Each year the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) sponsors a "Top 500" competition. Basically, the best tournament players in the country try to win as many master points as humanly possible and the player that tops the list becomes a part of bridge history. This years winner, Richard Hunt of Las Vegas, is not a "professional" bridge player. He did, however, take the year off and made the pursuit of this contest his only priority. It meant traveling around the country and playing top level tournament bridge virtually every day of the week. He played with the best professionals on a consistent basis and he won 3,146 master points. This is an incredible total.
The first twenty or so names on the Top 500 listing were people heavily involved in competing for the number one position. After that, you will find a great number of the best players from around the country. It is interesting to note that a player must accumulate 300 master points over a life time to be considered a life master, but you would have to accumulate 351 master points in 1994 alone to have been listed among the Top 500 players of the year.
The highest ranking player on this years list from the Northeast Ohio area is Martin Baff of Beachwood. His total of 1,087 master points earned him the number 29 spot on the list. Today's hand is an excellent example of the type of play that makes Baff a consistent winner.
The opening lead was the two of spades. Baff, sitting South, was able to count seven sure winners. If the club suit was friendly, nine tricks would be easy. In fact, there was a good chance that ten tricks could be brought in by developing a diamond winner. In order to cater to that possibility, Baff led a small diamond toward the dummy at trick two. West ducked and the nine won the trick. The ace of clubs was cashed and a small club led to the king. East discarded a small spade on the second club.
At this point Baff knew that West had started with a singleton spade, four clubs to the jack-nine, and at least five diamonds to the ace-king. In order to complete the count, the top three hearts were cashed, South pitching two spades. When West followed to all three hearts, his hand was known to be 1-3- 5-4.
Baff now played the ten of diamonds and allowed West to cash four diamond tricks. At trick twelve West, having the jack-nine of clubs left, was forced to lead into declarer's queen-ten.
This hand may appear easy at first. In fact, Baff was thinking about over tricks from the opening lead. It turned out that the cards were not friendly. His careful analysis and counting allowed him to overcome distribution problems and make the contract.
Congratulations to the other Greater Cleveland area players who made the 1994 Top 500 list. Mary Chilcote of Cleveland was number 131 with 603 master points. Phil Becker of Cleveland was number 268 with 458 points, and Charlotte Baff of Beachwood was number 359 with 406 points. Frank Aquila of Solon earned 349 points this year and just missed the top 500 with a total that would have made the list in any other year.
The following members of the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) have achieved new master point milestones. George Wolf of Cuyahoga Falls has passed 2,500 master points to reach the gold life master level. Frank Aquila of Solon and Keith Sechler of Brookpark have become silver life masters (1,000 points). Raelene Kirkbride of Solon and Richard Sanders of Copley have become bronze life masters (500 points). Doug Becker of Cleveland and Eileen Kless of University Heights have fulfilled the various requirements and are Unit 125's newest life masters. --------------------------------------------------------------------