DailyDailyAugust 10-August 20, 2000 72ndBulletinBulletin Summer North American Bridge Championships Friday, Aaugust 11, 2000 Anaheim, California Vol. 72, No. 7Thursday, August 17, 2000 Editors: Henry Francis and Paul Linxwiler Two comebacks highlight Wagar knockout action Teams captained by Connie Goldberg and Kathie Wei-Sender came from behind over the final 16 boards to advance to the semifinals of the Wagar Women’s Knockout Teams The other semifinalists are captained by Petra Red Ribbon champs Christopher Hamman and Cheri Bjerkan. Leung and Nie Wei Ping. Goldberg, Rozanne Pollack, Beth All systems Go for Palmer and Lynn Deas trailed the Beverly Rosenberg team by 10 IMPs Red Ribbon winners They won the NABC Senior Swiss Teams: Mike Shuman, Gene Simpson, Trudy after 48 boards, but they gained 18 over Nugit and Hamish Bennett. the final 16 to win 136-128. A pair from China posted the high- Wei-Sender, Juanita Chambers, Jill est score in the Red Ribbon Pairs, top- Southern CA squad takes Senior Swiss title Levin, Betty Ann Kennedy, Janice ping the field of 156 finalists. Nie Wei Ping, of Beijing, and Christopher The NABC Senior Swiss Teams was championship title, the World Senior Seamon-Molson and Tobi Sokolow Leung, of Hong Kong, earned 2558.59 won by the foursome of Trudi Nugit, Los Pairs from Albuquerque in 1994. Gene closed their match against Jean Hume’s matchpoints (including carryover, 77 Angeles; Hamish Bennett, Menlo Park; Simpson’s last NABC win was the squad by gaining 53 IMPs in the fourth top) to win the four-session event by Gene Simpson, Redlands; and Mike Grand National Teams, Flight A in 1998, quarter. They went from trailing by 5 to less than half a board. Shuman, Pasadena. The squad scored and Shuman’s most recent NABC title winning, 196-148. Close behind in second place was 118.0 Victory Points, outscoring their was the North American Swiss Teams Hamman, Peggy Sutherlin, Robin the Chicago-based pair of David Yang nearest competitors by 4 VPs. in 1992. Shuman and Simpson are cur- Klar, Mildred Breed and Shawn Quinn and Xiaodong Shi who finished with This was the first NABC win for rently #24 and #44 respectively on the had an easy time against Jan Martel’s 2532.99 matchpoints. team captain Nugit. It was also the first all-time masterpoint holder list. team, 158-84. Leung is a comptroller for a hotel NABC victory for teammate Bennett, There were 26 teams in the final of Bjerkan, Sue Weinstein, Renee in Hong Kong. His partner, Nie Wei although he already possessed one world the event. The Nugit squad scored six Mancuso, Pam Wittes, Judi Radin and Ping, is a well-known figure in China, match wins and two losses in the final Sylvia Moss carried a big lead into the having won the world Go champion- on their way to the title. final quarter, but Lynn Baker’s squad ral- ships in the mid-Seventies. He domi- In second with 114.0 VPs was the lied strongly and just missed, losing, nated the game for more than a decade, squad of Nels Erickson, Princeville HI; 163-148. and is currently the coach of the Chi- Edwin Malmuth, Cardiff CA, Gerald nese national Go team. Bare, Pacific Palisades CA; Michael Schwartz hangs on Through an interpreter, Ping ex- Savage, Downey CA; and, Rick plained that although he is an expert Henderson, Los Angeles. to win shortened at the Eastern board game, he is still ACBL Senior events are restricted relatively inexperienced at bridge. to players age 55 and older. Spingold match Vincent Demuy, of Laval PQ, and David Granger, of Etobicoke ON, re- The team captained by Richard corded an extremely close third-place Schwartz had a huge lead over Richard Fast Open Pairs finish with 2524.46 matchpoints. Coren’s squad with 16 boards to go in Players earn Red Ribbon qualifi- their Round of 32 match, but Coren put premiers today cations by winning or finishing second Solodar becomes on a mammoth surge that just fell short, in regionally-rated masterpoint-re- 95-87. The highlight of this match was The newest NABC+ event, the Fast stricted events (1500 maximum). Play- that the third quarter was shortened by Grand Life Master Open Pairs, will begin today. The two-day ers retain their Red Ribbon qualifica- contest features a two-session qualifier two boards. Because the play was ex- John Solodar is ACBL’s newest tions until they surpass 2000 today and a two-session final tomorrow. It Continued on page 4 masterpoints. Grand Life Master. The title is earned will be held concurrently with the NABC by those members who have at least one IMP Pairs. NABC