November 18-November 28, 1999 Boston, Massachusetts 73rd Fall North American Bridge Championships Vol. 73, No. 8 Friday, November 26, 1999 Editors: Henry Francis and Paul Linxwiler Meyers, Mohan win Blue Ribbon Pairs Jill Meyers of Santa Monica CA and John Mohan of Sam Lev in the Life Master Pairs. With this victory, Mohan St. Croix, Virgin Islands, boosted by a strong first final moves into the lead for this year’s Player of the Year con- session, won the Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs. It is test. the first time either player has won the event, and it is Mohan’s best finish in world competition was his third only the second time in the history of the contest that a place performance at the World Open Pairs in 1978. mixed pair has finished first. Dorothy Hayden Truscott Meyers and Mohan posted a 1239.07 total, finishing and B. Jay Becker won the inaugural Blue Ribbon Pairs more than a board ahead of their nearest competitors. in 1963. “John was just wonderful to play with,” said Meyers It is Meyers’ eighth NABC victory, and the second repeatedly to friends and well-wishers who congratulated NABC championship here in Boston — Meyers was a her after the event. member of the winning squad in the Women’s Board-a- Mohan said, “We had a nice round in the afternoon Match Teams. In 1987, Meyers won the Lou Herman Tro- — about 60% — but the evening round was just above phy, given to the player who earns the most masterpoints average. It was enough, however.” at the Fall NABC. With these two victories, Meyers will In second place were John Sutherlin of Dallas TX be in contention for this year’s Herman Trophy as well. and Russ Ekeblad of Providence RI. Both players are Meyers has three world championship victories — many-time NABC champions. It was the highest finish the Venice Cup in 1993 and 1997 and the Women’s World for either player in this event. Sutherlin and Ekeblad fin- Pairs Championship, won with partner Shawn Quinn, in ished with 1195.55 matchpoints. Lille, France in 1998. Third place went to Aaron Silverstein of New York Mohan is a 16-time NABC champion. His most re- NY and Pablo Lambardi of Buenos Aires, Argentina, with cent win occurred at the San Antonio NABC with partner a score of 1184.01. Jill Meyers and John Mohan It doesnt take long to get the bridge bug It doesn’t take long to get the bug -- the bridge bug, that is. Even though the number of tables in the Intermediate/Novice area was small because of the holiday, there were still 20 new players, all with fewer than five masterpoints, playing bridge instead of eat- ing turkey. The I/N program has been immensely successful all week -- large crowds, fine lectures, excellent hos- pitality provided by the Boston hosts. Word about the lectures has got around so that many advanced players are dropping by before they go on to the higher-rated games. The lecturer with the biggest turnout of the week to date is Eddie Kantar. Billy Eisenberg, Rich Reisig, Jim Sternberg, Alan Cokin, Bernie Chazen and Bob Lipsitz A special 99er game is on tap for today. It will be played over two sessions (1 and 7:30 p.m.), and a por- Sternberg squad takes Senior KO tion of the points will be GOLD! The team captained by Jim Sternberg held off a last he became a Life Master. Chazen, an ACBL Grand Life The crowds are not confined to just Americans. quarter rally by Richard Budd’s squad to win the Microsoft Master, has previously won the 1971 Men’s Teams and Players from as far away as Spain, Australia, Japan, Senior Knockout Teams 163-151. the 1973 Mixed Pairs. Cokin is also a Grand Life Master Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Sternberg, of Jupiter FL, led the all-Florida team of who previously won the 1979 Men’s Teams and the 1984 England and Austria have found their way to the I/N Bernie Chazen of Tamarac, Allan Cokin of Palm Beach, Mixed Pairs. Eisenberg has won five world champion- tables. Billy Eisenberg of Boca Raton, Richard Reisig of Delray ships and has 11 previous NABC titles to his credit. Rich The most successful I/N players in games played Beach and Robert Lipsitz of Palm Harbor. Reisig was a member of the winning Senior Swiss team through yesterday morning are Michael McGoldrick This is Sternberg’s second NABC victory --- he was in 1998. Lipsitz, yet another Grand Life Master on the of Medfield MA and Michael Jaw of Watertown MA a member of the winning team in the 1979 Men’s Board- team, is a two-time world champion