Minnesota Bridge

Honoring Julie Tigges

A Minneapolis Grand Slam Club game in December to honor Julie Tigges had to be rescheduled. The new date is tonight: January 31st. If you can, please come by to enjoy our great game and honor a woman in Minnesota's bridge community who did so much for us.

 

Peg Mitchell wanted to share the announcement below for Friday night's game. We hope that many of us can attend MGSC to remember Julie Tigges - competitor, volunteer and friend.

This Friday night, December 13th, the MGSC bridge community will play its Club Championship Game in honor of Julie Tigges, who lost her courageous battle with cancer on November 21 at the age of 54. 

During her three years of valiantly handling chemotherapy, radiation, and multiple surgeries, Julie relied on her love of bridge and the contact with her bridge community to keep her mind active and her spirit engaged.  Our choice to recognize her by holding a bridge game in her honor only seem fitting. 

Joe Bornong, Julie's husband, was her first bridge partner.  Though Joe relinquished bridge for his love of the outdoors, he has played from time to time.  He will be joining us for the game this Friday.  If you are able to come, be sure you pause to greet him. Joe and I will be partners. 

Many of us weren't able to attend Julie's memorial service at the Cremation Society over the Thanksgiving weekend, due to family commitments and/or commitments to the Nationals in Phoenix.  This Friday gives us a chance to both remember and grieve as a community who has lost one of its most dedicated players. 

Julie served on the MGSC board twice.  During her first term, she served as president, and during this most recent term as KO chair.  She was also a hard-working member of the Unit 178 board for these last 3 years. 

Our game is at the Richfield Community Center.  Start time is the usual:  7:15.

Bridge players who are not MGSC members are invited and most welcome to attend!

Thanks.  I hope to see many of you on Friday!

                         Peg  Mitchell

Paul Bunyan Sectional 2014

With temps cold enough to shiver your timbers - and then some! - September and autumn sound a long way away.  Yet, spring and summer can zip by.  Thus, Paul Bunyan chairpersons Dianne Carr and Warren Nelson want to alert you in the depths of winter that you should prepare for fall!

The Paul Bunyan Sectional is a beautiful drive away from anywhere to the Black Bear Casino in Carlton, near Duluth.  Do make plans to attend this fine sectional.  Enjoy the gorgeous colors and grab your masterpoints!

A tournament flyer is posted below.

Unit 178 - January Minutes

The minutes from Unit 178's January Board of Director meeting posted below.  Some items of interest for all Minnesotans!

Neither Snow Nor Rain Nor Heat....

No; not a U.S. Postal Service advertisement.  Rather, Steve Gaynor's bridge schedule from now through the Great Beyond!

Irrespective of weather or season - we have loads of competitive and fun bridge events for you in Minnesota!

Our thanks to Steve for compiling the upcoming schedule; please see below!

Extraction

Fascinating bridge hands can be found anywhere:  a home game, the local duplicate, a regional, the Bermuda Bowl - or online with a robot.

Rich Newell, of West Des Moines, discovered this fascinating hand at the last location.  And; he met with success!

Read all about how Rich beat the bots at Bridgebase online.

Name That Game!

The Gopher Regional is only four months away!  Now is the time to consider naming a Gopher event!

Selecting a special name is a great way to celebrate a birthday, celebrate a long time partnership, or simply to recognize someone special.  In addition, a named event is a fitting memorial for one of the too many we have lost.

For information on how to Name That Game - contact Sue Jackson at [email protected]

 

 

 

Intermediate Chat Bridge

Kim Hayward has shared some exciting news about Chat Bridge opportunities at the Bridge Center of St Paul - 2603 6th Avenue East, N St. Paul.  Great details below; thanks, Kim!

The Bridge Center of St Paul started Intermediate Chat Bridge last fall. It was a big success and we resumed the lessons this week. The brainchild of Joseph Browan, like Chat Bridge players play hands, but the bidding and play semi-open, cards are put face-up on the table, with only one hand exposed at a time.

Each table of four has a coach who talks the players through the bidding and play of each hand. It is designed for players who have finished a few series of lessons and play in the limited games, but need a little more training.

The sessions cost $5.  But, if you stay for the 12:30 game right after, they are free!  

The 12:30 game is a 1500 average masterpoint mentoring game. We also have a 49er section.

Please call or email to sign up!

 

Unit 178 - Board Meeting January 2014

It's January - it's very cold - and it's time for the first Unit 178 Board meeting of the year!

It will be held on Saturday, January 18th.  The agenda is posted below.

Thanks to Unit 178 board members for all their hard work!

US21

Ben Kristensen

Kevin Rosenberg, Ben's partner

Due to the contributions of many people who love bridge, the USBF just concluded the Junior Trials in Atlanta.  Competition included 3 categories:  US26, US21 and Roma (female competition).

On one of the teams is a player many of us in Minnesota have come to know and admire; Ben Kristensen.  Since Ben has come on the scene as a youngster, he's been proving his talent and ability for bridge.  Ben has already had significant success at NABC Junior competition.  Now, with the Junior USBF competition concluded, Ben and his teammates will have the opportunity to show the world what they can do.  Team Kriegel (Oren Kriegel, Christopher Hubel, Ben and partner Kevin Rosenberg) won the right to represent in world competition as US21.

In particular, we want to thank Ben's dad, Curt, for starting Ben off on his bridge career and being his #1 supporter.  And, we also want to thank a player with deep Minnesota roots, Howie Weinstein, for mentoring Ben and his teammates.  

We wish Ben and Team Kriegel the best as they head for the World Youth Team Bridge Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, next August. With Ben's talents, training and support - betting on Ben and his team should be a winner!