win and more than 10,000 The time limits for the Fast Open masterpoints. Pairs will be 11 minutes per session for Bell expresses the ACBL/ABA spirit Solodar, a Bermuda Bowl champion two-board rounds or 16 minutes per (1981) and winner in the Life Master round for three-board rounds. Please Henry Bell, one of the prime mov- ties at this ACBL North American Men’s Pairs (1968), surpassed the note that due to the nature of this con- ers in bringing the American Con- tournament. This represents years of 10,000-masterpoint milestone here in test, time limits will be strictly enforced. tract Bridge League and the Ameri- hard work and education by many car- Anaheim to earn the Grand LM title. Penalties for slow play are mandated by can Bridge Association closer to- ing individuals in both organizations. Solodar also has a third-place finish in the conditions of contest. gether, expressed the spirit of ACBL/ Last night as I sat talking to Max the Rosenblum Knockout Teams in Additionally, only conventions from ABA Day very clearly and very emo- Hardy and others at the reception, I 1990. the General Convention Chart may be tionally. Here is what Bell had to say: was overcome with tears of happiness Solodar, of New York, is a well- used. (The special exemption for Mid- In this country for more than 200 and pride because I could see that known bridge instructor, and was a long- Chart defenses to 1NT that are being al- years, we’ve had problems with each something of rare beauty was born. time partner of the late ACBL Hall-of- lowed here in Anaheim does not apply to other, mostly because of the way we We are finally seeing the wisdom of Famer George Rapee. Solodar was for- the NACB+ Fast Open pairs.) look. The birth of the American walking side by side. I think that merly Financial Systems Director for Please note that the starting times for Bridge Association was a product of bridge, with the emergence of tech- CBS, Inc. this event will be 1 and 4:30 p.m. each day. this environment. Sixty-five years nology and the advent of Olympic sta- Solodar’s world championship vic- ago people of color didn’t feel wel- tus, is in transition to a new era. tory in 1981 (Port Chester NY) included come at the bridge table. Too many times selected cultures teammates Russ Arnold, Bud Reinhold IMP Pairs, Nat'l 199ers Today we exist in a totally dif- have been omitted from participating and featured the inaugural appearance Play in the NABC IMP Pairs be- ferent environment. I have stated in the big game. Thank God the ACBL of Robert Levin, Jeff Meckstroth and gins today. many times that it will take the bridge and the ABA have seen the wisdom Eric Rodwell. Solodar and company de- Also, I/N players can get a taste players of the world to teach us how of working together on an endeavor feated Pakistan in the final. The Paki- of a national event by playing in the to do it right. We have taken a big with such far-reaching implications stani team featured a new face at the National 199er Pairs. step with the events and the activi- for our future. world championship level, as well — Zia Mahmood. Page 2 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS Partnership cooperation Brenda Keller and Bruce Ferguson cooperated per- fectly on the defense of this deal from the Life Master Thursday, August 17 Pairs. 9:00 a.m. - Noon Easybridge! accreditation course A with Easybridge! presenter Priscilla Smith, Avila A, « 10 7 5 4 3 Hilton. ª A 6 4 10:00 a.m. - Noon Education Liaison Seminar, San Simeon-A, Hilton. The annual three-day seminar will © 7 3 focus on ACBL programs, ideas and activities designed to promote bridge and improve ¨ A K 8 attendance at local games. « Q 9 « J 6 12:15 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: Curtis Cheek, Bridge – the Language of ª 10 9 8 2 ª K Q 7 5 nd Love, 2 floor Hilton. Cheek, Huntsville AL, is a bridge professional who has won © A Q 10 8 2 © K 4 numerous regional titles. ¨ 9 5 ¨ J 7 4 3 2 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. Easybridge! accreditation course B with Easybridge! presenter Priscilla Smith, Avila B, « A K 8 2 Hilton. ª 6:45 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: George Winter, Director, Please!, 2nd floor, J 3 © Hilton. Winter, Tustin CA, started directing club games in 1984 and has been teaching J 9 6 5 bridge since 1985. He became an ACBL tournament director in 1987 and joined the full- ¨ Q 10 6 time directing staff in 1995. West North East South 11:30 p.m. Food and entertainment, California Promenade, Hilton.