DISTRICT
24 Newsletter Alvin Levy 2005.3
Another good NABC. Excellent playing conditions, convenient restaurants and some nearby interesting sites. There were some negatives. Low attendance…the table count was 10,141, meeting the pre-tournament expectation. The Adam’s Mark Hotel had nice facilities for food and a late night drink. One drawback was the small king-size bed rooms and the $120/night rate was not particularly good for this that of year. Some players, who always look for better rates nearby, found much lower rates at the Marriott a few blocks away. On the very good side…the downtown area, near the playing site, was particularly nice, with very good restaurants nearby, nice shops and activities all along 16th Avenue. The free trolleys were fun and convenient. Many visited the Denver Mint and nearby Cherry Creek North shopping area.
Zia Mahmood – 2006 Honorary Member of the Year
The ACBL Board of Directors voted Zia this year’s Member of the Year. Honorary Member of the Year is an annual award presented to an ACBL member for long and meritorious service to bridge. Charismatic Zia is always promoting bridge, in North America as well as around the world. He can be found at the podium wherever there is a viewgraph presentation, entertaining and promoting. Zia, one of the best players in the world, is known for his easygoing light-hearted approach to life. At the recent world championships in Estoril, Zia, on viewgraph himself, held up a sheet of paper for the cameras to catch, with the words…I love the Portuguese people and their wine.
Zia Mahmood – 2006 Player of the Year and Herman
Trophy winner
Zia also won two masterpoint awards at the Denver NABC. Zia’s total of 433.80 masterpoints won at the Denver NABC won him the Herman Trophy, awarded to the player winning the most masterpoints (of any color) at the Fall NABC. Zia also won the Player of the Year (POTY) award with a total of 807 platinum points (masterpoints won in NABC+ events). The POTY award is for winning the most platinum masterpoints in a calendar year. Contributing to this total were his high finishes in Denver, including, winning the Open Pairs, placing second in the Reisinger BAM Teams and placing third in the Blue Ribbon Pairs.
District 24
Players shine in NABC+ Events
District 24 players and residents continue to shine at NABCs, producing outstanding achievements in NABC+ events that top all other Districts. They won five of the eight NABC+ events in Denver. Top 20 finishers in NABC+ events are listed below.
Bobby Nail Open Life Master Pairs: Zia Mahmood, WINNER; Robert Levin, 2nd;
Steve Weinstein, 5th; Michael Rosenberg, 7th; Richard
Schwartz – Chris Willenken, 11th; Jared Lilienstein, 14th.
Helen Sobel Smith Life Master Women’s Pairs: Malle Andrade - Jill Levin, WINNER; Ritchey Goodwin - Debbie Rosenberg, 3rd; Laurie Vogel – Gail Greenberg, 15th.
Victor Mitchell Open Board-A-Match Teams: Roy Welland – Bjorn Fallenius, WINNER; Sam Lev, 2nd; Brad Moss, 6th; Jim Krekorian - Adam Wildavsky, 9th; James Cayne – Steve Weinstein – Robert Levin, 10th; Zia Mahmood – Michael Rosenberg, 11th; Kevin Bathurst - John Hurd, 14th; Christal Henner-Welland, 15th.
Marsha May Sternberg Women’s Board-A-Match Teams: Diana Schuld, 3rd; Sylvia Moss- Judi Radin, 4th; Jill Levin – Debbie Rosenberg, 8th; Laurie Vogel – Gail Greenberg – Jacqui Mitchell – Amalya Kearse, 10th.
Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs: Zia Mahmood, 3rd; Jill Levin, 5th; James Cayne, 9th; John Fout, 15th; Michael Polowan 18th.
Senior Knockout Teams: Mel Colchamiro, 5/8th; John Solodar, 5/8th; Glenn Eisenstein – Jonathan Greenspan, 5/8th.
Reisinger Board-A-Match: Nick Nickell, WINNER (Nick is not a member of District 24, but lives in NYC. As far as my Newsletter is concerned, I have made Nick an honorary member of District 24); Zia Mahmood – Michael Rosenberg, 2nd; Richard Schwartz, 3rd; James Cayne – Steve Weinstein – Robert Levin, 4th; Sam Lev, 5th; Chris Willenken – Glenn Milgim – Joel Woodridge, 7th; Roy Welland – Bjorn Fallenius, 8th; Jim Krekorian -Adam Wildavsky, 9th.
