40th Spring North American Bridge Championships March 6 - March 16, 1997 Daily Bulletin Dallas, Texas Volume 40, Number 9 Saturday, March 15, 1997 Editors: Henry Francis and Jody Latham 8 9 Susan Wexler and Margie Gwozdzinsky Vanderbilt Knockout Holding the Vanderbilt Trophy is Richard Schwartz. Sitting next to him is Mark Lair. Standing, left to right, are Bobby New York pair wins Teams Champions Goldman, Steve Robinson, Paul Soloway and Peter Boyd. NABC Womens Pairs Susan Wexler and Margie Gwozdzinsky, sec- ond in the same event a year ago, won the NABC Women’s Pairs by a margin of almost three boards. Schwartz tops Cayne The New Yorkers scored 825.64 to 754.79 for runners-up Suzy Burger of West Bloomfield MI and in Vanderbilt final Barbara Sion of Las Vegas, who won the Life Master The team captained by Richard Schwartz Women’s Pairs at the Fall NABC in San Francisco. jumped out to an early lead -- largely due to a 59- Joan Remey Moore, Troy MI, and Brenda 20 win in the second quarter -- and held on for a Bryant, Ferndale MI, were third with 751.52, fol- 156-128 victory over the Jimmy Cayne team in lowed closely by Nell Cahn, Shreveport LA, and the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams. Continued on page 3 SCHWARTZ (Mark Lair, Steve Robinson, Pe- ter Boyd, Paul Soloway, Bobby Goldman) led 34- 7 17 after one quarter. Then came the decisive sec- ond quarter, which Schwartz won 59-20 for a 93- 37 halftime lead. Continued on page 5 Allan Falk and Lloyd Arvedon 5 Open Pairs II champs are 2 for 2 at NABCs Lloyd Arvedon of Medford MA and Allan Falk 6 of Lansing MI, playing together for only the second time, won Open Pairs II -- their second NABC title. Arvedon and Falk scored 1242.63 matchpoints for an 18-point lead over runners-up Sidney Lazard of New Orleans and Bart Bramley of Chicago, who scored 1224.46. Tom Franklin and Mike Corker Jeff Meckstroth of Tampa and Eric Rodwell of Napierville IL were third with a score of 1220.53. California pair Continued on page 3 NAOP C victors Kirk Twiss and Bill Drewett Tom Franklin of Martinez CA and Mike Corker of Concord CA, representing District 21, today Chicago duo earn reign as North American Open Pairs Flight C cham- pions (non-Life Masters). They finished one board NAOP B crown Louise Childs is the ahead of Weiming Hu of Portland OR and Alex Lo Two huge games in the final sessions enabled tournament chairman for of Gresham OR, representing District 20. Bill Drewett and Kirk Twiss, both of Chicago, to the Big Deal in Big D. 1 The winners have been a partnership about a leap all the way from 11th place after the qualify- (See story on page 2.) year, and they play Standard American. “I couldn’t ing to victory in the North American Pairs Flight believe we won,” said Franklin, a civil engineer B. The District 13 champions finished four boards for the state of California. “I thought we were out ahead of runners-up David Green of Sherwood OR Continued on page 5 Continued on page 2 2 Daily Bulletin Louise Childs Way-out way out! By Barry Rigal Board 28 of the Women's Pairs qualifying saw really pleased Carol Simon, playing with Kitty Munson, in the normal partscore of 3«. At issue was solely the overtrick -- with virtually half a top riding on it. by tournament Bd: 28 « K 10 9 7 4 “I’m really pleased -- this has been a tremen- 2 Dlr: West ª 8 4 dous tournament.” That’s how Louise Childs, gen- Vul: N-S © A 6 eral chairman, feels about the Big Deal in Big D. ¨ A 8 5 3 “The turnout has been great, the hotel person- « J 6 5 « 2 nel have been totally cooperative -- and what can I ª A Q 5 ª K J 9 2 say about the ACBL staff -- they’ve been tremen- © K 7 5 4 2 © 9 8 3 dous. Especially Nancy Foy and Jeff Johnston -- ¨ 9 6 ¨ K Q 10 7 2 they made my job a lot easier.” « A Q 8 3 10 7 6 3 The entertainment here has been superlative -- ª Q J 10 some of the best ever offered at an NABC. Childs © ¨ J 4 applauded Petra Hamman, Kay Mokry and Annette Simon, North, played the hand after a limit auc- Kaye McCarthy for their work in this area. She also tion. She ducked the K opening lead, won the re- had high words of praise for Randy Eckman and ¨ Terry Brausch (left) and Alan Neal warmed up for the North turn and drew three rounds of trumps on which East Tom Whitesides, who helped in many ways. Among American Non-Life Master Pairs by winning all three strats discarded a diamond