Sunday, December 2, 2012 Volume 85, Number 10 Daily Bulletin 85th Fall North American Bridge Championships Editors: Brent Manley and Paul Linxwiler A message from the chairman By Jim Leuker Zimmermann squad NABC Chairman leading Reisinger We’re so glad you came to San Francisco to enjoy our The team captained by Pierre Zimmermann will Fall 2012 North American start play today in the Reisinger Board-a-Match Bridge Championships. We Teams with a carryover lead of 2.03 boards, with the hope you had a great time, Dan Zagorin team in close pursuit. Ten teams will competing against old friends play two final sessions today. The play can be seen and new ones. I know I met on Bridge Base Online and on television monitors in players from all over the North the lower levels of the hotel. American continent as well Zimmermann’s Monaco-based team is Franck as from Panama, Argentina, Japan, Australia, Monaco, Multon, Geir Helgemo, Tor Helness, Fulvio Fantoni the Netherlands, the United and Claudio Nunes. Zagorin is playing with Kevin Kingdom, France and many Bathurst and four members of the Dutch team that other places. won the 2011 Bermuda Bowl: Bas Drijver, Sjoert I know that you enjoyed the Brink, Louk Verhees and Ricco van Prooijen. tournament, because so many The James Cayne team, winners of the last two of you told me so. I know you Reisingers, qualified in eighth place. were pleased with our variety of events, guest speakers, NABC Tournament Chair Jim Leuker, second from right, poses with the NABC’s hard-working committee chairs. continued on page 2 Lynch leads A family affair qualifiers in N.A. When Matt Koltnow was just a teenager, he caddied for Jackie Matthews Swiss Teams at an NABC in Baltimore in 1987. That was the year after Matthews took over as After two days of play in the Keohane North NABC caddy master. Koltnow, an ACBL American Swiss Teams, the squad captained by tournament director, no longer caddies, Carolyn Lynch leads the pack of the remaining 46 and Matthews is retired. teams remaining in the event. There remains, however, a strong Lynch, playing with Mike Passell, Adam link between the Koltnow and Matthews Zmudzinski, Cezary Balicki, Andrew Gromov, and families. Aleksander Dubinin will enjoy a carryover of 40 At the 2012 Fall NABC, Koltnow’s victory points in today’s two-session final. younger brother, Max, is caddying for In second with a carryover of 26.94 is Mike Pam Hughes, Matthews’ daughter, who took over the caddy master job from her Levine, Dennis McGarry, Dennis Clerkin, Jerry mother. Clerkin, Russell Ekeblad and Peter Weichsel. Matthews has been seen around Third place is held by Robert Lebi, David Max Koltnow, Pam Hughes, Jackie Matthews and Mike Lindop, Mitch Dunitz and Iftikhar Baqai. Koltnow. continued on page 6 School program sparks youth participation Students from a bridge club at a local school are playing in Intermediate/ Newcomer games at the San Francisco NABC. Nick Morgenstein, 12, Connor Stauffer, 10, Kai Chang, 9, and Pico Gilman,7, played in the Saturday afternoon 49er Pairs. The quartet practices once a week at their after-school bridge club at the Chinese American International School (CAIS) under the guidance of coach Eric Groves. All of the boys attend CAIS except for Morgenstein, who attends Marin Country Day School and commutes to join the others after school. The group, which has nine members, has been meeting for three semesters. “It’s exciting being around young minds who always want to try something new,” says Groves, 60, whose affinity for young people comes from his experiences as a father. “I love kids. I have two sons, now in their 40s, and a granddaughter. Although I don’t get to spend as much time with them as I like, the kids in this club are great fun to be around,” says Groves, who is a retired executive from a non-profit trade group. Pico, the youngest of the group, is emphatic when asked why he enjoys bridge. “It’s fun!” he announces. Coach Eric Groves (center) poses with four students after Saturday afternoon’s 49er Pairs: Pico Gilman, Kai Chang, Connor Stauffer and Nick continued on page 5 Morgenstein. Attendance through Saturday evening 12,777.5 tables Page 2 Sunday, December 2, 2012 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS MEETINGS / SEMINARS / RECEPTIONS Sunday, Dec. 2 Peter Pender Memorial Vugraph Theater presentation. Room: TBA Take your time NABC Chairman’s message Mission Grille By Phillip Alder continued from page 1 Dinner Buffet Menu Here is an interesting defensive problem from The Mission Grille, Marriott second floor, offers the Blue Ribbon Pairs and Senior Mixed Pairs. It entertainment, tours, snacks, late night food, prizes the following