July 23-August 2, 1998 70th Summer North American Bridge Championships Chicago Vol. 70, No. 4 Monday, July 27, 1998 Editors: Henry Francis and Paul Linxwiler DAILYAlden Senior sets Today isBULLETIN unbeatableAlden Seniorrecord of Chicago is married and he’s headed for grad school at the University Goodwill Day of Chicago. Since he and his wife are planning on having children soon, playing bridge Drink to your good may soon become just a memory for a few years. So Winners: Geoff Hampson and Eric Greco he’s trying to play all he can at health and good this tournament -- he calls it his swansong in tournament bridge. When he says he’s playing all he can, he means bridge Greco, Hampson win it. Yesterday he competed in FIVE sessions -- about 15 hours of pure bridge play. He took part in the morning game, the two-session Fast Pairs, the evening BoostedLife by Master a huge score in thePairs first session of side game and the midnight teams. Grand National Teams the final, Eric Greco and Geoff Hampson held on to “That’s a record that can never be beaten,” said narrowly win the Life Master Pairs. Their score of Alden. “If you can’t have quality, you need quantity.” 1726.88 was just enough to keep them ahead of the In the morning game, Alden had a section sec- victory makes Itabashi second-place father-son pair of Richard and Rich ond for .97 points. His seventh-place finish in the Fast Pavlicek who turned in a final score of 1726.03. The Pairs earned him 2.83 gold and 1.59 red. He was shut Marka Grand Itabashi Lifeof Master fractional difference is especially close since top on a board was 51. out in the evening side game. We have not had a re- Murrieta CA achieved the This is the second major pairs victory for Greco port on his midnight performance highest possible ACBL rank -- Grand Life Master -- when and Hampson --- they won Open Pairs I at the 1997 his team won the Flight A Spring NABC in Dallas. Grand National Teams Satur- The pair was among the leaders throughout the day. He fulfilled the require- event. Greco and Hampson led after the first two ment for 10,000 masterpoints rounds, and were fourth after the semifinals. The pair Bob Schwartz was responsible for all mistakes, East and West meet long ago, but he needed that was never worse than fourth for the remainder of the all wrong guesses, all misplays made by his partner- North American champion- contest. ship in the Life Master Pairs. Why? because Bob ship -- this goal had eluded Greco and Hampson got off to an enormous start Schwartz was playing with . Bob Schwartz! him, although he has several in yesterday’s first session, scoring a monstrous They came from opposite sides of the country to second-place finishes to his 68.9% against the star-studded field. play with each other -- one from Framingham MA credit. His masterpoint total surpasses 23,000. He was The pair cooled off somewhat slightly in the sec- and the other from San Pedro CA. They are unre- the highest ranking Diamond Life Master until that ond session, but hung on to win. lated, so how did they get together? GNT triumph. “We played really well in the first half,” said The answer is George Siegel of Venice CA. The Mark is a full-time bridge professional, which Hampson. “The results in the second half were more East Coast Schwartz went to kindergarten with Siegel, accounts for the lack of NABC victories. He seldom mixed. I think we had something like a 54% game in and they were close friends until Siegel moved to the plays unless he is partnered by a client. However, there the last half, but it was enough...barely.” West Coast 20 years later. Out in California he met were no clients on the GNT squad. Greco, 23, of Philadelphia is an options trader. the other Schwartz and has been a friend and a bridge Mark likes the overall life style of the bridge pro. Hampson, 29, of Fenton MI is a professional player partner of the West Coast Schwartz for another 20 “I have friends all over the country, and I enjoy the whose previous NABC wins include the North Ameri- years. can Swiss Teams in 1992 and the Mixed Pairs in 1994. travel. I like to take a day or two off when a tourna- Three years ago Siegel and East Coast BS were The Pavliceks were understandably disappointed ment is held in a locale I’ve never visited before. I scheduled to play in the Blue Ribbon Pairs, but Siegel by their near-miss. It would have been their first like to do some sightseeing.” had to cancel. He called East Coast BS and told him NABC win as a pair. Their result, however, is