Minnesota Bridge

Nasty Diversion

Are you declaring and you need one more trick to go plus?  Does it appear that there is no way to find that extra elusive trick?

If so, study squeezes.  A squeeze is a method of running winners, such that eventually, one or both defenders are unable to hang on to all the cards that they need to beat you.  This week, John Koch instructs us exactly how to do that.

Defenders, however, can sometimes employ a nasty diversion to subvert your squeeze.  Are you then sunk - or can you still swim?

John has all the answers for us!  If you want to raise the bar on your declaring skills, study squeezes - and John's article for the week!

Spring Is Coming!

With plenty of snow cover, "spring is coming" may not seem a reality.  Irrespective of weather, however, the Spring Is Coming Sectional is going to be at the Twin City Bridge Center this weekend!

Fight away the winter blues and have a red hot bridge weekend at 60th & Nicollet!  Details here....

February 2013 Unit 178 Board Meeting Report

Unit 178's Board of Directors has been productive and active!  To see all the plans and efforts that they are making on our behalf, please view the minutes from their February 2013 meeting below.

Name That Game!

Have a special bridge friend you'd like to honor, or thank, or remember?  The MN Gopher Regional in May offers a wonderful opportunity to do it!

Should you wish to name one of the events at the Gopher after your special someone, you can do so.  Sue Jackson, one of our co-chairs, along with Patti Stuhlman, has all the details. 

Get in touch with Sue at sjackson@smumn.edu.  Sue will explain how you can shower your friend with glory at the Gopher!

 

Extra Measures

When we first begin to learn our fascinating game, we are given many rules to study.  As declarer, we are told "Count your winners and losers."  And so we do - looking at what finesses might fail, what aces must be given to the opponents and what winners can be established.  Then, we go upon our merry way seeing whether the hand layout delivers success or failure.

As we become more experienced, however, we learn that on many hands, we can search for "extra chances."  Sometimes, even if those hooks aren't winners, we are able to spin gold out of straw.

This week, John Koch shows us how to turn a hand into a fairy tale ending!

Calling All Seniors!

Monday, March 4th

Twin City Bridge Center (11AM)

Bridge Center of St. Paul (TBA)

The ACBL-Wide Senior Pairs Game

Extra Points - You could be a National Winner!

Players must be 55 or older

 

ACBL-wide Senior Pairs Details:

Masterpoints: 80% sectional rated black
Overall Awards: 1st, 20; depth of awards, 10 places
District Winners: 1st, 10; depth of awards, 5 places

Hand records and analyses

Winners recognized on web site and in the Bridge Bulletin

Open to any player 55 years of age as of the day of the event.

Forest Lowe

This winter has been a difficult season for our bridge community.  MN Bridge is sad to report that we have lost another of our longtime members:  Forest Lowe. 

Forest had been battling cancer for some time.  Knowing that he did not have a long time with us, as reported, Forest planned a lovely celebration of his life and bridge friendships last November.  Finally, though, Forest's fight ended on Tuesday, February 12th.

Forest was one of our area's strongest competitors.  With over 6068 masterpoints, Forest ranked 23rd for lifetime achievement in the state. 

Nancy, Forest's daughter, shared with bridge friends what his last weeks were like. 

For three weeks, Dad had been bed-bound.  Near the end, he mixed his time with Mom, kids and grandkids - and the other side.  Family gently thanked him and wished him God speed.  Dad would shake his head and wave to whoever in the Beyond.  In one of his last clear-eyed moments, I asked him if he was seeing others and talking with the angels.  He nodded "yes" - then nodded "yes" again when I asked if he were arguing with them.  He always did it his way!

Dad would want all his friends to know how dear you were to him, and that he was grateful for all your friendships.

At the Grace Church Chapel in Eden Prairie at 11:00 on Wednesday, February 20th, a memorial service will be held.  Visitation will be one hour prior.  In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to The American Cancer Society.  Forest's obituary in the Star Tribune can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

Unit 103 Awards Celebration

Winning the Ace of Clubs and Mini McKenney races is an accomplishment that Unit 103 is delighted to recognize!  So, on Saturday, March 9th, Unit 103 will honor the players who won the Ace of Clubs and Mini McKenney awards for 2012.  Participants will enjoy lunch at 12PM, followed by the awards presentation - and then a unit game.

