Thanks to Dean Webb of Brecksville for this hand from a Thursday morning duplicate bridge game at the Barlow Community Center, 40 S. Oviatt, Hudson. The game starts at 10:30 a.m.
Webb has been playing bridge for close to 70 years and stil finds it one of the most enjoyable activities in his life. He sat South for this hand and his partner was Don Southam of Brecksville. When Southam bid four no trump he was using the Roman Key Card Blackwood convention to ask for aces. For some unknown reason, he misunderstood the five heart response and bid seven no trump.
Webb has found himself in worse contracts, and he will be the first one to tell you that points are not always as important as position. The opening lead was the eight of clubs. Webb called for the ace and then played the queen of hearts. East ducked and the queen won the trick. The jack of hearts was covered by the king and ace. Webb noted that the nine and eight of hearts had been played to these two tricks by West, making his seven a winner.
The nine of diamonds was next. West played low and Webb let it ride. A small diamond came next and West again played low. Had the player in the West seat covered either one (but not both) of the diamond leads, the contract would have been defeated. When West failed to cover, Webb scored up six diamond tricks, four heart tricks, two spades and a club for a score of +2,220. He took a great deal of pleasure in bringing this impossible grand slam home.
For more information on the Thursday morning game, call (440) 248-8735.
District 5 of the American Contract Bridge League sponsored the Rock and Roll Regional Bridge Tournament from January 12 to 16 in Independence. The following players were successful in their respective events on January 13. Other results appeared last week, more will be listed in future columns.
Bracketed Knock-Out Teams. Bracket 1 (9 teams). 1. Lloyd Loux, Westlake, Jim Bachelder, Columbus, Phil Leon, Grosse Pointe, MI, Michael Cassel II, Roseville, MN, Colin Revill, Lancaster, ON, Canada. 2. Dale Beers, Boiling Springs, PA, Herbert Sachs, Stanley Ruskin, and Bruce Keidan, Pittsburgh, PA. Bracket 2 (10 teams). 1. Loretta Faivre, Huron, Dotty Warrick, Port Clinton, John Bossart and Richard Hammond, Sandusky. 2. Carol Berkman, Jane Bress, Madeline Kramer, and Lessa Finegold, Pittsburgh, PA. Bracket 3 (9 teams). 1. Howard Weisblat, Aurora, Roz Wolf, Molly Genuth, and Seena Leff, Beachwood. 2. Rusty Ellison, Aurora, Carol Childress, Fern Lipton, and Joyce Spetrino, Cleveland. Bracket 4 (14 teams). Doug Henderson, Cleveland, Lia Staaf, Rocky River, Lowell Lutz, Brunswick, Edith Dus-Garden, Stuart, FL. 2. Margie Tiglio, Allison Park, PA, Carol Bolen, Gibsonia, PA, Annemarie Gordon and Joane D'Antonio, Sewickley, PA.
Two Session Stratified Open Pairs (48 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Richard Early, Cuyahoga Falls, and Warren Oberfield, Pittsburgh, PA. 2. Eugene Gordon, Cleveland, and Lewis Bernard, Jr., Solon. Stratum B. 1. John Marhofer, Cuyahoga Falls, and S. Graham Kelly, Husdon. 2. Dennis Bushman, Strongsville, and Danan Fan, Westlake. Stratum C. Robert Pekkanen, Cortland, and Robert Carroll, Warren. 2. Jane and David Larcom, Hamburg, NY.
Evening Stratified Swiss Teams (23 teams). Stratum A. 1.
Martin Baff, Beachwood, Roger Tiktin, Lakewood, Don and Kathleen
Sulgrove, Twinsburg, and Kenneth and Laurie Kranyak, Bay Village.
2. Jane Marshall and Ronald Franck, Pittsburgh, PA, and Gail and
Mary Paulone Carns, Export, PA. Stratum B. 1. Brenda Goldberg,
Shaker Heights, Hope Ellis, Beachwood, Rosalyn Sukenik,
Cleveland, and Diane Wasserman, University Heights. 2. Carol
Cooperider, North Olmsted, Carol Steele, Strongsville, James and
Sara Buford, Lorain.
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Bernstein is
a free-lance writer in Solon.
To reach Harvey Bernstein:
hjb19@adelphia.net