the best It’s tougher to travel now. He enjoys his time at that he had another partner for him -- a fellow named finish they have had as a partnership in a major event. home with his wife Carina and his two daughters -- Bob Schwartz. In third, with a score of 1722.65, was the part- Christina, 7, and Michelle, 4. “They’re both at very Events prevented the Schwartzes from playing nership of Larry Cohen and David Berkowitz. Cohen interesting ages,” he said. He’s getting in a lot of at that time, but they finally got together in the Life and Berkowitz have won the event twice (in 1987 and bridge at the moment because his family is in Swe- Master Pairs. And they nominated Siegel as their non- 1997). Cohen also won in 1988 playing with Marty playing captain. Continued on page 6 Bergen. Illinois Youth Bridge a monumental success The Illinois Youth Bridge Association turing the program. She has found teach- (IYBA) has been a monumental success. ers who would act as club sponsors. She The adults in the group are volunteers has found other adults who would give up whose only compensation is seeing a one Saturday a month as well as one after- young person’s smile when they bring noon a week to coach elementary and high home their first slam. This year the IYBA school age children in the game of bridge. is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Ginny has not done this alone. One of Ginny Schuett, president of the Chi- the other notables include Wynn Kamps. cago Contract Bridge Association and Wynn has taught 20 or more youngsters Novice Chairman for this tournament, is over the course of the program how to love largely the reason for the program’s ac- the game we love and how to practice good David Westbrook, left, and Bobby Feinglass of Chicago were participants complishments. Ginny has spent count- sportsmanship when they win as well as in the Illinois Youth bridge program from 1994 to 1996, and theyre still less hours over the past ten years struc- Continued on page 6 playing together two years later. Page 2 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS Whats doing today At the conclusionEntertainment of the evening session, the Monday, July 27 Chicago NABC is proud to present one of Chicago’s Goodwill Day premier party bands, Michael Lerich & his Orches- 9 a.m. - Noon Club directors’ course, Waldorf Room. tra. Put on your dancing shoes and join us in the 9 a.m. ITT meeting. Conference Room 4K. Grand Ballroom of the Hilton & Towers. Lerich and 9 a.m. - Noon Bridge America Instructors’ Course 101: Supervised Play -- Ten Common crew performed at the 1993 Clinton Inaugural as well Mistakes. $10 for BA members, $30 for non-members. Conference Room as other notable Chicago and national events. His 4-J. orchestra creates an electric mood that sets it apart 9 a.m. - Noon Annual Workshop for Educaion Liaisons, Conference Room 4-D. No fee. from others in the industry. Session One: How to jump start your liaison program. 12:15 p.m. Intermediate/Novice Speakers Program -- Marty Bergen: Points Schmoints, Assorted fingerHospitality sandwiches will be served in the Williford Room. Bergen, Farmingdale NY, is a bridge teacher and writer Grand Ballroom after the evening session. Everyone who has been a Bridge Bulletin columnist since 1976. He is an ACBL is invited to sample these delights while listening to Grand Life Master who has won 10 NABC titles and more than 60 regional the sounds of Michael Lerich & his Orchestra. titles. His contributions to bridge theory include Bergen Raises and Bergen Over Notrump (DONT). 5 - 7 p.m. Goodwill Reception, Grand Ballroom. The 8:00 p.m. singleFYI session Board-A-Match has 7:15 p.m. Intermediate/Novice Speakers Program -- Curtis Cheek: Interstate Bidding, been named the Sally Chiszar Stratified BAM in Williford Room. Cheek, Huntsville AL, is a bridge professional who has memory of Chicago Area Bridge director Jim been active in bridge teaching and administration. He is a Diamond Life Chiszar’s wife. Sally was a well-liked regular at club Master with numerous regional wins. games in and around Chicago and always had a smile Midnight The Michael Lerich Orchestra, Boulevard Room. for everyone. Sally was ill for quite some time, but no matter how poorly she was feeling, when you ar- rived at her table, she asked about you and you fam- 9 a.m. - Noon Club Directors’Tuesday, Course, Waldorf July Room. 28 ily. Weekly duplicate games are not the same with- 9 a.m. - Noon Annual Workshop for Education Liaisons, Conference Room 4-D.