Evening star., 1932-02-14


To other folks seem queer.
So one who kro1ks such wholesome fazs
Is talking through is hat
And If the game r:03irines nuts
You can't blame b"ifge for that
~ RIDGE is the uclfy game Of any I'M
portanee IN w4A-h there has been no
Il dividing lire between the amateur and
the professional. All championship
events hitherto conducted have been
open to any essirsnt. Wow at hast Is
to come a competition limited entirely to pro-
fessionals 1t will be the Eastern contract
championship for bridge teachers, conducted
during the Eastern championship tournament
in the bali of the Hotel Roosevelt, New
York which begins a week from tomorrow,
on Washington's birthday.
Mrs Elizabeth B. Banfleld, herself brldge
teacher of note and a member OF the team
holding the national open team Of four cham
pionsiaip has given the trophy for the contest,
which will be by pairs. The teachers WILL pay
in three sessions, on the mornings OF Wednes-
day Th1rsdaE and Friday. Only bona fide
qualified professional instructors OF brldge are
elteible making il the first competition m
which the arnateur he's bean unable to take
part.
Perhaps this MARKS the beginning of new
era in tie game. which may eventually offer
special events for anast airs and professionals,
those xiio obtain enumeration from books,
lectures broadc2sting- sale OF supplies and
otnar activities connected with the game or
at least those who depend upon such activities
for their principal means of livelihood
There never has been such thing as
class of professional players of bridge in the
same sense as there have been professional
players Of base ball, golf tennis, billiards and
other games for the simple reason that no
way had been satisfactorily devised to make
the play visible 10 spectators and thus secure
gate receipts The coming of devices to display
each bid ana play before a crowd may change
ali that IN time.
There is something particularly appropriate
about this innovation being presented first in
the Eastern tournament, which in more than
one respect Is the star tournament OF the year,
outranking even the nationals IN number OF
ways. Advanced tournament players in and
around New York have been used to saying
that the Eastern championships are the hard
est of all to Win, a rule. because they usually
have larger number of fine players entered
than any other tournament. There has been
a progressireness about the competition, also
ever since George Reith became chairman of
the committee in charge, with some new
trophies offered for competition every year.
Outside Of the teachers combat, every event
Is open. There are four others. One is new,
q mixed tearn-of-fcur game, each pair to con-
sist of man and woman for the Whitehead
Memorial Trophy donated by F. Dudley Courte-
nay president of Bridge Headquarters, IN the
Thursday and Friday afternoon sessions. The
pair championship for the Julian Goldman
Trophy viii be contested On all five evenings
of the week. The team-of-fUur open cham
pionship for the Curt H Reisinger Trophy will
be played on the first three afternoons and on
THURSDAY and F-iday mornings. In this -the
-Four Horsenen'-Phiiip Hal Sims, Willard S.
Karn, Oswald Jacoby and David Burnstine-
will try to renew the winning ways from which
they slipped when beaten in the last nationals
The remaining contest is the auction team of
four, on the FIRST two mornings
further bond b=tWeen East and West has
been cemented by Omar E Mueller of Cleve-
land who has donated the Ernst Muller Trophy
IN memory Of his father, to go to the player
with the best record in any three events.