and club. Two rounds of dia- other things, they came up with the special “Big of Wednesday’s stratified pairs. monds followed, and then a heart was ducked to West, Deal in Big D” logo. who returned the ©K. Simon ruffed as East threw a Childs also was highly appreciative of all the heart perforce. This was the position: hard work done by all her committee chairman and Warmup = A, B & C win « 9 their staffs. Terry Brausch and Alan Neal warmed up for ª 8 She also expressed thanks to the Hyatt for the North American Non-Life Master Pairs by win- © -- the outstanding cooperation she received. And ning the Walter Jenkins Memorial Stratified Open ¨ 8 5 then there were the organizations that made spe- Pairs A, B & C Wednesday night. « -- « -- cial gifts to the tournament: Southern Maid Do- Brausch and Neal are here at the NABC repre- ª A 5 ª K J nut Co., Almond Growers Marketing Board, senting District 11. This was their first regional win. © 7 5 © -- “Wow -- 35.95 gold points! I’ve never seen so Bridgford Food, Dole Co., Interstate Bakeries, ¨ -- ¨ 10 7 many at one time,” said Alan. Pioneer Flour Mills, Silverado Foods, Frito Lay « 8 The two posted a 179 in the first session and a 10 7 6 and Victor Packing Co. ª 217.71 in the second for a 396.71 total -- and a -- Usually the chairman of an NABC has a long © more-than-respectable 69.78%. ¨ -- history of chairmanships for sectionals and Simon led her last heart, and when East regionals, but Childs stepped right in and took over played the jack, it was up to West to find the without any such previous experience. “I know a defense -- overtake the heart and play a diamond lot of the players, and I’ve been playing in Dallas Ask the Expert for the ruff and discard. When West left East on for 25 years. When they asked me to take the job, lead, she had a choice of poisons. A heart estab- I said yes.” booth nets $1200 lishes the suit, and any club play gives declarer “Ask the expert” -- a group of world champi- Bridge is a major part of her life. She is a Dia- a trick in the suit. Best is the ¨7, but declarer mond Life Master with more than 5000 ons and bridge superstars -- has raised $1,200 for can run this to her hand. masterpoints. She started out playing home party the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America and bridge, but a friend suggested duplicate. She tried will make a donation to the Foundation in Lynn it, and the rest is history. Deas’ name. The booth will not operate today. However, She scored more masterpoints than any other VANCOUVER 99 anyone wishing to make a donation may get in woman in District 16 (Texas and Mexico) in 1993, “Bridge Under the Sails” touch with either Juanita Chambers, Room 843, or by Aidan Ballantyne, Tournament Vice-chairman and last year she was #3 on the list. Kathie Wei-Sender, Room 812. She is a secretary in a tax office, “so I don’t play much in the early months. But I start hitting The NABCs will return to the West Coast the sectionals and regionals after the tax season is NAOP Flight B Continued from page 1 over.” in March, 1999 when All in all, Dallas 1997 has been a good time, Vancouver, British Co- and Don Tofte of Portland OR, representing Dis- lumbia, will host an- says Childs. “There were some tough times, but trict 20. other North American the overall picture has been bright. I’m glad I had Drewett, a systems analyst, no longer is eligible Bridge Championship, the chance to have this experience.” for Flight B -- he has gone over the limit since quali- its first since 1974. The fying for this event. He and Twiss, who have played tournament dates are March 18-28. together for four years, play a two-over-one game Vancouver’s coastal weather is mild compared to force style. other parts of Canada. In late March we should be Baron Barclay Bridge Supplies “It felt great,” said Drewitt. “We were scared to Please stop by the bookdesk in the lobby of enjoying a balmy spring while the rest of the Great say anything -- we were afraid of jinxing ourselves.” White North is still emerging from the deep freeze! the Hyatt -- open before and after each session. “But we knew everything was going our way Best sellers include Introduc- The tournament will be held at the Vancouver during that afternoon session,” said Twiss, a con- Trade and Convention Center located on the wa- tion to the Law by Larry Cohen, sulting actuary.