the Marriott. It costs only $3 per He applied that discipline to education. He ranges we needed,” she said. day. On weekdays, you will not find a less returned to college, and then to law school. His “Thanks especially to Executive Chef Franz- wife, Donna, has also earned a law degree. “For expensive place to park. Josef Zimmer and Senior Event Manager Sue eight years, one or both of us were in school,” he Both of these parking facilities are located east Carlson for a terrific job.” said. Horwitz extended his thanks to the clubs in of the RenCen. Compton says he finds bridge exciting. He District 12 that participated in the various NABC enjoys the risk calculation. As declarer, he tries to fund games, and to the Detroit Convention and view the problem from the defenders’ point of view, Visitors Bureau for their support. Game in a minor and play to give them a guess or a losing option.. “Of course, we are grateful to all of our often hard to bid This tournament, he played on the Nickell team sponsors, especially Compuware,” he added. Bidding five of a minor, when 3NT can’t make, in the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams. “It’s exciting to Bill also thanked Jeff Johnston and Wendy is often hard to do. The Lebhar IMP Pair winners, play on teams with players like Bob Hammon, Nick Sullivan, ACBL meeting planners, for all their hard Adam Wildavsky and Doug Doub, showed good Nickell, Eric Rodwell and Jeff Meckstroth,” he said. work. ”I’ve also had tremendous support from Rose bidding judgment on this deal. The co-chairs finished with a request for the Meltzer.” Dlr: East ♠ A Q 5 3 players.