buffet menu for $19: was shown to me by Marc Rabinowitz of Palm and more. There are so many good restaurants near Sunday, Dec. 2 Beach Gardens FL. to the Marriott that I know you ate well. Chopped salad, pasta salad, spaghetti with meat Dlr: South ♠ K 5 2 You’ll be pleased to know that we’re scheduled sauce, chicken marsala, green beans and peppers, chef’s choice of desserts. Vul: E-W ♥ 9 to return to this same site for the Fall 2019 NABC. ♦ A 9 5 3 2 We are looking forward to hosting another great ♣ A 8 4 2 tournament here. ♠ A Q J 8 7 4 The staff and support personnel of the Marriott ♥ 8 Registration Desk have done an outstanding job in providing for all our For the final weekend of the Fall NABC, the ♦ Q J tournament needs. The ACBL tournament operations hours for the Registration Desk, located on the ♣ K J 9 7 staff have done their usual amazing job keeping Bottom Level in the Yerba Buena Foyer, are as things humming smoothly. Jeff Johnston, Wendy follows: West North East South Sullivan, Chris Patrias and the rest of the ACBL staff Sunday, Dec. 2 1♥ have been a dream to work with. I can’t say enough 8 – 10 a.m. Pass 2♦ 2♠ 4NT to thank them. Pass 5♥ Pass 6♥ I’ve been fortunate to have worked with a great All Pass tournament planning committee. Thank you to the Partnership Desk committee chairmen/women for their many hours of The hours for the Partnership Desk on Sunday, Your partner leads the ♠10: king, ace, 3. What hard work. We also have had close to 500 volunteers, Dec. 2, will be 9 to 10:30 a.m. and 1 to 2:15 p.m. would you do next? without whom this tournament would not have been The Partnership Desk is located on Level B2 possible. Many thanks to all. for Intermediate/Newcomer games, and in the Yerba Turn to page 4 for the answer. It’s been a great privilege to serve as your NABC Buena Foyer, Bottom Level, for all others. chairman. You’ve offered so many congratulations and compliments to me, to the committee and to all No smoking in the Marriott Collect your section tops the volunteers, that it’s made the whole effort worth Players are reminded that smoking is prohibited The Section Top desk will be open today from every minute. Thank you all for coming. We’ll see inside the Marriott, including stairwells and 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Please drop by the desk on the you at other tournaments and back here in Fall 2019. emergency exits. Players Yerba Buena level to collect your section top prizes. So long for now. who are observed smoking inside the building are subject to a one-board Bidding Box Alerts and Clarification penalty or 12-IMP penalty In an article about the World Transnational at that form of scoring. Announcements Open Teams, set for Bali, Indonesia, next year, Players may also be When using bidding boxes, the ACBL requires that there was an incorrect statement about eligibility subject to a disciplinary players tap the Alert strip and say “Alert” at the same of players from North America. Eligible players hearing. time. are those in good standing with their respective Players who wish to When making an Announcement, use the bridge organizations, including the ACBL and the smoke must do so outside. Announcement word (such as “transfer”) and tap the Canadian Bridge Federation. Alert strip at the same time. A player who Alerts or Announces a bid must make sure his opponents are aware that an Alert or ♠♥♦♣ Announcement has been made. New event for Spring NABC The ACBL Board of Directors has 10-point cap, the event will award 10% approved an event that will debut at the platinum masterpoints to teams that place 2013 Spring NABC in St. Louis. It is a in the overall of the event. “10K”, four-session 0-10,000 Swiss Teams More details of the event will be that will be played on the first Friday and featured in the February issue of the ACBL Saturday of the tournament. Subject to a Bridge Bulletin. Convention card reminder Each player is required to have a for each board played, commencing with convention card filled out legibly and on the the next round and continuing until the table throughout a session. Both cards of a restriction is lifted. In IMP team games, partnership must be identical and include penalties shall be at the discretion of the the first and last names of each member of director. the partnership. If the director determines the If a director determines that neither partnership has at least one substantially player has a substantially completed card, completed convention card but has not the partnership may play only the Standard fully complied with ACBL regulations, the American Yellow Card and may use only director may give warnings or assign such standard carding.