and has previously with 13.68 points. Close behind with 12.70 were a-Match. Sternberg enjoys the distinction of being the won five NABC events --- the 1976 Life Master Pairs, the Jacqueline and Arthur Bergson of Mammoth Lakes CA. Altogether 21 players have won more than 10 points 1977 ACBL Rookie of the Year, the same year in which Continued on page 7 in I/N games. Alice Kinningham is the director in charge of the program, assisted by Donna Bowser, Priscilla Smith Karl Johnson better; Patty misses friends and Judy Cotterman. These directors have erected what they call a Rogues’ Gallery that covers half the length Patty Johnson of Sebring FL, the tournament di- “Karl has regained his appetite, but he still lacks of the wall in Salon G on the fourth floor, the site of rector who has been in charge of NACB Tournament strength. But he out-ate me at our Thanksgiving din- the I/N games. They snap Polaroid photos of all win- Operations for many years, is missing from this ner -- he had two plates of food. ners and paste them on the sheets listing the overall NABC. Her husband Karl, a top-flight National Tour- “He wants to get back on the golf course, but victors in each event. nament Director for many years, is fighting cancer, chances are he’ll have to wait until February as his and Patty turned down the Boston invitation to stay strength returns.” home to take care of him. Patty misses being here. “I’m totally broken- “Karl is doing wonderfully,” said Patty when we hearted,” she said. “I miss seeing all my director Attendance declines called her at home to wish her and Karl a Happy friends and all my other friends. And my streak has Thanksgiving. “He has good days and bad days, but finally been broken -- I had attended 67 consecu- The Thanksgiving holiday cut back the size of the right now most of them are good. The chemotherapy tive NABCs without a miss. I don’t think any direc- crowds yesterday. Only 704 tables were in play for the has shrunk the tumor much more than his doctors tor can beat that record.” entire day. Earlier in the tournament there was a single expected. They’ve changed their predictions -- now She closed with this: “Tell all my friends that session that drew 821 tables. Tournament officials ex- they say that remission is almost a certainty and full I’ll be back full of vim and vigor for the Cincinnati pect the numbers to rise significantly today. Total to recovery has a 25% chance. tournament in the spring.” date: 9916 tables. Page 2 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS Test your play By Alan Truscott Friday, November 26 In the final session of the Board-a-Match © 9:00 a.m. - Noon Easybridge! accreditation course A with Easybridge! staffers Priscilla Smith and Donna Teams, you are happy to find yourself in 5 with Bowser. Simmons Room, Marriott. the following combination of cards: « 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. OKbridge seminar. Learn how to play bridge on the Internet with OKbridge staff members. Board 7 K J 9 5 Grand Ballroom Salon G, Marriott. Dlr: South ª — 12:15 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: Bill and Marlene Passell: Bridge – It’s a Vul: Both © K 10 4 3 Partnership and a Game, Salon G, Marriott. The Passells live in Coral Springs FL where ¨ K Q J 9 7 they teach bridge and direct on bridge cruises. They met through bridge-playing friends at a Florida tournament. She is a Gold Life Master. He is a Grand Life Master with more than « 10 7 4 15,000 masterpoints. ª A 10 8 4 6:45 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: George Pisk, Flannery, Grand Ballroom Salon © Q J 8 7 2 G, Marriott. Pisk ¨ A 11:30 p.m. Entertainment: “Paula & Rodney” features Oldies DJ Paula Street from WODS 103.3 FM 5© would be better from the North side, but in Boston. Salons A-F, Marriott. Food treat: pizza. Fourth floor atrium, Marriott; © Staffordshire Room, Westin. that is hard to manage after South opens 1 . It does not matter much because West leads the «A and continues with the 3. Plan your play to the sec- ond, third, fourth and fifth tricks. Up to a point this is easy, but the last one is a little tricky. Blackjack The rabbi follows For an unsatisfactory solution, see page 5. The Rabbis Rule Hugh Ross shared this deal — a grand slam in The Light of Day which the position of the two black jacks is key — By Phillip Alder from the second semifinal session of the Blue Ribbon by Steve Becker Pairs. Ross was playing with Bill Pollack.