Nickell wins again
By Djanwar Madjolelo
JAKARTA (JP): The incredible run of the team captained by Nick Nickell continued at the Summer NABC in Miami Beach as it rallied from a 36 IMP half-time deficit to win the 1996 Spingold Koncok- Out Teams 107-94.
In a nail-biting finish, the Richard Schwartz sextet trailed by only 2 IMPs with one deal to go and could have sent the match into overtime, but it lost a game swing which increased the final margin by 11 IMP.
Nickell had reached a 3NT contract which normally fails, but the lay-out was in his favor and he was home.
Board: 64 (last board)
Dealer: West
Vulnerable: East-West
NORTH
(S) A J 9
(H) A 8 3
(D) 7 5
(C) K Q J 9 4
WEST EAST
(S) Q 8 7 6 K 5 4 3
(H) 5 J 10 6 4 2
(D) A J 10 9 4 3 2 Q
(C) 3 A 7 6
SOUTH
(S) 10 2
(H) K Q 9 7
(D) K 8 6
(C) 10 8 5 2
OPEN ROOM:
WEST NORTH EAST WEST
Soloway Rodwell Goldman Meckstroth
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Pass 1C* Pass 2D**
Double Pass Pass 2H
Pass 3C Pass 3NT
* Strong, artificial and forcing
** 8-10 point balanced
Soloway decided not to preempt because of his four-card major, so Meckstroth and Rodwell arrived at game easily. Meckstroth was definitely uneasy, however, when Soloway led the Diamond Jack and Goldman followed with the Queen.
He had to take his King and pray: (1) that Goldman had the Club Ace, and (2) that Goldman's Diamond Queen was a singleton.
His prayers were answered. Goldman won Club Ace but couldn't get back to his partner, so Meckstroth made 3NT.
CLOSED ROOM:
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
Hamman Sontag Wolff Schwartz
-----------------------------------
3D Double Pass 3H
All Pass
Hamman surprised the crowd by preempting, which kept Sontag and Schwartz out of the poor No Trump game. Schwartz went two down in Three Hearts, a game swing; 11 IMPs for Nickell.
So the Nickell team won the Spingold an unprecedented fourth straight time, 107-94.
In general the Bridge was excellent. A team is considered to have played well whenever they hold their foes to fewer than 2 IMPs per board.
The Richard Schwartz team did exactly that, but the Nick Nickell team did even better.
The 1996 Spingold title adds luster to their already impressive record since their streak began with the 1993 Spingold title.
Since then the team has won 1993 Reisingee Board-a-Match 1994 and 1995 and Bermuda Bowl World team Championship in Beijing 1995.
The only major NABC team event Nickell has not captured is the Vanderbilt Knock-Out Team, in the Summer National NABC (North American Bridge Championships).
The Nick Nickell team are Bob Hamman, Bobby Wolff, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell, Richard Freeman and Nick Nickell.
Nick Nickell is president of Kelso and Co, a New York-based merchant bank.