Minnesota Bridge

New ACBL Headquarters

District 14 Director Sharon Anderson traveled to our new ACBL headquarters for the grand opening.  Check out Sharon's excitement at our grand new digs at her webpage!

Pressure Bridge

For those of you who watched the most recent Team Trial competition in Chicago, you are well aware that winning bridge is all about pressure.  You never want to take actions that will make life easy for your opponents, be it bidding, defense or declarer play.

This week, John Koch shows us how one expert puts pressure on declarer.  Read through John's fine article, and see how you would handle the red suits.

Isn't It Grand?

Mike Cassel has both been enjoying the USBF Team Trials immensely - and been providing us with great articles to read!

Here is an excellent column about an opening lead.  Nothing like having a huge swing depend on what you select at trick one!

Congratulations, Team Fleisher!

The 2010 Team Trials in Chicago, held to select the team that will represent the U.S. in the Bermuda Bowl next year, have now concluded.  Captain Marty Fleisher, along with partner Mike Kamil and teammates Steve Weinstein, Bobby Levin, Chip Martel and Lew Stansby are the victorious competitors.  The final match, played over 2 days with a total of 120 boards, was exciting to the end. 

Mike Cassel was one of the thousands of kibitzers watching the action.  Mike has kindly written up one of the many fascinating hands in the match, which you can view below.

Thanks, Mike!  And well done, Team Fleisher!

The Next Generation

Lately, I've been enjoying some local duplicate games with Bill Cummings.  Bill is an up-and-coming, talented player and son of two of our longtime, fine players from southern Minnesota, John and Carol Cummings.

Bill alerted me to an exciting event this past weekend at the Granite City Sectional in St. Cloud.  Brian Weikle, another "next generation" player and son of Audrey and Russ Weikle, just became a Life Master!  Brian earned the last of his silver points by "going over" in the Sunday Swiss Team.  Bill, along with Judy Nassar and Wayne Reynolds were Brian's teammates when the "Life Master Moment" happened.

Coincidentally, I achieved this big milestone myself with Brian's dad.  Russell helped me earn those final few points in a pair event at a Duluth sectional.  My guess is most bridge players remember the moment when they achieve that goal!

Congratulations to Brian!  Simply wonderful to see the new generation of Minnesota bridge players meeting their goals.

For Drury Lovers

Do you like playing the Drury convention?  If so, you are soulmates of mine.

"Drury" is a convention that shows you have a limit raise for partner in their major suit when partner opens the bidding and you are a passed hand.  This way, you can stay at a lower level if partner has opened with a light hand.  If you play as I and some of my partners do - this is critical!

Gavin Wolpert has a cute story about Drury at his new blog. 

2010 Team Trials

A short article with a few photos from the Team Trials in Chicago by yours truly has been posted at ACBL.org.  Although it is quite exciting to be able to watch in person, the good news is that we can all watch on Internet viewgraph at Bridgebase.

Despite our hometown stars, Howie Weinstein and Steve Garner on the Welland team, and Joe Grue on the Gordon team, having now exited the event, lots of superb bridge is still occurring.

See who becomes the team that represents the U.S. in the Bermuda Bowl!

New Website

Two of the nations younger and very talented bridge players have put together a new bridge site: Bridgewinners.  Here is what Gavin Wolpert and Jason Feldman have to say about their site:

New website www.bridgewinners.com makes life much easier with their web-based convention card editor.  Create, Print and store your ACBL convention cards on the web so you can access them wherever you are when you need them.  Lots of great articles and up to date news of the happenings in the bridge world.

Currently, you can read all about the Team Trials in Chicago (the event that selects a team from the U.S. to represent us in international competition).  Hometown boy Joe Grue's team got KO'd early - in part due to a slow play penalty (ugh!).  Steve Garner and Howie Weinstein are still battling away in the round of eight on the Welland team.  Be sure to check out the vugraph matches at Bridge Base.  And do check out Gav and Jason's Bridgewinners for their excellent analysis of the action - and much more!

Granite City Sectional

The 2010 Granite City Sectional in St. Cloud is now history.  Congratulations to father and son Terry and John Lijewski for topping the masterpoint list.  To see who did what at the tournament, check out this link.

Bridge Sleuth

Do you wonder how bridge experts seem to know where all 52 cards are - without seeing the hand records?

Of course, this task cannot be accomplished on every hand.  Nevertheless, if you weigh all the clues you have available to you, it is amazing how much can be deduced.  This week, John Koch demonstrates how to find a crucial card by analyzing all the data.

Granite City Sectional

The Granite City Sectional begins tomorrow in St. Cloud.  Check out this flyer for all the details!

Unit 178 Agenda and Positions

Marv Riedesel, president of Unit 178, has an agenda for the upcoming board meeting of June 26th ready for viewing below.

In addition, Marv would like our members know that a properties person is needed, plus a rental agreement for Unit 178's new purchases.  A preliminary job description and rental agreement document are also below for your review.

If you have any questions, then do get in touch with Marv at bridge.buddy@yahoo.com.

With A Little Helps from My Friends

Some contracts, if the opponents do not cooperate, success is impossible.  Of course, even with help, these contracts may still not be easy.

John Koch demonstrates this week how to get by with a little help from your friends.  See below!

