July 23-August 2, 1998 70th Summer North American Bridge Championships Chicago Vol. 70, No. 7 Thursday, July 30, 1998 Editors: Henry Francis and Paul Linxwiler DAILYJacobs turn for BULLETIN hugeThe team comeback captained by George Jacobs was the comeback king yesterday. His team was trailing 80-23 at the half against Dave Treadwell and Co. They closed to 123-105 in the third quarter, then kept plugging away through the final 16 boards to advance to the Round of 16 in Winners of the Red Ribbon Pairs Paul the Spingold Knockout Teams. The final Spear and Jim Johnsen. tally: JACOBS 157, TREADWELL 150. Playing with Jacobs are Ralph Katz, Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel, and Italians They won the Senior Swiss Teams: Rich Reisig, P.O. Sundelin, Mike Levine, Zeke Jabbour, Arnie Fisher and Fred Hamilton. Long-distance Lorenzo Lauria and Alfredo Versace. The Swedish Juniors had the thrill of their lives playing against the Nick partners win Red Nickell team, many-time winners of Wei-Sender revives this event. NICKELL won, 164-106, Levine wins TheyRibbon may live 2000 Pairs miles apart, but but the team members were very im- to Comebackreach is Wagar the key word semiin reports Jim Johnsen and Paul Spear’s game was on NABC knockout events at this tour- Continued on page 5 The team captained by Mike definitely together last night as they Senior Swiss nament. In the Wagar Women’s KO, won the four-session Red Ribbon Pairs. Levine scored 127 Victory Points in the Kathie Wei-Sender and Co. were down, Johnsen and Spear were 12th after final of the Senior Swiss Teams to take 95-23, at the half against Jo Morse. A 73- Tuesday’s two-session qualifier. They first place honors. 19 third quarter pulled WEI-SENDER to were fourth after the first final session Levine, of Boca Raton FL, played within 18 IMPs. The pressure continued NABCs now truly with teammates Zeke Jabbour, also of and won the event with a score of through the final quarter, 62-12, so that Boca Raton, Fred Hamilton of Fresno 2651.65, about a board ahead of the sec- WEI-SENDER won easily, so to speak, Itinternational wasn’t too many years ago that al- CA, Arnie Fisher of Clementon NJ, ond-place pair. most everybody who came to an NABC 158-126. WEI-SENDER, seeded second, Johnsen, 39, of Los Angeles is em- Rich Reisig of Delray Beach FL and will play the team captained by Edith was either an American or a Canadian P.O. Sundelin of Stockholm Sweden. ployed in biotech clinical research and with the occasional player from Mexico Freilich in one of today’s semifinals. Play- partner Spear, 43, of the Chicago area This is the second NABC victory ing with Kathie are Juanita Chambers, or Bermuda. Apparently those days are for Levine, who has previously won the is a systems programmer. The two first Stasha Cohen, Pam Wittes, Irina Levitina gone forever -- at least 25 nations in ad- Senior Knockout Teams. It is also the met each other when Johnsen attended and Jill Levin. dition to the four ACBL countries are rep- second NABC win for Arnie Fisher, medical school in Chicago more than a resented here in Chicago. The other three quarterfinal decade ago. who had a previous win in the North matches were devoid of comebacks. The list starts with the United American Swiss Teams. Rich Reisig is “We knew each other from the Chi- Continued on page 6 States, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda. yet another member of the squad for cago clubs, but we never actually We have a large delegation here from played together,” said Spear. “Ironi- whom the victory is his second; he was the Nordic countries -- Norway, Swe- on the winning Reisinger Board-a- cally, we played for the first time to- den, Iceland, Denmark and Finland. gether only after Jim had moved away. Match Teams in 1984. Other European countries include Great For Zeke Jabbour, the victory is And now . the Our first game was in the 1991 Fall Britain, the Netherlands, France, Italy, NABC in Indianapolis.” another in a long line of NABC Senior Poland, Russia, Germany, Austria, Is- events. Johnsen added, “Since then, we’ve restRemember of the that story! hand in rael, Switzerland, Greece and Ireland. For Fred Hamilton, this is his tenth played in various regionals and NABCs. yesterday’s Daily Bulletin -- the From the Far East and the South NABC victory and his second here in If one of us visits the other, we might even hand in the story about Jim Pacific we have Japan, China, New Chicago. Hamilton was on the winning Continued on page 5 Reiman’s coming from 60 down Zealand and Australia. Add to these the GNT-A squad from District 22. after three quarters and coming