Evening star., 1937-11-07
j. 5. BRIDGE EVENT
TO Be HELD HERE
National Tourney Is Expect
ed to Be Largest in Its
History.

Cfacials of the Washington Bridge
League predict the 18th annual ma
tional contract bridge tournament,
scheduled at the Shoreham Hotel No
vember 30 to December S, will be the
greatest in the history of the event.
They base their belief on the increas-
ing interest apparent in cities all over
the United States and Canada. There
are indications the entry list for events
will be the largest ever received.
Five championships will be at stake
In the national tournament, which will
be held here for the first time.
Play in the women's national team
of-four championship will begin Tues
day afternoon, November 80, and con-
clude the following afternoon. The
defending champions, Mrs. L. c..
Quigley, Chicago; Miss Florence STRAIT
ford, Cleveland, and Mrs. Robert B.
Fuller and Mrs. A. NJ Sobel, both of
New York, have captured the title
In this event for the last two years.
Mixed Pair Event.
The mixed pair event is scheduled
Tor Tuesday and Wednesday evenings
and Thursday afternoon. Present
holders of this title are Wingate Bixby
and Mrs. Dorothy Healy, both Of
Chicago.
An all-Canadian team is the present
champion of the board-a-match team
of-four event, which will be played
Thursday night and Friday afternoon
&c 4
of Mrs. James A. Faulkner, Belleville,
Ontario, and Mrs. w. M. Anderson,
P. E. Sheardown and Don G. Farqu-
harson, all of Toronto. When the team
captured the event in last years tour
nament at Chicago, it was the first
time another country had won title
In the American match play.
The open pair championship will be
played in four sessions. The qualify
ing rounds will be Saturday afternoon
and evening, and the final on the clos
ing day of the tournament, Sunday,
December 5. This title now is held
by Walter Jacobs and Ralph Kempner,
both of Chicago.
simultaneously with the open pair
finals. the national amateur will be
staged. This event is one which has
not yet attained master rank under
the present rating system of the Amer
lean Contract Bridge League, but it
is one of the most popular.
First Tourney Since Merger.
The tournament will be the first
national bridge event since the merger
Of the American Bridge League with
the United States Bridge Association
under the title of the American Con-
tract Bridge League. This merger,
officials said, wiped out all factional-
ism in bridge, and because of that fact,
stars who have not been seen in ma
tional bridge play for years will be
competing against each other.
1t is expected Mr.. and Mrs Ely
Culbertson, P. Hal Sims, Sidney S.
Lenz, Raymond L. Balfe and bridge
authorities will compete against the
Four Aces-Oswald Jacoby, David
Burnstine, Howard Schenken and
M. D. Maier-and other top-notch
stars.
Comdr. w. A. Corley, U. S. N, re-
tired, president of the Washington
Bridge League and chairman of the
National Tournament Executive Com
mittee, declared yesterday: We are
going to establish an all-time record
for attendance.
Large delegations from nearby sec
tons, the deep South and the West
will participate. We already know
that such cities as New York. Chicago,
Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland and
Pittsburgh will be we'll represented.
and indications are that the caliber
OF the competition will be of the high
est"
On the opening day of the tourney.
more than 300 members of the Wash
ington Bridge League will turn out to
welcome the visiting experts, Comdr.
Corley said.