Local players do well at Summer National Tournament.
Bridge Column for August 15, 2003, Harvey Bernstein
Both sides vulnerable.  North deals.
                              North
                              S: A Q 7 5 3 2      
                              H: Void        
                              D: A 8 3       
                              C: K 10 5 3 
            West                             East
            S: 9                             S: K 10 8 6 4 
            H: A Q 9 8 3 2                   H: J 10 6 5 4 
            D: J 6 5 4                       D: 7 2               
            C: Q 2                           C: J        
                              South                         
                              S: J    
                              H: K 7       
                              D: K Q 10 9  
                              C: A 9 8 7 6 4
          The Bidding:  
                  North    East    South    West                  
                   1S      Pass     2C      Pass
                   3H*     Pass     3NT     Pass
                   5C      Pass     6C      Pass
                   Pass    Pass
*Splinter bid showing club support and a heart singleton or void

     Congratulations to all of the teams that represented
District Five of the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) at
the recently completed Grand National Team competition which was
a part of the Summer North American Bridge Championships that
were held in Long Beach, CA from July 17 to July 27.
     In particular, the Flight A team of Niel Waletzky and Stan
Dub of Shaker Heights, and Kathleen and Don Sulgrove of
Twinsburg came in second place after four days of grueling play. 
In the final match, which was 64 boards, with four boards to go,
they found themselves trailing by 4 International Match Points
(IMPs) to the team from Texas when this hand came up.
     Dub and Waletzky bid to an excellent six club contract. 
East led the ace of hearts (expecting a singleton in dummy) and
thirteen tricks were easily made.  
     At the companion table, the opponents bid this hand to seven
clubs.  The bidding revealed the heart void and the lead was the
nine of spades.  If clubs are two-one and spades no worse than
four-two, a spade can be established for the thirteenth trick. 
     When declarer discovered that spades were five-one he played
for the defender with the short spades to have the long diamonds
(with the jack).  Declarer cashed the king of diamonds and ran
the ten, which held.  This was a thirteen imp swing that sealed
the match for the Texas team.  Had the jack of diamonds sat
doubleton in the East hand, the local team would have won this
event.
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.