Minnesota Bridge

Tom's Mom

Many Minnesotans know that Tom Friedman, New York Times columnist and acclaimed author, is also a St. Louis Park native.  What some of our newer bridge players may not realize, however, is that for years, Tom's mom was a devoted and talented bridge player.

Unfortunately, Tom and our bridge community lost his mother recently.  You can read Tom's musings about Margaret Friedman in this lovely Mother's Day column.

Sharon Anderson, a good friend of Margaret's, adds her own remembrances.

Declarer's Choice

This week, John Koch presents us with a hand where declarer must make a choice.

What should that choice be and why?

As always, John has wise answers for us in his weekly column.  Thanks, John!

Gopher Regional and Unit 178 Annual Meeting

Less than one week from today, our Gopher Regional will be under way!  Soon players from all over Minnesota and surrounding states will be battling away to secure event titles and masterpoints.

In addition to the fierce competition and fun, Unit 178 will hold their annual meeting.  All members are welcome to attend; expect the meeting to get underway about 4:30PM on Saturday.

Marv Riedesel, President of Unit 178, has offered copies of Unit 178's agenda, constitutional draft and a letter of explanation for your review.  Please look below the fold to read these documents.

Next Tuesday, the festivities begin!  See you then!

Triple Play

Doing good works in the community is always valued.  Being able to combine it with marvelous gifts for folks plus a delightful evening of food, socializing and competitive bridge is a triple play! 

Last Saturday, at the Twin City Bridge Center at 60th and Nicollet - all this was achieved.

Sharon and Roger Anderson organized and executed an evening of auction, dinner and bridge to support a non-profit organization, SHIFT, and to recognize and honor Nancy Shifflet.  Recently lost to cancer, Nancy was one of the most hard working, valuable and beloved supporters of bridge in our community.

The Cavendish

Although The Cavendish is not a Minnesota event, Minnesotans have long been competing and winning at this prestigious, high-stakes event.  Richfield natives Joe Grue and Steve Garner played in the first event:  the John Roberts teams.

Thursday night, top pairs from around the world were auctioned off for literally tens of thousands of dollars.  Helgemo and partner Hellness, from Norway, went for the largest amount in Cavendish history:  $74,000!  Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they will battle away for big bucks against the best at the luxurious Green Valley Ranch Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

If you were not able to watch the auction and partake in the sumptuous pre-auction buffet (as some former Minnesotans did), you can nevertheless share in the drama of the game!  Bridge Base Online will have the Cavendish Invitational Pairs on vugraph throughout the weekend.

Enjoy!

Our Gain

Most of you know that I am a strong proponent of our Junior Bridge programs.  Frankly - without them, our fabulous game will not survive!

Marv Riedesel, President of Unit 178, sent me a most pleasant announcement.  Sue Jackson will be in charge of our Junior Bridge Program for 2008-2009.  Sue is a retired school teacher and a strong local bridge player.  Sue should be a most welcome addition for training our future bridge masters!

Marv has a nice introduction about Sue, for those who are not familiar with her.  Congratulations on your new position, Sue - and thank you!

A Whiff of Desperation

Have we ever commented that bridge is a tough game?  Listing all the bits of data, technique, judgment, table presence and more that one must absorb to become a true master of the game is daunting!

In today's fascinating hand, John Koch outlines how we can weigh what is happening at the table and come up with the winning answer.

Enjoy!