Evening star., 1938-03-27
By Frank B. Lord.

~ RIDGE pointer. Most experts
x now agree that 1t is good bridge
for the third hand to open the
0 bidding with holdings some
what lighter than those generally de-
manded for opening frst or second
hand. This is called "positional bid"
and may have slightly less defensive
strength. Not always, but on the aver
age such an opening will succeed. The
reasons for this positional bid are: /.
You give your partner lead director,
making the defense easier II opponents
get the contract. 2. You may be able
to make q partial score. 8. You may
be able to force opponents to a con-
tract they cannot make, If they try to
prevent you from getting part score
HE Arlington team of the Federal
Bridge League won the second
half OF that organizations season
tournament last Tuesday night at the
Wardman Park Hotel Having won
the first half of the tournament which
ended just before the holidays, 1t will
not now be necessary for the league to
hold a play-off, as is usual, to deter
mine the championship.
The members Of the team comprise
Lewis and Lloyd Tubbs, Isaac York
and Sam Groves. The contest has
been a stubborn one since its BEGIN
ming at the first Of the year, three
or four teams seesawing each week
for leadership which for the most
part has been held by the Rangers.
Although the Arlington team won the
first half by a comfortable margin
they later suffered slump at the
start Of the second half and were
obliged to play diligently to gain the
ground they lost at the outset, so that
they held top place only for one week
before their final triumph.
A week before the Anal game they
succeeded in passing the Ranger team
R. E. Marsh, F. j. Hallauer, 1t.
Comdr. w. A. Corley and DR.. C. c.
McDonnell-and won the place at the
top OF the league by three and one
half boards. Tuesday the Rangers had
another bad session and won only five
and one-half boards, while their sue
cessful rivals were winning nine.
which gave the latter a lead Of six
and one-half boards in the concluding
score. The Rangers fell to fourth
place, enabling the Coast Survey team
for the first time in the series to reach
second place in the last halt OF the
tournament.
The final score for Section A, COM
prising the leaders Of the league, was
Arlington, 1929 boards; Coast Sur
vey. l1912; Secag, 1T; Rangers, 11s:
Lions, ll434; Just Us, l13A; Post
Office. 1l2.
The seasons prize. which goes to
the Arlington team. is the handsome
silver trophy offered by Luther Stew
art, president of the Federal En-
ployes' Union. All members of the
league are employees of the Federal or
District Government, or members Of
the Army. Navy or Marine Corps serv-
ices. Its officers are DR.. c. c. McDon-
nell, president; M. E, Myers. vice
president. and Miss Frances Skelly,
secretary and treasurer. The Execu-
tive Committee comprises. in addition
to these, Mrs. Karl Greene, Mrs. Kill
martin and Paul Golden. Mr.. Golden
has served also as director Of the
tournament and ofIlcial scorer.
There will be a playoff game for
the position of second best team in
the league between the runners-up
OF the first half and the runners-up
OF the second half of the tournament.
The two teams matched in this contest
will be the Lions, comprising DR.. r.
c. Blanck, Lester D. johnson, C. A.
Lyons and ]. F. McDonough; second
team in the first half and the Coast
Survey team. second in the last half.
The latter team consists Of c. Nc
Comb, L. Schmidt. c. A. Whitten and
L. Macurdy. Seventy-two boards will
be played in this match on three diff
ferent nights, which have not yet
been determined.
The Stewart Cup has been in play
five years, having been won first by
the Phychems. Bureau OF Stand
ards team; the Aliens, team made
up of players from the Alien Property
Custodians ONCE; the District gov
ernment team and the Exec team,
made up chiefly from the military
services.
Beginning next Tuesday night the
Federal Bridge League will hold a
series of pair games to which others
than those employed in Government