A near amazing record. A District resident finished in 8 of the top 10 places, missing 6th and 10th.
Ethel Keohane North American Swiss Teams: Barry Rigal, WINNER; Joe Grue, 8th; Jill Levin – Debbie Rosenberg, 14th; Mel Colchimaro – Janet Colchimaro, 15th; Gail Greenberg, 17th.
World Team
Championships in Estoril, Portugal
The World Team Championships, include the coveted Bermuda Bowl, Venice Cup, Senior Bowl and Transnational Teams, were held October 22 – November 6, 2005. As a side highlight this year, the World Computer-Bridge Championships also took place.
At the table, the USA teams had great success. USA I, the Nick Nickell team, just missed defending its Bermuda Bowl title, and finished second to Italy. USA II, with Brad Moss, took the bronze medal. Our USA I women’s team, which included Jill Levin, Sue Picus and Debbie Rosenberg, finished fourth in the Venice Cup. The USA II women’s team lost to USA I in the quarterfinals. USA I, which including Alan Sontag, took the gold medal in the Senior Cup. There were two USA players on the gold medal Transnational team and an all USA squad won the silver medal, including Roy Welland, Mark Feldman and Bjorn Fallenius.
Management presented three future NABCs for approval. San Francisco in the Fall of 2012 was approved unanimously; Memphis in the Spring of 2012 was approved with some dissent; and Montreal in the Fall of 2013 was not approved. These contracts are 7-8 years out, which is greater than the five years out that management tries not to exceed. San Francisco is a popular city and should be very successful financially and pleasurably to those who attend. Memphis is a near-bottom-of-the-barrel city that will not attract our players and in all likelihood will not be financially successful. Montreal is a popular city that our players would normally go to and enjoy, but management did not come to the board with a good contract, and the board rejected it. Apparently, it is difficult to get reasonable hotel rates in Montreal. Management apparently felt compelled to present something from Montreal, even if it didn’t expect approval, because of the pressure from that District.
Vanderbilt/Spingold Conditions of Contest
The board approved extensive byes in these events to come down to a power of two in one day. A combination of 2-ways and 4-ways with three survivors is being adopted. For the most awkward number of teams, 17, 18, 33, 34, 65, 66, 129, and 130 (one or two greater than 2n) one or two 3-ways with one survivor will be used, so that, for example, 65 or 66 teams can come down 32 after one day, with no byes. A separate Swiss event will be offered to those teams with byes.
The re-establishment of an ACBL World Junior Camp, to be held every other year, with the next camp in Nashville just after the 2007 summer NABC, was tabled until next meeting. In a straw pole vote, the board voted 19-?-? to establish and fund an ACBL World Junior Camp under the control of the ACBL. Juniors from around the world would be invited. Currently, the European Bridge League holds a WBF/EBL world junior camp in the even years, and the ACBL has held a WBF/ACBL junior camp in the odd years. This motion would establish the camp as an ACBL camp rather than a WBF/ACBL camp.
Except for charity events or events limited to players with less than 20mps.
On Nov. 18, 2005, the
American Contract Bridge League Ethical Oversight Committee found Mr. Andrea
Buratti and Mr. Massimo Lanzarotti guilty of violating Law 73 of the Laws of
Duplicate Contract Bridge for deliberately communicating unauthorized
information at the European Bridge League Championship earlier this year. As a result, the Committee expelled Mr.
Buratti and Mr. Lanzarotti from the American Contract Bridge League effective
immediately. Mr. Buratti and/or Mr. Lanzarotti may appeal this decision to the
League's Appeals and Charges Committee within thirty (30) days.
At almost the same
time, the Italian Bridge Federation announced its findings, banning Mr. Buratti
and Mr. Lanzarotti for 30 months and stating that they may never again play as
partners.
ACBL Goodwill Committee 2005 Appointments
Cleo Guastella
Mark Shaiman
Paul Bethe
Anna Zagoloff
Irma Korenstein
Susie Schnelwar
Congratulations to all.