Local players score well in South Carolina.
Bridge Column for March 10, 2007, Harvey Bernstein
Special To The Plain Dealer
North-South vulnerable.  East deals.
                              North
                              S: Q 10 9 3         
                              H: 2           
                              D: A K 3       
                              C: A 10 9 5 4
            West                             East
            S: A K J 8 7                     S: 5 4 2        
            H: 6 5                           H: A Q 10 9 8 7
            D: 8 7 6 5                       D: 10 4              
            C: K 3                           C: J 8         
                              South                         
                              S: 6    
                              H: K J 4 3    
                              D: Q J 9 2   
                              C: Q 7 6 2  
          The Bidding:  
                   East   South     West   North                  
                    2H     Pass     Pass    Dbl 
                   Pass    3NT      Pass    Pass
                   Pass
          Opening lead: AS
     Jack Weingold and Joanne Antoniou of Shaker Heights traveled
to Charleston, SC to play in the regional bridge tournament that
was held from December 26 to January 1.  This deal came up during
the final session of a knockout team event.  Antoniou held the
South cards; Weingold sat North.  In the West seat was Paul
Soloway of Mill Creek, WA.  His partner was Jerry Helms of
Charlotte, NC.
     Soloway led the ace of spades. At trick two he switched to 
the eight of diamonds.  Antoniou won the ace in dummy and led a 
club to the queen and king.  Soloway returned another diamond.  
Antoniou won the king in the dummy and called for the ace of clubs. 
When the jack fell on this trick, she switched to the two of
hearts to establish her ninth trick while she still had entries
to the South hand.  East went up with the ace.  A spade back to
the king was the last trick for the defense.  Antoniou scored
four diamonds, four clubs and a heart.
     At the companion table, teammates Eric Rodwell of Clearwater
Beach, FL and Jeff Meckstroth of Tampa, FL defended a three club
contract that was reached by David Berkowitz and Larry Cohen of
Boca Ratan, FL.  Cohen made an overtrick but lost ten IMPs
(International Match Points) on the deal.  
     Unfortunately, the match ended in a tie, resulting in a four
deal playoff.  The Soloway team won the playoff by three IMPs.  
The team of Weingold, Antoniou, Rodwell and Meckstroth also 
finished in a tie for third place in Bracket One of the Kick-off
Knockout Teams on 12/26 and in fourth place in the Evening Board-
A-Match Teams on 12/27.  
     Also enjoying success at the tournament were Richard and
Sandra Fleischman of Beachwood who finished second in the New
Years Eve Flight A Pairs.  Patricia Novak of Mentor and Davis
Bonnor of Chillicothe were third in Stratum A of the Magnolia
Garden Side game on 12/30 and fifth in Flight A of the Magnolia
Garden Side game on 12/31.  
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon. 
To reach Harvey Bernstein:
hjb0416@yahoo.com