March 18-28, 2004 47th Spring North American Bridge Championships Reno, Nevada DailyVolume 47, Number 9 Saturday, March 27, 2004Bulletin Editors: Paul Linxwiler and Henry Francis Italians romp in Open Pairs II Women’s champs: The reigning World Open Pairs champions, Kearse–Mitchell Claudio Nunes and Fulvio Fantoni, topped the 130- In a feat they last performed 33 years ago in pair field in the final of the Wernher Open Pairs II. 1971, longtime partners Amalya Kearse and Jacqui Nunes and Fantoni led for much of the final and Mitchell have won the Women’s Pairs. This is the finished in front by more than two boards. Their second victory for Kearse in the contest, but it’s the two-session total was 2272.31, with a 55.72% in fourth for Mitchell who has won previously with the afternoon and a 65.45% in the evening Gail Greenberg (twice) and with the late Judy combined with a large carryover for finishing first Tucker. Mitchell also has several second-place in the two-session qualifier. Top on a board was 64. finishes in the Women’s Pairs, the first of which Nunes and Fantoni have previously won the occurred in 1962 playing with Betty Kaplan. Open Board-a-Match Teams in Philadelphia in Mitchell and Kearse were World Women’s 2003, and Fantoni was a member of the winning Pairs champions in 1986. squad in the Mixed Board-a-Match Teams in Long Mitchell was inducted into the ACBL Hall of Beach in 2003. They won Open Pairs II: Claudio Nunes and Fame in 2003. Kearse has been elected to the Hall Fulvio Fantoni. Both players are frequent members of the of Fame for 2004, and will be inducted at the A Italian national squad. They earned their World Kit Woolsey, and one board back was the third- Summer NABC in New York. Pairs title in Montreal in 2002. Kearse and Mitchell scored 66.14% in the place pair of Irina Levitina and Ilya Levitin with R In second with 2147.47 were Fred Stewart and 2089.90. afternoon and 62.85% in the evening to post a final score (with carryover) of 1368.9. In second with 1242.18 were Cynthia Midwest pair tops in Red Ribbon Pairs Balderson and Carole Miner of Minnesota. A mutual friend who was trying to put a team forcing, but it can be weak as well as strong. Their together a few years ago contacted Marty Harris of opening 2♣ openers are like Acol two-bids. Their Chicago and Jacob Morgan of Madison WI. That’s opening 2♦ bids are much like the Standard how Harris and Morgan began their partnership, American 2♣ bids. and it was culminated yesterday by victory in the Morgan’s friends are always surprised when he Red Ribbon Pairs. attends a Spring NABC – he’s a tax preparer. They had a powerful 70% game in the first final Harris, an attorney, is a partner in a law firm. after a so-so performance in the qualifying. Their evening effort was good enough to give them a one- and-a-half board margin over second place. Bridge Week The battle for second place was hard-fought. Mark Brighouse of Towaco NJ and Harvinder Buttons Sidhu of Neshantic Station NJ edged John Rollin of Hayward CA and Alex Stagner of Menlo Park CA Amalya Kearse and Jacqui Mitchell, winners of by two points – a tiny margin considering that top the Women’s Pairs. on a board was 77. Morgan had high praise for Harris. “He didn’t Nickell stunned by touch a wrong card during our big session. He played most of the hands, and he was strong.” Schwartz rally, loses in OT They play a special system they call the Schwartz to face Jacobs Inverted Polish Club. An opening bid of 1♣ is The top-seeded Nick Nickell squad had built up a 53-IMP lead after three quarters of play against March 21-27 is Bridge Week in North America. their opponents led by Richard Schwartz in their To help spread the word, pick up one of these free Vanderbilt semifinal match. Schwartz returned Bridge Week buttons today in the ACBL Product from the dead in the last quarter, picking up exactly Store. Supplies are limited, so get yours early! 