Hottest bridge sextet loses
Hottest bridge sextet loses
By Djanwar Madjolelo
JAKARTA (JP): The squad captained by Seymon Deutsch shot to a
big first-quarter lead on their way to a 146-109 victory in the
Vanderbilt Knockout Team Spring NABC 1996 over the hottest team
in bridge, the Nick Nickell sextet.
Seymon Deutsch played with Zia Mahmood, Michael Rosenberg,
Chip Martel and Lew Stansby.
Nickell's teammates were Richard Freeman, Bobby Wolff, Bob
Hamman, Jeff Mackstroth and Eric Rodwell: the World Champions at
Bermuda Bowl 1995.
The win was especially sweet for the Seymon Deutsch quintet
considering their history. The two squads had met in the previous
three Spingold Knockout Teams (played at Summer NABCs), and
Nickell had beat them twice in the final, and once in the semi-
final.
Nickell has run up an amazing record: the past four years
straight at Spingold, three straight at Riesinger Board-a-Match,
and one at Bermuda Bowl.
But Deutsch has also posted some impressive numbers.
They have won two Vanderbilt, been second twice in the
Spingold and (without Zia Mahmood) won Rosenblum Cup, World Team
Champion 1994.
In the third quarter Deutsch clipped Nickell 46-16 and kept it
close in the final set to win the championships, 146-109.
Deutsch gained 10 IMPs in the Board as in the following
diagram, when Rosenberg made an inspired play to land a game that
was defeated at the other table:
Dealer: South
Vulnerable: North-South
NORTH
(S) Q 10 9
(H) K
(D) K 10 6 5 4 2
(C) K 5 4
WEST EAST
(S) K 6 3 2 (S) A J
(H) A J 6 5 (H) Q 9 3 2
(D) Q 3 (D) A 9 7
(C) A J 6 (C) Q 10 8 3
SOUTH
(S) 8 7 5 4
(H) 10 8 7 4
(D) J 8
(C) 9 7 2
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
Zia Hamman Rosenberg Wolff
- - - Pass
1C 1D 1H Pass
2H Pass 3C Pass
4H All pass
Wolff led the Jack of Diamonds to the Queen, King and Ace.
Rosenberg then played a low Heart from his hand - to the Ace!
When Hamman's King fell, Rosenberg was able to hold his trump
losses to one. He lost a trick in Clubs and Diamonds but finished
at plus 420.
Asked about his play at trick two, Rosenberg said his
reasoning may have been fallacious, "but I figured I was cold for
the contract if trumps were 3-2 and I had a feeling."
At the other table:
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
Meckstroth Stansby Rodwell Martell
- - - Pass
1D* Pass 1H Pass
2H Pass 4H All pass
* Precision: could be sorted.
Rodwell also got the Jack of Diamonds at opening lead. He
covered and took the King with the Ace. Rodwell then played a low
Heart to dummy's Jack and Stansby's King. The bad trump split
doomed the contract.
The U.S. team for the Bermuda Bowl 1997 in Tunisia as a result
of the International Team Trials in New Orleans, May 30 to June
8, 1997, was.
U.S. I: Seymon Deutsch, Lew Stansby, Chip Martell, Zia Mahmood
and Michael Rosenberg.
U.S. II: Nick Nickell, Dick Freeman, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric
Rodwell, Bob Hamman, Bobby Wolff.