If you are able to attend this happy event, please RSVP to the Bridge Center of St. Paul (651.490.5430) by Wednesday, March 6th.  Cost for lunch is $6.00; the Unit Game cost is also $6.00.

We look forward to a great celebration and a big crowd!

 

 

No Autopilot

For experienced bridge players, some positions are familiar.  We recognize when to duck with a winner, when to pull trump, when to choose to shift, and so forth. 

Yet, if we allow ourselves to fall back on "autopilot" - sometimes we may find that we've missed the winning play.  One of the many fascinating aspects of bridge is that every hand is unique.  What may work on 97% of similar hands may be the losing play on the other 3%.

This week, John Koch demonstrates how to analyse, step by step, how a hand will progress.  For both declarer and defender, the end game must remain always in focus - and "autopilot" should be carefully monitored!

A fascinating hand, and more evidence of how and why John earned his national championship!

MGSC B-A-M

Many think that Board-A-Match teams is the toughest form of the game. 

B-A-M is a team game where on every board, you have three options for a result:  a win, a loss, or a tie.  If you achieve a very poor result on a hand, yet your opponents' score was worse than yours - you get a tie. 

B-A-M is like matchpoints - except you only have one comparison.  As a result, every trick and getting to exactly the best contract is critical.

The Minneapolis Grand Slam Club is considered by many the place to play if you aim to push your game to the highest levels.  Some of the Twin Cities' best and brightest, now international stars, got their start at the MGSC:  Steve Garner, Howie Weinstein, and Joe Grue are three.  (Speaking of that last fellow, Joe's parents, Tom and Sue Grue, were in town Week #2 and were able to compete at their old stomping grounds.)

The MGSC aims to run their club like "Flight A" regional events.  Doing so and competing against our areas best players can only improve anyone's game.

The last two Friday nights, the MGSC held their annual B-A-M game.  Cindy & Bob Balderson, along with Kerry Holloway and Michael Howland turned in the top score both weeks, thus winning the title for this season.  The MGSC is one of the few places where our players can still compete in this tough event.  Kudos to Balderson-Balderson-Holloway-Howland on their win - and to the MGSC for keeping such a premier event on their calendar!

By the way, although the MGSC does sell memberships, you need not be a member to enjoy their Friday night games at the Richfield Community Center.  If you want to pump up the volume on your bridge game, then try them out!

Unit 178 - January 2013 Minutes

Keeping everyone up to date as to what Unit 178's Board is doing!

Unit 178 - February 2013 Agenda

Every month, Unit 178's Board of Directors plans to make bridge as good as possible in our community.  On February 23rd, here are the items on which our board will be focused.

Minnesota Top One Hundred - 2012

At the beginning of each new calendar year, we look back at the achievements of our Minnesota players.  One of those markers is masterpoints earned; specifically, masterpoint totals for the top 100 players in our state.

To be ranked in the top 100 of our players, one needed to have earned a total of 2371.27.  To be in the top 10 of our players, a lifetime total of 7573.83 was required.

Please note that although masterpoints are a general method of judging the skill and accomplishments of our players, the masterpoint system is only an imperfect judge.  Some of our players, for many reasons, have had more or less time to compete locally, in tournaments and on the national stage.  Some Minnesotans have more modest masterpoint holdings, yet are quite fine players.

It is also important to acknowledge that all masterpoints are earned with partners and teammates.  Although I, your blogmaster, am amazed and humbled to be at the top of this list, I am quite well aware that I could not achieved what I have without others.  Fine partners and teammates, of which some of us are blessed to have, are critical to success.  Treat those friends and compatriots with care!

So - with no further ado, here is Minnesota's standings as of the end of 2012.  Good luck to everyone in all your games and tournaments and masterpoint-gathering for 2013!

Desperately Seeking Teammates

The "desperate" part is an overbid by your blogmaster!

