July 21-July 31, 1999 71st Summer North American Bridge Championships SanSan Antonio,TexasAntonio,Texas Vol. 71, No. 7 Wednesday, July 28, 1999 Editors: Brent Manley and Henry Francis DailyDaily Women, bidding,BulletinBulletin behavior different Ivartoday Stakgold, one ofStakgold the brightest stars in the ACBL firmament back in the Fifties and Six- ties, is back at the table again. He has noticed quite a few differences from the old days. Women players. “Women players are dif- ferent -- they’re not wimpy the way they used to be. Back then the only women we had to worry were people like Helen Sobel and Edith Kemp. Now almost any woman you play against can Winners of the Senior Swiss Teams were (front, left to hurt you.” right) Richard Potter, Sandy Low and Corinne Kirkham; (back) John Potter, Jim Kirkham and Marc Low. Jennifer-Jo Hartman and Andrew Rosenthal won Behavior. “Today’s players are much better the Red Ribbon Pairs. behaved. There’s very little of that shouting and screaming that used to dominate the game back Hartman, Rosenthal rally then.” Swiss Team inventor Bidding. “Players today know competitive for Red Ribbon victory bidding. This makes the game somewhat wilder wins Sr. Swiss Teams -- definitely more interesting. However, I don’t Before Tuesday, Andrew Rosenthal of New York The man who invented Swiss Teams now is a North had never won a pair game, even Flight C. He couldn’t Continued on page 5 American Swiss Team champion. Marc Low of have picked a better time to win his first -- the Red Centerville OH was a member of the sextet that sealed Ribbon Pairs championship he captured with Jenni- their triumph with a powerful victory over the defend- fer-Jo Hartsman. ing champions in the Senior Swiss Teams. Playing with Hartsman, of Spokane WA, and Rosenthal moved Marc were his wife Sandy, Corinne and Jim Kirkham into position to win with a 65% first final session and of San Bernardino CA, Richard Potter of Black Moun- came through with just enough in the second final to tain NC and his brother John Potter of Panama City eke out victory by less than one matchpoint. FL. Second place went to Martin Hunter and Andy The Kirkham team led the defenders, captained Stark of Mississauga ON, the leaders after two quali- by Mike Levine of Boca Raton FL, by 5 Victory Points fying sessions. going into the last match. The winners played strongly The winners’ score of 2591.65 was .93 better than throughout those seven boards to win going away while Continued on page 5 knocking the defenders down to fourth place. The runners-up were Jim Barrow, Ed Lewis, James Assini does it again: Murphy, David Adams, Randy Pettit and Allan Siebert. What’s this about inventing Swiss Teams? Back another Wagar upset in the Sixties, most bridge players were getting tired of board-a-match teams -- the same teams were win- Midnight still hasn’t chimed in the Wagar Women’s ning week after week. Attendance would be fine on Knockout Teams for the Cinderella squad captained Saturday for the Open Pairs, but would dwindle, often by Jan Assini. After knocking out the top-seeded team to single digits, on Sunday for the board-a-match game. on Monday, Assini and company rallied in the fourth Young pianist a hit Low had an idea, but he had trouble being heard. quarter Tuesday for another upset, this time over the Finally he convinced Carl Rubin, a member of the Judi Radin sextet, 128-122. Board of Directors, to let him try his idea at a sec- Assini, of Aurora OH, is playing with Laurie with bridge players tional in Cincinnati. It was an instant success. Within Kranyak, Bay Village OH; Sharon Jabbour and Susan When Zachary Campbell Moscow plays, bridge less than two years, board-a-match almost disappeared Miller, Boca Raton FL; Mary Oshlag, Germantown TN, players listen. In fact, the 12-year-old Lexington KY and Swiss became so popular that sometimes more and Candace Fowler, Jacksonville FL. eighth-grader has been the hit of the Summer NABC. people played on Sunday than on Saturday. In the semifinal round today, the Assini team will He has provided music Marc’s wife Sandy says she’s been trying to help face the No. 4 seed -- Shawn Quinn, Katy TX; Petra between sessions and at him win a North American Swiss to celebrate his in- Hamman, Peggy Sutherlin and Joan Jackson, Dallas; various functions since vention, and that dream finally has come true. Just to Robin Klar, Spring TX, and Mildred Breed, Bryan TX. the tournament started. make sure things went right, Sandy wore her lucky They defeated the Lynn Baker squad, 185-152. His appearance in outfit -- the ensemble she wore when she won a recent The other semifinal match pits Karen Allison (npc) San Antonio was the against