Americans win

By Djanwar Madjolelo

JAKARTA (JP): Fred Stewart and Steve Weinstein won 683.83 master points in the North American Bridge Championships (NABC) events in 1995, the first tie in American Contract Bridge League history.

They capped their strong 1995 showing by becoming the first cowinners of The Player of the Year title, awarded for earning the most master points in this nationally rated event. Their total of 683.83 set a record for the competition, which began in 1990.

They won two North American Championships -- the NABC Open Pairs in Phoenix (Spring National) and the Open Board-a-Match Teams in Atlanta (Fall National) -- and placed high in several others, including third in the Life Master Pairs in New Orleans (Summer National).

Today, Fred Stewart and Steve Weinstein are among the top pairs in the world.

This deal from the second semifinal session of the Blue Ribbon Pairs shows Steve Weinstein's flare and daring.

Dealer : South

Vulnerable: North-South

NORTH

(S) A K J 2

(H) K 8 3

(D) 5 2

(C) A J 6 5

WEST EAST

(S) Q 10 5 3 (S) 9 8

(H) Q 5 (H) A J 9 7 2

(D) Q 4 (D) 10 7 6 3

(C) K Q 8 7 4 (C) 10 2

SOUTH

(S) 7 6 4

(H) 10 6 4

(D) A K J 9 8

(C) 9 3

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Weinstein Stewart

---------------------------------------

- - - Pass

1NT (1) Double (2) 2D (3) Double (2)

Redouble (4) Pass 2H Pass

Pass 2NT Pass 3NT

All Pass

(1) 10-12 points

(2) Card showing

(3) Run-out showing Diamonds and a major

(4) Bid your major

Stewart and Weinstein are known for their attitude leads, which was evident when Stewart led the Heart 2 to the Queen and the King. Declarer attacked Diamonds immediately, playing the 2 to the 8. Weinstein's contribution to the trick was the Diamond 4.

Declarer, with visions of Five Diamond tricks dancing in his head, played a Spade to his Ace and continued with the Diamond 5 to the Jack. When Weinstein produced the Queen, dummy suddenly looked a lot like the proverbial doornail and Declarer finished three down.

Weinstein could have defeated the contract by taking the Queen and retuning a Heart, but he could not be sure that plus 100 would be a good score, so he gambled for a better score.

He was right. Plus 100 would have been worth 29 out of 51 match points. Plus 300 gave Weinstein and Stewart 47.5.

"I was nervous," Weinstein confessed. "I was afraid he (North) was going to work it out, drop my Queen and laugh at me."