The NABC Summer Nationals – Dispatches From the Front

BRIAN GLUBOK

Brian is a highly accomplished American bridge player hailing from New York City. Glubok, an alumnus of Amherst College, has consistently excelled in North American Bridge Championships, securing numerous titles, including wins in the Jacoby Open Swiss Teams, Reisinger, and Spingold events. In addition to his domestic success, Glubok came close to victory in the World Mixed Pairs Championship in 2010, finishing as the runner-up.

Brian will be writing for IMP about the Summer NABC in Minneapolis. This is the fourth of the series.

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For details about the Summer NABC in Minneapolis, look here.

MINNEAPOLIS, July 19th

Last day of the Minnesota Nationals today.

These NABC’s are really extraordinary tournaments, I’ll encourage any readers to attend as many as you can. Where else can you have such an amazing group experience? So many friends here, all members of the same tribe. The tribe of bridge players!

Finalists in the Spingold are Goodman and Fleisher – Luba and Street the losing semi-finalists yesterday.

For more results going into today’s last day of play, click here:
https://cdn.acbl.org/nabc/2026/02/bulletins/db10.pdf

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Earlier this morning, I wrote a diary entry – to read more of my blog entries, visit my substack here: https://wbsblogs.substack.com

To support bridge writing of this sort, subscribe to the new publication, being prepared by Huub and Marcel in the Netherlands. They work hard to provide this product to you – support them!The cost will be around 5 euros a month – very modest. The quality is very high. A lot of effort is expended to provide a quality product for you. Consider subscribing.

If you’re thinking of attending a bridge tournament – either one of our US nationals, or even a US regional, or one of the amazing congresses held throughout Europe, or the various national championships held in all the different European countries – you know who you are – attend!

It is quite an amazing experience to participate in one of these congresses. You’ll come away a better version of yourself – a better bridge player, almost certainly.

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As “dispatches”, these are supposed to be reports on results at the tournaments: Fleisher versus Goodman in today’s Spingold final. Full coverage in the upcoming “Issue Zero” of the bridge publication where these dispatches appear.

Roth Swiss Leaders: Archdeacon, Baker and Shourie lead the Roth Swiss as we enter the third and final day of play on Sunday.

Zong and Chen lead the Oshlag Fast Pairs – Gupta and Ginossar in hot pursuit.

There is so much more than bridge play at these nationals. There is the connection to hundreds, even thousands, of friends and friendly acquaintances that we share this experience with. Why do we value it so highly? Why do we spend so much of our money, and our energy, to attend? 

I’ve tried to write on that subject in these Dispatch essays – but really, I’m just speculating. I guess everyone has their own reasons – for some, as simple as accumulating additional master points. Hundreds of thousands of master points awarded here. For others, for the pros – my real brothers in arms at these events – the chance to make some money – quite a bit of money, for some of us. All of our living, for many of us.

The intellectual fulfilment which comes with this intense problem-solving exercise we engage in at the bridge table, people often cite that factor. The joy of competing, that’s a big one, I’m told. Why do I do it, personally? All of the above, I guess. All those reasons and more, I suppose. 

And now I have another reason – to provide you, kind reader, with these “Dispatches” – writing these dispatches from the front helps keep me tethered – and with a life like mine (and perhaps a life like yours), staying tethered – well, if we didn’t – we might just float off into space, like an unsecured helium balloon.

If you have a free moment, write to the magazine editors with your thoughts – or write to me directly at the address below, with your thoughts on these columns, and with your own account of what organized bridge provides for you, the needs it serves. 
Brianglubok@gmail.com

Read more of my musings at my substack at this link:
https://wbsblogs.substack.com

Special features are available in the full magazine, but these dispatches and some of the other content is free – just like my blog. Just Like this Train:

So I close with my substack’s theme song, Steve Forbert’s ditty about singing for coins, Grand Central Station – like Forbert says, “All ears may listen, for free” – 

And that’s all I got.
https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=youtube+forbert+gct&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:ba0b9b63,vid:uVvAM0UteD0,st:0

  Your Man in America – 

  Glubok