Cheri Bjerkan. idea of his grandmother, knockout teams. Assini trailed Radin, 86-55, at the half but were Tournament Co-Chair Continued on page 5 within 14 IMPs with a quarter to go. They won the Carol Campbell. It final set, 41-21, to pull out the victory. seemed like a natural for a young man who has been playing since he More upsets as Spingold was 4. RecordersRecorders are needed for needed the Wagar Women’s A tireless performer, Knockout Teams and the Spingold Knockout Teams enters round of sixteen Zachary has had a good Thursday, Friday and Saturday. One top seed is out and two others had close calls time, too. A recorder must be able to take down bids and in a day of wild action in the Spingold Knockout Teams. “Everybody here has been nice,” Zachary said, plays quickly and accurately. One recorder will be On the sidelines as play enters the round of 16 to- noting that his “college fund” tip glass has been filled asked to serve as a caller during the vugraph presen- day is the four-man squad captained by Jimmy Cayne, every day. “I’m doing pretty well,” he said. tation of the Spingold final Saturday. the No. 2 seed. They were eliminated by Joe Jabon, Zachary likes to play jazz and modern piano pieces, Each session consists of 16 boards. Recorders Bellevue WA; Aidan Ballantyne, Vancouver BC, and but “I’ll play anything.” His favorite classical composer receive $10 in ACBL Bridge Bucks per session Henry Lortz and Wayne Ohlrich of Seattle. is Mozart. worked. If you are interested, please see Brent Two near upsets involved the No. 3 seed, led by When he isn’t playing or studying music, Zachary Manley in the Daily Bulletin office (Conference Rita Shugart, and No. 4, the Steve Robinson sextet. likes baseball and golf. His favorite baseball team is Room 16 on the third floor at the Marriott Continued on page 4 Rivercenter) between sessions any day this week. Continued on page 7 Page 2 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS WhenSobel-type Tournament Director quizStan Tench pre- sented Al Sobel at the Hall of 9 a.m. - Noon Club Directors’Wednesday, Course, Conference July Rooms 28 1&2, Rivercenter. National Fame dinner, Tench told a Tournament Directors Millard Nachtwey and Roger Putnam will conduct the couple of stories about how three-day course. Sobel used to entertain bridge 10 a.m. - Noon Education Liaison Workshop, Session 2: Increasing Unit Membership and Club/ players. Stan recalls a set of Tournament Attendance, Conference Room 3, Rivercenter. (Continues geographical questions that Thursday) No fee. Sobel always used to ask. Try 12:15 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: Eddie Kantar, Errors Your your luck with them. Partners Make, Salon F, Grand Ballroom, Rivercenter. Kantar, Santa Monica 1. What is southernmost state in the United CA, is one of the best-known bridge writers in the world. He has won two world States? The northernmost? The easternmost? The bridge championships and 13 North American championships. He was inducted westernmost? into the Bridge Hall of Fame in 1996, the same year he was inducted into the 2. What states have land that touches a for- Minnesota State Table Tennis Hall of Fame. eign country as well as an ocean? 7:15 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: John Blubaugh, Law of Total Tricks, 3. What states have capitals that start with the Salon F, Grand Ballroom, Rivercenter. Blubaugh, Indianapolis, is a same letter as the state? professional player and teacher. He is currently working on a historical novel See page 4. and three bridge books. 11:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m. Alamo Ballroom, Marriott Riverwalk. Take the Alamo Bridge Club “A” Train for an evening with the Mainstream Jazz Musical Duo featuring David Deering and Paul Harper. This evening’s treat: mini pizza rounds. Cash bar. TooBy Barry tough Rigal What can you do when your opponents make sim- ply great bids? All you can do is pay off in IMPs, some- 9:30 a.m. - Noon Easybridge! accreditationThursday, course July with 29 Priscilla Smith, Conference Room 15, times heavily. For an example, observe Brad Moss in Rivercenter. action on this deal from the second round of the 10:00 a.m. - Noon Education Liaison Workshop, Session 3: Bridge in Schools and Brainstorming, Spingold Knockout Teams. Moss, of New York City, Conference Room 3, Rivercenter. No fee. was playing with Fred Gitelman of Toronto. 12:15 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: George Pisk, Safety Plays, Salon F, Moss held Grand Ballroom, Rivercenter. Pisk, Manchaca TX, was born in Vienna, Austria, «K Q J 8 ªK Q J 9 © A 7 ¨9 3 2 and emigrated to the United States on the eve of World War II.