Sunday, March 19, 2017 Volume 60, Number 10 Daily Bulletin 60th Spring North American Bridge Championships [email protected] Editors: Paul Linxwiler and Chip Dombrowski Washingtonians Nickell romps to Vanderbilt win on the pole in Fast Pairs Stanford Christie of Kirkland WA and Dave Westfall of Spokane WA set the pace in the NABC+ Fast Pairs, scoring a slim lead in Satuday’s qualifying sessions. Going into today’s final, they have a carryover of 109.73, not quite 3 matchpoints ahead of May Sakr of Bryn Mawr PA and Kryzysztof Martens of Poland with 106.92. A 38 is top in the final sessions. Christie and Westfall scored 59.10% in the first session and 60.48% in the second. The event runs with 11 minutes per two-board round. Byrnes on top in Jacoby Swiss 2017 ACBL President Bob Heller presents the Vanderbilt Trophy to the winners of Vanderbilt qualifier Knockout Teams: Jeff Meckstroth, Steve Weinstein, captain Nick Nickell, coach Eric Kokish, Dori Byrnes and company topped Saturday’s Steve Katz, Robert Levin and Eric Rodwell. qualifying round of the Jacoby Open Swiss Teams. Nick Nickell’s team cruised to victory in the sporting a 46-IMP lead. The third quarter did not Byrnes, playing with Will Ehlers, Iulian Rotaru, final of the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams, defeating improve Schwartz’s prospects, and Nickell’s lead Radu Nistor, Owen Lien and Zachary Brescoll, led Richard Schwartz’s squad 142-56. A relatively ballooned by the end of the match to 86 IMPs. the very strong field, scoring 127.04 victory points. close first quarter morphed into a lopsided contest Playing with Nickell were partner Ralph Katz In second with 108.68 VP is Team Lavazza. by the end of the second quarter, with Nickell continued on page 5 The squad’s roster is Norberto Bocchi, Alejandro Bianchedi, Agustin Madala, Dennis Bilde, Gorgio Duboin and Antonio Sementa. “Thank you for coming to the Kansas City NABC!” Li leads By Tournament Chair Linda Eakes On behalf of the local NABC Committee, I I am grateful to Women’s Swiss want to thank everyone for attending the Spring all of our sponsors, The squad led by Li Yiting topped the 2017 tournament in Kansas City. It was our as well. Their qualifying round of the Machlin Women’s Swiss pleasure to play host to all of our bridge-playing generosity helped Teams. Li, of Herndon VA, is playing with Wei friends. make the player Wang, Shuoyan Liu and Mei Xia of Shanghai, We are pleased that so many players came to experience special. China. They scored 82.21 victory points in visit us in Kansas City, and we hope that you return Finally, a big Saturday’s opening round. to play in our sectionals and regionals, as well. Our thank you goes In second is Barbara Ferm’s team who scored end-of-the-year regional is one of the best in the to the ACBL 79.94 VP in the qualifier. Playing with Ferm of ACBL. staff, especially Dallas TX, are Migry Zur Campanile and Judy The Kansas City NABC would not have been Wendy Sullivan, Radin of New York City, Jill Meyers of Santa possible without the hard work of the volunteers the League’s Monica CA and Jill Levin of Henderson NV. that make up the local committee. In addition to meeting services Eight teams will play in today’s two-session the members of the executive committee – Marti manager, who is final. Malcolm, Vicki Muir, and Susan and Jim Urich – such a professional there were dozens of others who spent countless in making everything happen. And the ACBL’s NABC Results by Email/Text hours preparing for the tournament. I am so proud tournament directors are the best. ACBL Live sends you your score after of them! Thank you so much for coming to Kansas City! each session, including a link to your results. A new feature: ACBL Live will tell you your seating assignment for an upcoming session in a Get passports ready for Toronto multisession event. The Summer NABC this year Paying with a credit or debit card This service is automatic for members unless will be held in Toronto. Travel to whenever possible is a great way to they have specifi cally opted out. To receive text Canada requires a valid passport. avoid the hassle of currency exchange. messages, go to MyACBL at acbl.org and select While the U.S. State Department While some businesses may accept Update My Information to enter your email advises to allow six to eight U.S. currency, the exchange rate address and/or cell phone number. weeks for processing passport offered is often