DISTRICT 24 Newsletter                   Alvin Levy                     2005.3

 

Denver Fall NABC

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.

 

ACBL Board Actions

Future NABCs

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.

 

GNT and NAP Eligibility

  1. For the GNT, a member’s principal physical residence as of September 1st of the year prior to the National Finals shall establish the District in which the member is eligible to participate.
  2. For the NAP, a member’s principal physical residence as of June 1st of the year prior to the National Finals shall establish the District in which the member is eligible to participate.
  3. If a player wishes an exception from the requirements of sections A and B above, he must begin the process no fewer than 60 days before the start of the club level games in either event.  For players participating in the Championship Flight in the GNTs and Flight A in the NAPs, the player must seek permission, in writing, from the District Director of the District in which he/she lives and the District in which he/she wishes to play.  Both District Directors must agree for the exception to be granted.  This written permission from both District Directors will be forwarded to the Credentials Committee for final approval.  If the Directors do not agree, the exception is not granted.  There is no appeal from this decision

 

World Junior Camp

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.

 

Entry fees for non-members and service paying LMs

Except for charity events or events limited to players with less than 20mps.

 

  1. For all sectionals beginning after July 1, 2006, the sponsoring organization shall charge an additional fee of at least $1.00 per person per session for non-members and non-service fee paying LMs.
  2. For all Regionals beginning after July 1, 2006, the sponsoring organization shall charge an additional fee of at least $2.00 per person per session for non-members and non-service fee paying LMs.
  3. It is suggested that the sale signage present this as a discount to members.
  4. The additional fee shall be retained by the sponsoring organization

 

 

Buratti – Lanzarotti cheating scandal

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.

 

District News

 

ACBL Goodwill Committee 2005 Appointments

Cleo Guastella

Mark Shaiman

Paul Bethe

Anna Zagoloff

 

ACBL Charity Committee 2005 Appointments

Irma Korenstein

Susie Schnelwar

 

Congratulations to all.