Dealer: North
Opening Lead:   Q | Many-time champion Chip Martel won another major title in the Spingold Teams at the ACBL’s Summer NABC.Martel was today’s declarer in a Spingold match. At four spades, he ruffed the second club and led the ten of diamonds. West won and led a third club, and Martel ruffed in dummy and threw a heart. When he led the king of diamonds, East ruffed with the eight. Martel overruffed, took the A-K of hearts and ruffed a heart. When East-West followed, Martel was sure West’s pattern had been 1-3-4-5. Declarer led another high diamond from dummy, and East, with 10-9-3 of trumps, pitched a club. Martel threw his last heart. On the next high diamond, East threw his last club. Martel, with only trumps left, had to ruff, but at Trick 11 he led a low trump. East had to win and lead a trump from his 10-3 to South’s A-7. Making four. At the NABC, the ACBL’s Ethical Oversight Committee expelled two pairs, Fantoni-Nunes (Italy) and Fisher-Schwartz (Israel) for collusive cheating. Their titles and masterpoints won since 2011 were forfeited, vindicating the courageous and diligent efforts of Boye Brogeland and others. A third pair, Piekarek-Smirnov (Germany) got a four-year suspension and a lifetime ban as a pair. The ACBL has yet to address the case of a fourth pair. Teammates of the expelled pairs also lost titles and masterpoints. Certain “sponsors” who paid the cheaters large sums to play professionally must be mighty unhappy. Civil lawsuits may be on the horizon. For more, see bridgewinners.com. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 K Q J 9 6 3 2About the Author: Frank Stewart
Frank Stewart is one of the world's most prolific bridge journalists. He won many tournament events before devoting himself to writing. Frank has published hundreds of magazine and on-line articles. He has written 24 books, among them "Becoming an Expert," "Play Bridge With Me," "Who Has the Queen?" and most recently "Keys to Winning Bridge." In 2014, Frank Stewart received the International Bridge Press Association's Alan Truscott Award. He has been the senior analyst for ACBL-wide Charity and International Fund events since 1980. Frank and his wife, Charlotte, a pediatric speech pathologist, live in Fayette AL. They have a 17-year-old daughter.
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