July 2018 - 9

Never Say Die

Nickell lands last blow to win U.S. Bridge Championship

BY SUE MUNDAY

Winners of the U.S. Bridge Championship and a berth as USA1 in next year's Bermuda Bowl:
Steve Weinstein, captain Nick Nickell, Ralph Katz, coach Eric Kokish, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell and Robert Levin.

Like two prize fighters, the teams
captained by Nick Nickell and Hemant
Lall battled for 120 boards only to
see their quest for the U.S. Bridge
Championship come down to the last
deal. In an exciting comeback, it was
NICKELL in front 240-229 when the
final bell sounded.
With the win, the Nickell team
claims the USA1 berth for the 2019
Bermuda Bowl to be held in Sanya,
China. The USA2 team will be determined in trials hosted by the U.S.
Bridge Federation next year.
Nickell's team roster is Ralph
Katz; Jeff Meckstroth-Eric Rodwell;
and Bobby Levin-Steve Weinstein.
Crewing for Lall were Reese Milner;
Kevin Bathurst-Justin Lall; and Zia
Mahmood-Jacek "Pepsi" Pszczola.
USBF's 2018 championship, held
over 10 days in mid-May in Houston
TX, drew 21 teams. A two-day, roundrobin Swiss eliminated seven teams.
Subsequent head-to-head knockout
rounds consisted of 120 boards played
over two days.
The No. 3 seed, led by Andrew
Rosenthal (Aaron Silverstein; Bob
Hamman-David Berkowitz; Eldad
Ginossar-Chris Willenkin), made

their entrance in the round of 16. By
virtue of their appearance in the final
of the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams,
FLEISHER and NICKELL were
seeded No. 1 and No. 2 and drew a bye
to the quarterfinals.
FLEISHER (Marty Fleisher-Chip
Martel; Eric Greco-Geoff Hampson;
Brad Moss-Joe Grue) was bounced
early when Paul Fireman's team
(Gavin Wolpert; John Hurd-Joel
Wooldridge; Vincent Demuy-John
Kranyak) slipped by them to win
207-193 in the quarterfinals.
In other quarterfinal action,
Team Juster (Jeffrey Juster-Frank
Merblum; Adam Grossack-Zachary
Grossack, Howard Weinstein-Adam
Wildavsky) upset ROSENTHAL
247-212. NICKELL scored a solid
253-171 win over MAHAFFEY (Jim
Mahaffey-Sam Lev; John Schermer-
Neil Chambers; Billy Cohen-Gary
Cohler), and LALL, despite a sluggish
start, overcame the Bob Morris (npc)
squad (Michael Levine-Eddie Wold;
Mike Passell-Marc Jacobus; Greg
Hinze-David Grainger) 212-200.
A keen bid by Wooldridge paid off
for FIREMAN on this deal from the
last segment, right-siding a vulnerable

game contract and picking up 12 IMPs.
(Hamman and Adam Grossack also
drove to 3NT holding Wooldridge's
cards; they ended up tying the board in
their quarterfinal match.)
Dlr: North
Vul: E-W
Bd: 25

♠72
♥ 10 6
♦J96543
♣KQ5
♠J95
♠ K 10 8
♥AJ9842
♥KQ73
♦A
♦ K 10 7
♣ A 10 7
♣964
♠AQ643
♥5
♦Q82
♣J832
West
Hurd
2♥
3NT

North
Hampson
Pass
Pass
All Pass

East
W'dridge
1♣
2NT

South
Greco
1♠
Pass

Looking at balanced, soft values that
were better led up to than through,
Wooldridge proposed notrump rather
than raising hearts. The heart suit
might work just as well in notrump,
plus there was no danger of a ruff.
July 2018 Bridge Bulletin

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2018