Mideast -- Israel, India and Pakistan. P.O. Sundelin has represented his back to win by 24? That hand was Two other countries from the native Sweden in countless world crucial, but not in the way it ap- American hemisphere are here as well championship events. He won the Sun- -- Argentina and Panama. Continued on page 5 peared in yesterday’s report. That Stranger than hand is the one of the reasons the comeback was even possible. Truth oftenfiction is stranger than fiction. First the correction. The deal Tournament Director Stan Tench insists was played in the SECOND quar- that the following really happened. ter, not the bizarre fourth. The auction had gone as follows: Another correction. Boris West North East South Baran and Harry Tudor want it 2¨ Pass 2« Dbl known that they were NOT play- All Pass ing during that fateful fourth quar- West led a club and North spread ter. his dummy. What? What did you say? The swing on the board was Oh, West is the dummy, not the open- 11 IMPs -- plus 790 at one table ing leader. Right you are, but I’m tell- and minus 200 at the other. The ing you what actually happened -- West possibility is strong that led and North spread the dummy. Then REIMAN wouldn’t have even South proceeded to play the contract played the final quarter if that that he had doubled. His double paid contract had gone down. They off, sort of -- he went down three tricks. would have been minus 200 at Then the director was called. Why? Caddy master Jackie Matthews (center) with some of her helpful crew: Andy Hurd, both tables for a 9-IMP loss, so Because North and South didn’t think Jason Lindop, Francis Czyzowicz, Chad Krause and Meggan Carmichael. they would have been down 80 at West had enough high card points for three-quarters instead of 60. his 2¨ bid. No mention of the bizarre “We don’t like to give up,” play circumstances. It was only when DiverseCaddymaster caddy Jackie Matthews corps has the handles sheer diversity of Chicago caddies and their said Jim Reiman, “but we might the director asked some questions that coordinated the efforts of hundreds of places of origin. have thought 80 was too much to the truth came out. caddies for dozens of NABCs. This “This group is just delightful and overcome. And we would have If you were the director, how would year’s championships in Chicago, how- some of them are caddie ‘pros’ --- been wrong!” you have ruled? ever, may set some sort of record for Continued on page 6 Page 2 Daily Bulletin ThursdayWhats is Chicago doing Unit 123 today Day. Chicago is SPECIAL EVENTS furnishing the night’s entertainment. 12:15 p.m. Intermediate/NoviceThursday, Speakers Program July -- Billy 30 Miller: Dear Billy Live, Williford Magic SlimEntertainment & the Teardrops, with their raw, Room. Miller, Las Vegas, is a professional player whose Dear Billy columns passionate, no-frills intensity, will entertain bridge appear in the Bridge Bulletin. He attended the New England Conservatory of Music players after the evening session in the Boulevard nd from ages three to five where he studied piano. At age 10, he was teaching guitar. Room on the 2 floor of the Hilton & Towers. With Slim’s unique biting guitar and gritty voice, and the Miller was the last person to play bridge with Barry Crane (Bridge Week Master band’s dedication to their Mississippi roots, it’s no Pairs, 1985) and a member of Crane’s knockout team that went on to win the event wonder they’ve become one of the busiest and best- (after Crane’s death) with substitute Kerri Sanborn. loved blues bands around Chicago. Slim’s latest Black 7:15 p.m. Intermediate/Novice Speakers Program -- Alan Truscott: First Trick, Williford Pig release, “Black Tornado,” shows why they are Room. Truscott, New York City, is a leading international player-writer who came considered to be the last real Chicago blues band. to the U.S. in 1962. He has been bridge editor of the New York Times since 1965 and is a former president of the International Bridge Press Association. He has been Pizza will be servedHospitality in the Boulevard Room after executive editor of all five editions of The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge. the evening session in the Boulevard Room. Every- He has represented Europe, Great Britain and the U.S. in world competition. one is invited to come and enjoy the eats while lis- Truscott completed the 1986 New York Marathon when he was 61. tening to Magic Slim & the Teardrops. Friday, July 31 Jewelers RowAround Arts and TownCrafts Festival (Thurs- 9 a.m. - Noon Seminar: Using the Computer for Teachers and Clubs with Instructor Lynn Berg, day, July 30 and Friday July 31).