53 IMPs to tie the match. In the subsequent eight- In another part of Bridge Week activities, board playoff, Schwartz outscored Nickell 18–16 to ACBL awarded $100 in ACBL Bridge Bucks to win the contest by 2 IMPs. Final score: Schwartz each of five randomly drawn players from 159, Nickell 157. yesterday’s games. The winners were Louise In the other semifinal bracket, the #2 seed Holden of Sparks NV, Shauneen Wilson of captained by George Jacobs kept Jim Mahaffey’s Puyallup WA, Jennifer Nabrynski of Ashland MA, squad at arm’s length the entire match, winning it Jane Dickey of Little Rock AR and Gregory 121–105. Red Ribbon champions Jacob Morgan and Merenbach of Santa Rosa CA. Marty Harris. Continued on page 5 Page 2 Daily Bulletin Those darned trumps SPECIAL EVENTS Any 3’s, partner? By Barry Rigal Bill Glass had a lot of fun with this hand from The field, whether North-South or East-West, Saturday, March 27 the Red Ribbon Pairs. had reason to curse the opponents’ trumps during 12:15 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Board 15 ♠ 10 the evening session of the second Open Pairs game. Speakers Program: Jeff Dlr: South ♥ 8 6 5 Board 13 ♠ 9 3 Roman, Game Tries. Carson Vul: N-S ♦ 10 9 5 Dlr: North ♥ 10 9 8 7 4 2 Ballroom. ♣ A Q 8 7 5 2 Vul: Both ♦ 10 3 6:45 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer ♠ A 6 5 2 ♠ K Q J 4 ♣ 6 5 2 Speakers Program: Alan ♥ K 9 2 ♥ AQ 7 ♠ 8 6 ♠ J 10 5 2 LeBendig, How High Do ♦ A8 2 ♦ K 6 4 ♥ K J 3 ♥ Q 6 You Go? Carson Ballroom. ♣ K 10 6 ♣ J 9 4 ♦ 9 ♦ A Q J 8 7 6 2 8 p.m. – Vugraph. Tahoe Ballroom ♠ 9 8 7 3 ♣ K Q 9 8 7 4 3 ♣ — 12:30 a.m. 11:30 p.m.Veggies ♥ J 10 4 3 ♠ A K Q 7 4 ♦ Q J 7 3 ♥ A5 ♣ 3 ♦ K 5 4 queen for the ace and another club ruff. That was West North East South ♣ AJ 10 plus 1100. East made the mistake of leading a Pass 4♥ looks playable enough, does it not? Well, diamond honor from hand prematurely and had run 1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass North sat back as the defense went ♦A, diamond into a trump promotion for minus 1400! 2♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass ruff, club ruff, diamond ruff, club ruff, diamond Glass led his singleton ♣3 to partner’s queen. promoting the ♥J for down three. I suffered that Jim Steelquist cashed the ♣A on which Glass torture. My opponents were Marshall Lewis and French fried discarded the ♦3. Partner led a third club and Glass George Whitworth. Marvin French had a choice of squeezes on this ruffed with the trump 3. Then he put the ♥3 face Another bad trump break turned into good deal from the second session of Thursday’s down on the table. news. Stratified Open Pairs, but he chose one of the “May I see the previous tricks?” he asked as he Board 16 ♠ A Q 10 8 6 flashier lines of play. turned over his three threes. Then he turned over Dlr: West ♥ K 5 Dlr: North ♠ K 7 4 3 the fourth 3. The opponents weren’t amused – they Vul: E-W ♦ 10 9 8 Vul: None ♥ A J 8 6 called the director. When the TD heard the story ♣ J 8 2 ♦ 9 and saw the four threes, all he could do was laugh. ♠ J ♠ 7 4 3 2 ♣ K 9 6 3 He ruled that Glass’s action was strictly humor and ♥ 10 2 ♥ A J 9 4 3 ♠ Q J 9 8 5 ♠ 10 caused no damage. ♦ A J 6 4 3 2 ♦ 7 5 ♥ 4 ♥ K 10 9 2 ♣ Q 9 7 6 ♣ K 3 ♦ 10 7 5 ♦ Q J 8 6 3 2 Vanderbilt broadcast ♠ K 9 5 ♣ Q J 8 4 ♣ 7 2 E-bridgemaster will broadcast the final of the ♥ Q 8 7 6 ♠ A6 2 Vanderbilt Knockout Teams. ♦ K Q ♥ Q 7 5 3 ♣ A 10 5 4 ♦ AK 4 Vandy final online West North East South ♣ A 10 5 2♦ Pass Pass Dbl West North East South Bridge Base Online will be doing coverage of Pass 4♠ All Pass Pass Pass 1NT the Vanderbilt final today. The defense led a diamond to the ace and a Pass 2♣ 2♦ 2♥ diamond back. You lead a heart to the king and ace Pass 4♥ All Pass Restaurant info and win the heart return in dummy as West suggests French, South, won the opening diamond lead a doubleton heart. and took the heart finesse. East won the king and for Reno Hilton Correct play is to cross to the ♠A, ruff a returned a diamond. This was ruffed in dummy and The Lodge diamond high since the ♠J has already put in an the ♥A was cashed, revealing the bad split. Reno’s newest buffet appearance, and overtake the ♠9 to draw trumps. French knew, however, that West would likely Breakfast 7 to 11:30 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2 Now you can inferentially count West for one come under some discarding pressure if the red p.m., dinner 4:30 to 9 p.m.