November 20-30, 2003 77th Fall North American Bridge Championships New Orleans, Louisiana DailyVolume 77, Number 8 Friday, November 28,Bulletin 2003 Editors: Henry Francis and Jody Latham Winners of the Senior Knockout Teams: (seated) Clement Jackson, Bobby Wolff and Dan Morse; (stand- ing) Dennis Dawson, John Mohan and John Sutherlin. Michael Seamon (left) and Geir Helgemo won the Blue Ribbon Pairs. Seamon, Helgemo Lynch victorious claim Blue Ribbon Michael Seamon and Geir Helgemo, a first- in Senior KO time partnership, led the Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs after the semi-final round and again The team led by non-playing captain Carolyn when it counted: at the end of the final round. Lynch built an 80-IMP lead by halftime and held on Their total of 1825.36 was almost two full for a 172-111 victory in the Senior Knockout boards (51 was top) ahead of runners-up Eric Greco Teams, denying a comeback effort by Mel and Geoff Hampson, who posted a 1730.30 total. Colchamiro’s squad. Another 47.67 points back were Varis Carey The Lynch squad was Dennis Dawson, and Henry Bethe, who finished third with 1682.63. Clement Jackson, John Sutherlin, Bobby Wolff, Zia Mahmood and Jacek Pszczola, the leaders John Mohan and Dan Morse. Wolff and Morse after the first qualifying session, finished fourth claimed their second straight win in the event. with 1680.57. Colchamiro’s team was John Stiefel, Richard Beverly and ACBL President Al Levy This was the first victory in the six-session De Martino, Pat McDevitt, John Malley and Daniel event, considered one of the toughest and most Colatosti. Colchamiro, Stiefel, Malley and prestigious of ACBL pair events, for either player. Colatosti were on the squad that finished second in Bridge is alive It was also the first Blue Ribbon win for a member last year’s event. of the Seamon family (Michael’s father, Billy Dawson and Jackson claimed their first North with potential Seamon; his mother, Rita Seamon; his sister, Janice American win. All the other team members have Bridge is alive and well . with the potential Seamon-Molson, and his aunts, Edith Freilich and won multiple North American and world champi- to reach new heights. That’s the view of Al Levy as Anne Burnstein, have all won multiple North onships. he finishes a year as president of the American American titles). Contract Bridge League. Michael Seamon won the World Transnational Continued on page 4 “I have seen enthusiasm for bridge every- Teams in 2001 in Paris and placed second in the where,” he said. “My travels this year have taken Rosenblum Teams in 1990. He is an ACBL Grand Do you want to play? Continued on page 4 Continued on page 4 Wear your wristband Grambling and Southern football fans will be flooding the streets and hotels of New Orleans this weekend. All area hotels will require wristbands to identify guests only for admittance to their hotels. The Marriott will secure the Canal Street doors at 6 p.m. on Friday, and the only entrance will be at the garage entrance on the Chartres Street side of the hotel. All bridge players who are not staying at the Marriott will be able to pick up a security wristband in the hotel lobby beginning today at 9 a.m. If you are unable to pick up a wrist- band prior to 6 p.m. on Friday, you will sim- ply need to identify yourself as a bridge play- er to hotel security staff at the security station that will be set up outside the revolving doors at the garage entrance. Wristbands were delivered to guest rooms in the Marriott Hotel on Thursday evening. Caddies past and present gathered at the NABC yesterday for a “caddy reunion.” (See story on page 3.) Page 2 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS BRIDGE TALKS Friday, November 28 Saturday, November 29 12:15 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: Daryl Fisher, 12:15 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: Haig Have Fun Bidding the Opponents’ Suit: A Look at Cuebid Tchamitch, Weak Two Bids. Mardi Gras A-D (3rd floor). Uses. Mardi Gras A-D (3rd floor). 6:45 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: John Onstott, 6:45 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: Zeke Jabbour, Helpful Hints for Winning Bridge. Mardi Gras A-D (3rd Winsome and Loathsome. Mardi Gras A-D (3rd floor). floor). LATE NIGHT/ENTERTAINMENT Friday, November 28 Sunday, November 30 11 p.m. Hot dogs served in the Galeries; Bruce O’Neill jazz band Noon - 5 p.m. Vugraph. Galeries 4-6 (2nd floor). provides the entertainment. 