unfavorable. applications, delays can happen. For ACBL events, U.S. $20 ATTENDANCE Make plans now to apply for a bills will be accepted at a value of through Saturday passport or renew if your passport is expired, so $25 CAD. Change will be provided in Canadian that you can be assured of having it well in advance currency, and prices will be listed in CAD. For 8248 tables of the tournament, July 20-30. To get information NABC+ events, the fee per player per session is or apply online for a passport, go to travel.state. $32.50. A player paying for two sessions at that Goodwill Message gov. rate could pay $60 USD, which would be valued at As we fold up our bid boxes and Another factor to consider in making plans $75 CAD, and would receive change of $10 CAD. prepare to leave, let’s again thank our for the Toronto NABC is that Canada has its own Similarly, for regional events, where the price hosts for their hard work and gracious hospitality. currency, which is not the U.S. dollar. Plan to is $20 per player per session, a player could pay Sandy DeMartino, Chair exchange currency upon arrival for whatever cash $40 USD ($50 CAD) for two sessions and would Aileen Osofsky ACBL Goodwill Committee transactions you will conduct while in Toronto. receive change of $10 CAD. Page 2 Sunday, March 19, 2017 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS MEETINGS / SEMINARS / RECEPTIONS Sunday, March 19 Peter Pender Memorial Vugraph. (Room TBA) A memorable deal Vendors in the Westin Food and drink Vendors for the Spring NABC in KC – such as This deal comes from the second round of the specials in the Vanderbilt in which Johan Sylvan and Frederic the bookseller and clothes seller – are located in the Wrang of Hemant Lall’s team faced Tor Helness Westin on the Ballroom Level. Westin and Sheraton and Geir Helgemo of Pierre Zimmermann’s squad. MILANO ♠ Q 9 Daily Blue Plate Specials and Italian ♥ Q 10 5 Parking discounts Buffet: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. featuring a build-your- Discounted daily parking tickets are available ♦ Q 6 4 2 own salad bar and pasta bar, pizza bar and a for $10 at the Prizes and Parking desk located at ♣ A K J 5 variety of Italian classics. the Sheraton, mezzanine level (same level as The ♠ K J 8 6 4 2 ♠ A 10 7 5 3 Happy Hour at Milano from 4:30 to 6:30 Link sky bridge). These must be purchased after ♥ J 4 3 2 ♥ 9 7 6 p.m. Sunday through Friday. entering the self-parking at either property and ♦ K 7 ♦ A prior to departure. They are only good on the day BRASSERIE ♣ 4 ♣ Q 10 6 2 of purchase. Breakfast Buffet. Daily from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ♠ — Today, the parking desk will be open 9 to 11 Dinner Specials just for bridge players: ♥ A K 8 a.m. and 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Friday-Monday and other specials Tuesday- ♦ J 10 9 8 5 3 Thursday. ♣ 9 8 7 3 SPECTATORS West North East South Breakfast Buffet. Daily from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sylvan Helness Wrang Helgemo Cheer on your favorite teams during 1♣ 1♠ 2♦ March Madness on one of our 12 big-screen 4♠ 5♦ All Pass televisions in Spectators. West lead the ♠K, ruffed. Declarer Helgemo Happy Hour: 4:30-6:30 p.m. Sunday- crossed to the ♥Q, ruffed dummy’s remaining Friday. spade, and cashed the ♥A K. When both defenders followed, declarer crossed to dummy’s ♣ A and played dummy’s ♦Q to East’s ace. At this point, East is down to all black cards, Deep Finesse: another so he decided to exit with a spade. Helgemo ruffed in dummy and carefully cashed a second club statistical anomaly before playing another trump. West was endplayed By Barry Rigal whether he ruffed the ♣K or not. Nobody is vulnerable. The auction starts: This pretty line has only one possible defect. West North East South If East had started with four hearts (giving West a 1♣ Pass 5=4=2=2 pattern), East could defeat the contract by 2♥ (strong) playing the last heart when in with the trump ace: No one has psyched. North-South have no West can ruff with the ♦K and exit a club. singletons, and no six-card suits. Each, in fact, has a 5-4-2-2 shape.) Masterpoint disclaimer And yet, par is a North-South contract on the Results reported in the Daily Bulletin are deal. What is it? subject to change because of score changes or The answer is Board 14 from the second final corrections. The masterpoint awards as shown are, session of the Silodor Open Pairs: therefore, also subject to change.