June 2014 - 59

Advanced Players

NAP Qualifiers Coming to your Local Club
Extra masterpoints and a chance to play in a national event await players who participate in the North American Pairs qualifying games at their local clubs. Qualifying
games start in June and continue through August. There are three flights: A - open to
anyone; B - for players with fewer than 2500 masterpoints; C - for Non-Life Masters
with fewer than 500 points.
All NAP qualifying games have
100% sectional rating and pay half
red and half black masterpoints for
most participants. Pairs who score
50% or better qualify for the next
round. Check your unit or district
to determine whether your qualifier
is at the unit or district level. Each
of ACBL's 25 Districts will be represented in the national contest. The
top three pairs in the district final will
be eligible to play in the national final. Depending on participation in all
qualifying events, some districts may
be able to send additional pairs.
The ACBL provides subsidies for first and second among the qualifiers to the national event, which will take place at the 2015 Spring NABC in New Orleans. The
first-place pair in the final qualifying event will earn $700 per player in each flight. The
subsidy for the second-place pair in each flight is $300 per player. There is no subsidy
for the third-place pair.
The NAP is one of two grassroots qualifying events on the ACBL calendar, the
other being the Grand National Teams.

Charles Gray 1930 - 2014
Charles Gray, former District 4 president and a veteran player, died
in Philadelphia on his birthday, March 23. He was 84.
Gray, a retired civil engineer, served in various administrative positions in his home district and was inducted into the Philadelphia Contract Bridge Association Hall of Fame. He was co-chair of four Fall
NABCs in his district and helped organize the 1991 Spring NABC in
Atlantic City.
An expert player, Gray had more than 30 regional championships
to his credit and more than 13,000 masterpoints. He was also a director, running the Omar
Sharif Bridge Circus event in Philadelphia in 1968.
Gail Bell, Gray's longtime partner, said failing health prevented him from traveling to
tournaments in recent years, "but he played good bridge every day at Raffles Bridge Club
in Philadelphia until just a few days before he died. Bridge was always his passion."
Gray was well liked, Bell said, especially for his wit. "Although a refined and private
person, his sense of humor was delightful. He majored in witticisms, one-liners, puns and
jingles." Gray was also admired for his character, she said. "His kindness was infinite and his
compassion limitless. He never spoke an unkind word about anyone."
Gray graduated high school at age 15 and college at age 18. Bell said he could expound
on any subject, "from synergy to geology, sports to the Bible."
Gray is survived by his daughter, Wendy Wilcox; his son, Garry Gray, and his granddaughter, Amanda Wilcox.

Test Your Play
BY EDDIE KANTAR

 www.kantarbridge.com
♠ J 2
♥AK6
♦A975432
♣K

♠ A K Q 10 3
♥ Q J 10 4
♦ -
♣A764
Playing in a knockout match where
(as usual) you're down at the end of
the third quarter, you arrive at this
neat 7♠ contract. Make this, and you
may pull this match out. The lead is a
trump, East following.
A. What is your best chance?
B. Would your play be any different if
your hearts were the Q-J-10-9?

Dlr: South
Vul: None
Matchpoints

♠ A 10 4
♥A763
♦A432
♣K8
♠K85
♥ K Q 9 2
♦K6
♣A753

West

North

East

Pass
Pass

2♣
6♥ (1)

Pass
All Pass

South
1NT
2♥

(1) Invitations are for peasants.
West leads the ♠3 (fourth best). You
play low from dummy, and East thinks
a long while before finally playing the
9. Darn. You win the king, cross to the
♥A and back to the ♥K. West discarding the ♠2. Now what?

Solutions are on page 61.
June 2014 Bridge Bulletin

http://www.kantarbridge.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2014