7 p.m.-Midnight Vugraph. Galeries 4-6 (2nd floor). Saturday, November 29 11 p.m. Red beans and rice served in the Galeries; Heart & Soul, dance band. Four characters in Super defense search of a victory Rick Logan of Diamondhead MS, playing in By Barry Rigal the Wednesday Swiss Teams, found a fine defense When you’ve been eliminated from the Blue as West on this deal. Ribbon Pairs, it’s hard to get too worked up about a ♠ J 10 6 knockout match. We duly got knocked out. But ♥ J 9 5 4 along the way, the following gem appeared. ♦ A J 10 9 8 Dlr: East ♠ A 8 7 6 ♣ J Vul: Both ♥ A5 ♠ AQ 3 ♠ 7 5 2 ♦ 4 ♥ 10 7 3 2 ♥ 8 6 ♣ 10 9 8 7 6 4 ♦ Q 6 5 3 2 ♦ 7 4 ♠ 5 ♠ Q J 3 ♣ Q ♣ 10 6 5 4 3 2 ♥ K J 8 4 3 ♥ 10 9 ♠ K 9 8 4 ♦ 10 9 6 3 ♦ A K 8 7 2 ♥ AK Q ♣ Q 5 2 ♣ K J 3 ♦ K ♠ K 10 9 4 2 ♣ A K 9 8 7 Honeymooners Bob and Sharon Fogle. ♥ Q 7 6 2 West North East South ♦ Q J 5 2♣ Happy honeymoon Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT (1) ♣ A Sharon and Bob Fogle of Canterbury NH were Pass 3♣ (2) Pass 3♦ (3) West North East South married in July but they decided to postpone their Pass 3♠ (4) Pass 3NT (5) 1♦ 1♠ honeymoon because they were in the middle of Pass 4NT All Pass 2♦ 4♠ All Pass building a house – and besides, they wanted to (1) 22 or 23 high card points. On the best defense of a diamond lead to the come to the Fall NABC in New Orleans. (2) Puppet Stayman. king and the ♥10 switch, declarer can succeed if he So far, everything is working out fine. They (3) One or two four-card majors. reads the position perfectly. moved into the house about two weeks ago and (4) “I have four hearts.” He wins the ♥A, unblocks the ♣A and runs the they’ve won two knockout events in New Orleans (5) “I have spades, not hearts.” ♦Q, pitching dummy’s heart. Back comes the ♥9 and placed in a third. From the bidding Logan reasoned that partner and you ruff, ruff a club and cash the ♦J, pitching a They won the Dead Turkey Walking KO, had little or nothing – possibly a jack. He felt it was club from dummy. Now you ruff a heart in dummy Bracket 8, and the New York Bracketed AM KO, safe to lead hearts – he thought it likely that declar- and East must overruff to produce this ending, in Bracket 4 – and they placed in the Baton Rouge er had just the ace-king-queen of hearts. Declarer which he has four losing options. Compact KO. won the ♥K and led a spade toward the board. ♠ A8 Now they’re headed home to New Hampshire Logan asked himself, “Why isn’t declarer ♥ — where Sharon owns a vending machine company attacking diamonds?” He finally decided that ♦ — and Bob operates his own computer consulting declarer had bid 2NT on the singleton ♦K and was ♣ 10 9 8 company. ♠ 5 ♠ Q 3 leading spades to set up a late entry to dummy’s ♥ K J ♥ — diamonds. He saw that the diamond suit could be ♦ 10 ♦ 8 7 set up if declarer overtook the king and continued ♣ Q ♣ K the suit. Declarer’s problem was how to get back to ♠ K 10 9 2 dummy to cash the good diamonds. Damiani message ♥ Q Logan blocked this plan by playing low and allow- Dear Al Levy and Jay Baum: ♦ — ing dummy’s ♠10 to take the trick. Declarer came I would like to thank you again very much ♣ – back to hand with a heart and cashed his third heart. for your kind invitation to visit the New East can lead a high trump, in which case you Next came another spade. Logan played the queen, Orleans National. As I said in a previous mail, win on the table and can crossruff, versus a low cashed the ace and led his stiff ♣Q, which declarer I was not so sure to be able to attend, and as a trump where you win the ♠8, ruff a club, ruff a ducked. If he won the trick he had no way to untangle matter of fact recent developments in the world heart and claim. his winners. But when Logan led a diamond, declarer prevent me from coming. Or he can play a club which you ruff and draw was no better off – the defense was bound to get anoth- It is a real pity because I would have loved trumps ending in dummy. His final option is to give er trick whether declarer played diamonds or clubs. He to be with all of you on this particular occa- a ruff and discard by playing a diamond.