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Fall 2011 National American Bridge Championships. Where did Meg and Tom go to dwell? Meg Ryan lives in Baltimora (Maryland), Tom Hanks in Seattle (Washington). In the Nora Ephron’s romantic movie “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993), they become pen pales, then, thanks to Tom’s child (Tom is widower), they eventually meet and go to live… where do they go, to Seattle or to Baltimore?
The movie ends without letting know it, but we suppose they go to Seattle for two reasons: the first is that next to Seattle there are volcanoes, Rocky Mountains, falls, etc. Watch for example the Olympic National Park (http://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm) and Snoqualmie Falls (http://www.snoqualmiefalls.com/). Also the most famous American Alpine Club is in Seattle ( www.mountaineers.org).
The other reason they went to Seattle is because the Fall 2011 National American Bridge Championships. For sure somebody will now raise a useless question: how could Meg and Tom know in 1993 that Seattle would host 2011 NABCs? As any romantic story, Sleepless in Seattle is an ageless and timeless story.
Here’s the complete tourneys’ program:
http://www.acbl.org/nabc/2011/03/Fall2011NABCschedule.pdf
Here’s the explanation of some mysterious playing and scoring formulas:
http://www.acbl.org/play/teamGamesExplained.html
Climbing is easier than bridge as there is only a way to win or lose points: going up to the peak or falling down.
The Fall National is reign of BAM (Board A Match) Teams tourneys: there are the Open BAM Teams and the Women’s BAM Teams, 27th to 28th of November, and the Reisinger Cup on 2-4 of December. The Reisinger Cup is the most important tourney: it is worth for seeding in 2012 Trials to the 2013 Bermuda Bowl.
The Board A Match scoring is the simplest way to compare a result in a team of four match: any board is worth one point, and the best result wins it; a zero result gives half point to each team. This wild way to score is almost unknown in Europe; it needs unusual ways of bidding as of thinking.
In 2010’s edition, Jimmy Cayne won with Michael Seamon, Giorgio Duboin, Antonio Sementa, Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace. Italians rarely lack in the winning team: here’s the list of past Reisinger’s winners:
http://www.acbl.org/play/nabc-winners-process.php
Seattle’s Only Bridge Burlesque: if you’re free on 25th, 26th, 27th in the evening, that is you aren’t visiting parks or falls, or climbing, or feeding salmons, or even playing bridge, it’s advised to go to Seattle’s Only Bridge Burlesque, an exciting theatre show by Seattle’s bridgeplayers:
http://www.acbl.org/nabc/index.php?a=2011&b=Fall&c=other_events
Last, the playing place for all events is the Washington State Convention Center: http://www.wsctc.com/
Go and enjoy!
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Paolo Enrico Garrisi (November 24, 2011)