Paul Bunyan 2010

Yes, I realize that summer has barely begun and that September seems far down the road.  It will, however, arrive more quickly than we realize.  And with it - the Paul Bunyan Sectional in Duluth!

Please check out the flyer below.  This tournament is a super opportunity to enjoy Minnesota bridge and the early stirrings of fall color, too!

Note:  Steve Gaynor gave me a spelling lesson today.  All fixed; thanks, Steve!

District 14 Updates

District 14's Board held a meeting during the May Gopher Regional.  Check out District Director Sharon Anderson's blog for both updated District policies and minutes from the board meeting.

If There Are Eleven

Every Wednesday, John Koch provides us with a column chock full of fascinating hands and important lessons about bidding, declarer play and defense.  But, if you think that John is always the hero of every hand, you are in error.  Sometimes, John highlights the talents of another player.

Much to the dismay of John at the time, I imagine, the star of today's column was one of John's opponents, Barry Harper of Canada.  Kudos to John for appreciating Barry's play, as John chalked up a painful score for his side.

Sometimes, if there are eleven tricks - then twelve can be found, too.

Essie Mersky Remembered

One of the top players to ever compete in Minnesota, Larry Oakey, reminisces about one of his favorite partners, Essie Mersky.

Essie Mersky died on Friday, June 4th.  When I first moved to Minneapolis in 1966, I didn't have a regular partner.  John Larson, Dale Egholm, Ron DeHarpporte, and Joyce Schoenecker-DeHarpporte were sometimes-partners.  But, shortly after this time, Essie and I started playing regularly. 

Immodestly, I must say we had a lot of success.  We had many regional wins and a top ten finish in the best pair event of the time:  "The Life Masters Pairs."  In 1968, Essie, Ron, Joyce and I won all three big team games in the Twin Cities:  The Winter Carnival, The State Tour and The Gopher Regional.  (editor note; this was prior to the proliferation of events, when there was one team event per tournament!)

Essie was not a natural player.  She worked and worked at her game.  The skill level she obtained belied her natural talent.  The success she achieved was testimony to her intelligence and tenacity.  Most good players are "naturals"; Essie was self-made.

One word best described Essie's persona:  "lady."  Essie was always nice, polite and never, ever condescending.  She treated everyone - partners, opponents, directors, caddies, service personnel - cordially and with respect.  Was Essie "loved by all?"  I don't know.  I do know that in 40+ years, I never heard a negative comment about her.

In recent years, Essie had to give up bridge and social functions.  The battle against Parkinson's took its toll.  Now, her death marks the passing of a true Twin City bridge icon.  More importantly, we have lost a wonderful lady and a real friend.

Today is dark and rainy.  That is how I feel.

      Larry Oakey

Gopher Bridge Talks

Would you like to review some of the talks given at the Gopher Regional?  Were you unable to attend one or more of the talks during the tournament?  Were you (gasp!) unable to be at the Gopher?!?

Not to worry!  Stephen Jackson has kindly sent me three of the talks; two given by John Koch and one by Keith Connolly.  You can upload them below.

My thanks to Stephen for sending these, and to John and Keith for all their efforts and instruction.

Fountain of Youth

When we think of the "fountain of youth", we think of something to keep us young.  Bridge surely does that!  The game challenges our mind, keeps us sharp and alert - and the social aspect of bridge is also helpful to feeling spry.

Yet, there is another "fountain of youth" for bridge:  young people who are learning and loving our game.  One such youthful gentleman, Ben Kristensen, played at the Gopher Regional with his dad, Curt Kristensen.

Curt kindly introduced himself and Ben to me at the Gopher - then filled me in on all the progress Ben has made with his bridge game.  At age 9, when Sunday school teacher Marilyn Norenberg told Ben about bridge, he received a green spiral notebook from the ACBL filled with introductory tools.  Ever since, Ben has been reading and studying our game.

Ben competed in his first tournament in May 2009 in Hayward, Wisconsin.  Last year, he attended the Youth NABC, and plans to head to his second NABC in New Orleans this July.   

Most of Ben's tournament play has been with his dad, though several bridge friends in Duluth (The Kristensen's home) have been nurturing Ben, including Dan Sershon, Lee Steinmeir and Larry Uttley.

Ben is home schooled, and enjoys piano, math and - of course - bridge!  In addition to his school work and bridge studies, Ben even finds time to mentor his younger sister, Ruth, age ten, for the last six months!  Ruth even played one day at the Gopher, too.

Ken Bayliss and RoxAnn Klugman, pictured below, played with Ben and Kurt on Monday in the 299er Swiss.  "We had a great time," Curt reports.  "Ben did earn over 17 masterpoints in his five days of play," Curt adds.  "But focusing on his love and learning for bridge is more important."

With that kind of attitude, we can be confident that Ben's "fountain of youth" will be something to behold!

Essie Mersky 1919 - 2010

Many of today's newer players don't know the name "Essie Mersky."  Long timers, however, know very well the name of this top Minnesota player.

Though Essie had not played bridge for a number of years, she will always remain one of Minnesota's finest - in every respect.  Not only was Essie one of Minnesota's bridge stars, she also was one of our classiest, most lovely and most loved players.

An obituary for Essie can be viewed here.  Long time partner and close friend Larry Oakey will soon be telling us about Essie in his own words.