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The USBF Junior United States Bridge Championship for the Under 26 Division has concluded. The winner is Team Kaplan: Adam Kaplan, Adam and Zach Grossack, Zach Brescoll, Kevin Rosenberg - and our own Ben Kristensen from Duluth.
Two teams will represent the United States in Salsomaggiore, Italy next August. Team Kaplan will be USA1 for the Patino Cup.
Heartiest congratulations to Team Kaplan - and best of luck to them as they represent us next year in Italy!
If you happened to watch some of the Vugraph on BBO from yesterday's team trials - it was thrilling! Wild hands, many swings ... the leading team went back and forth right up to the end.
When the final score was tallied, however, Ben Kristensen's team was in the lead.
So, the Kaplan team (which is Ben's) will face off today against the Bomber team. Kaplan has a 4.6 carryover.
Vugraph begins at 10AM central time today, Tuesday. If you're able to watch a bit during the holiday break, expect a treat! Our juniors are talented - and, being juniors - uninhibited! Quite a show yesterday; we expect the same today.
Go, Ben & teammates!
We are pleased and excited that our star junior player is competing in the United States Bridge Federation Junior Trials! The event begins on December 27th, finishing on December 30th.
In the under 26 category, Ben Kristensen is on quite a strong team: Captain Adam Kaplan, Adam Grossack, Zach Grossack, Brescoll, Ben and his partner, Kevin Rosenberg.
You can watch Minnesota's finest compete in the Junior Trials on BBO. Check their schedule for specific times.
And please join me in wishing Ben the best in his quest to represent us in the 2016 World Junior Championships!
As some of you know, the New York Times recently published an article on how board and card games could keep your mind sharp. Minnesota bridge players Peg Mitchell and Yours Truly were featured in it!
The good news is that virtually any publicity for our game is wonderful. And, where better for bridge to be featured than in the widely read, venerable New York Times. Yet, both Peg and I were commenting that much of what we had to say did not make it into the article. And since bridge has given so much to me for so many years, I thought I would take the opportunity to expound a bit here.
While playing card games cannot stave off old age forever, the concentration, memory, problem solving, etc. that bridge demands surely does seem to aid our brains in keeping up to snuff. Yet, whatever our age - young, old or in-between - bridge provides a wealth of opportunities for us.
I always explain to my non-bridge playing friends how fascinating the game is. Can you imagine almost any other activity where, after 30 - 40 - 50!! years you are still able to learn, strive, recognize new experiences? No matter how good you are, how many mountains you have climbed at the bridge table - new ones are around the corner.
And then, just as important as the game itself, are its people.
Socializing is of value to us at any age. "Where," I told the reporter, "Other than the world of bridge, would I have friends from literally every continent on the planet?" How would I possibly have met Bill Gates and Warren Buffett - and other billionaires - except at the bridge table? If not for bridge, how could I have received invitations to stay with friends in Cairo, Iceland, India, and other spots around the world? In what other venues aside from bridge, where would you see people in their 20's socializing with those in their 70's?
The love of the game, the sharing of ideas of all sorts - they bind us together.
Yes, bridge keeps our minds sharp. Yet this is just a fraction of what the game does for us all.
Do I sound passionate? I am passionate!
Teach a friend our game. It will sustain them - in so many ways - the rest of their life!
Kismet can strike; any time - anywhere.
For Diane and Larry Henson - and me - it happened at the Denver Fall NABC - and at the airport waiting to return home.
As I snapped a few photos of our friends from Minnetonka, they told me about kismet at the tournament. Wendy Marks, of Austin, TX, and James Baker, of Brooklyn, NY, were both old college buddies of Mike Cassel's. Mike introduced Wendy and James to Diane and Larry, they arranged a B/C Swiss team date - then came in first out of 43 teams!
The new found friends snagged both B & C flights.
The champs are below (left to right Diane, Larry, Wendy and James).
Lucky me for hearing their tale at the gate. Lucky them for having their matchmaker, Mike!
Well done, champs!
The Holiday Sectional this past weekend at the Bridge Center of St. Paul was a rousing success! Partners John Koch and Paolo Ranaldi topped the masterpoint chart with a most robust 32+. The full list of masterpoints earned and by whom can be found here. Results from each event are at this link.
Our thanks to Suzette Durdahl, tournament chairman, Kim Hayward, partnerships and Tony Ames, director for a fine December tourney.
With your blogmaster at the NABC in Denver, Sandy Casey and Bill Voedisch were most helpful in providing photos! Thanks for sending them!
After some snow and chilly weather (at least, for non-Minnesotans!), Denver has turned sunny and moderate.
Inside, however, everything is heating up!
The last day of the Blue Ribbon is today, Thursday. Everyone should be cheering for Paul Meerschaert and Robert Schacter as they reach for the stars in this premier event!
Of course, we wish everyone else from our fair state the best of luck in the Fall 2015 NABC!