The real deal is that Mike Cassel and his frequent NABC partner, Andy Kaufman, are looking for good teammates for the Jacoby Swiss at the end of the Spring NABC in St. Louis. 

Mike and Andy have done well previously.  In Philadelphia, they were 20th in the Roth Swiss. 

If you'd like to join their partnership and bump them up in the standings, contact Mike at mc2mikec@aol.com.

In addition, this shall be linked at the "want ad" header on the left.  If you have something you'd like advertised at MN Bridge that is bridge related, please let me know at mrmollo@aol.com and I can get it posted.

 

 

Verda Gould

This week has been a difficult one for the bridge world.  A few days ago, we lost our friend Cecil Frank.  Yesterday, national champions Marshall Miles and Ira Rubin died. 

So did Verda Gould.

Verda never won a national championship.  Nevertheless, in every way that matters, Verda was a champion in our community.  Tireless volunteer, trainer of caddies, tournament organizer, board member, District 14 president - Verda was all this.  And, of course, she was also a passionate competitor and friend.

Verda and her caddies

Two of Verda's friends and fellow volunteers in the bridge world, Patti Stuhlman and Sharon Anderson, generously provided some thoughts about Verda and her contributions to bridge. 

President Verda Gould and Secretary Sharon Anderson at a District 14 Board Meeting

Thank you, Patti and Sharon.  And thank you, Verda.  You have made your mark on bridge in Minnesota in so many wonderful and special ways.

Verda's obituary in the Star Tribune can be viewed here.

Verda and caddies at Gopher 2012

 

Getting Clues

A big key to successful defense is signaling.  Unfortunately, however, always figuring out what exactly partner is trying to tell us with signals isn't crystal clear.  Some situations are common - and - others are not.

Today, John Koch sheds light on unusual shift signals.  What are they?  How do you recognize them?  What's up with partner's carding?

John has all the answers!  (Well; a lot of them at any rate  )

GNT 2013

Mike Cassel has once again been very busy making GNT 2013 a great event for all of us.  Those interested in competing at our Unit Finals in MN should review the materials Mike has prepared for us.  They are posted below.

Additional information about GNT 2013 can be found at our District 14 website.

Taking Advantage

In most aspects of society, taking advantage of someone else is considered poor behavior.  Yet at the bridge table?

Irwin Boris elucidates!

Cecil Frank

 

Most of bridge is fascinating, fun, thrilling, intriguing, challenging and a host of other fine adjectives.  One part of our game, however, is sad:  saying goodbye to old friends.

Larry Oakey reported today that our bridge community lost one of our longtime members:  Cecil Frank.  Here are some words from Larry about Cecil and his impact on the Twin City Bridge Center and bridge in Minnesota.

Cecil Frank was a fine player.  During his bridge career, he earned over 4,000 masterpoints, many from wins.  Yet, although Cecil was an excellent player, he was known more for his superb demeanor.  In the over thirty years that Cecil played bridge, no one had a bad word to say about him - and he never uttered a bad word about others.  Cecil was a fixture at the Twin Cities Bridge Center for decades.

Regular partners of Cecil's were Charles Howard, Don Priewert, Verda Gould and more recently, Dave Hellwig.  The late Mary Finnegan also frequently sat across from Cecil.

Recently, I was appointed to the ACBL Goodwill Committee.  In my opinion, however, Cecil has been "the Goodwill Committee" in the Twin Cities!

                                            Larry Oakey

Cecil's obituary and funeral arrangements can be found here.

A Missed Opportunity

How many of us start to put our cards back into the board - when we suddenly realize we had a play that would have beaten a contract?  Answer:  all of us.  And, if you think that moment is reserved only for your average Joe, then you would be mistaken.

This week, John Koch highlights a most interesting hand.  Here, a defender can make a not common play that leaves declarer with no recourse.  This play, however, is not obvious on the face of it.  Indeed - a world class player missed it.

Our thanks to John for pointing out how to recognize this action.  Also, note that John also focuses on the abilities of champions.  They put a lost opportunity in the past and concentrate on the hand in front of them to go on to win.

Enjoy!