Evening star., 1939-03-12
In Local Bridge Circles
Washington Players Compete at Richmond
Bv Frank B. Lord.

Washington bridge players have
two major trophies at stake In the
Richmond championship games
which are being held at the Vir-
ginia capital over the present week
end. In the annual tournament Of
last year two of the main events
were won by local fans.
The principal feature, the open
pair event, was captured by the
late Mrs. M. r. West and Mrs. Eu-
gene Nolan. With the exception of
the women's pair championship at
Annapolis Roads in which Mrs. West
was co-Winner, the Richmond tour
ney was the last regional success in
which Mrs. West participated in her
long series of victories prior to her
fatal illness. Mrs. Nolan was obliged
to select another partner to aid in
defending her title this year to the
Richmond Times-Dispatch Trophy.
The Salasky Trophy, which is the
other prize being defended by Wash
ington players. was won last year
by Col. E. B. Gray and Mrs. Violet
thinner. A group of Washing
tonians is participating in these
two events as we'll as the other
matches on the Richmond agenda,
these being the women's pair game
for the Old Dominion Bridge Club
Trophy and the team flour con-
test for the NeWs-Leader Bowl.
In addition to these trophies mas
ter points will be awarded to the
winners and to the runnersup, ac-
cording to the schedule of the
American Contract Bridge League,
which sponsors the meet. Russell j.
Baldwin is officiating as tournament
director. The meeting place is the
John Marshall Hotel.
X X X
The Eastern bridge champion
ships, classic event on the bridge
calendar concluded its 18th tourna-
ment in New York last week. For
the first time a Washington pair,
President James H. Lemon of the
American Contract Bridge League
and Mrs. Lemon, were joint winners
of one of the major events. Play
ing with DR.. and Mrs. L. w. Lord
of Baltimore they won the mixed
team of four championship and
gained temporary possession of the
Whitehead Cup, trophy presented
by F. Dudley Courtney in memory
of the late Wilbur c. Whitehead 1t
was also the first time that hus-
bands and wives team had captured
the cup. The other team of four
championship for the Reisinger Cup
was retained by its last years vic
! tors, D. Gorton Churchill. T. J. Nc
Gros, Charles S. Lockridge, John
Rau and Sam Fry. jr., who beat out
their nearest rivals, c. H. Goren
B. Jay Becker, John P. Mattheys
A. S. Eiseman and Harry Fishbein
by the narrow margin of 20 points
a difference of only one trick in any
major suit contract.
This was one of the closest victories
ever won in any major tournament.
There was general satisfaction
over the fact that the womens pair
championship was won by Mrs
Meyer D. Rothchild who is lovingly
known in all bridge circles as Ma
Rothchild and has long been popular
with all players. Her partner was
Mrs. Robert B. Fuller, president Of
the Women's Auxiliary.
The amateur game was won by
Ralph Hirschberg and Charles S
Saunders of New York by the amaz-
ing total of 43l points. which was
55l2 points ahead of Mr.. and Mrs
E. Norman Chamberlain. playing ir
| their first major tournament. Play.
ers holding master points were dis
/ qualified for this event.
! On the list of coming events is
the Southeastern championship
/ games to be held at Hollywood, Fla
/ March Is to l9. Several Washing
! ton players have indicated their in
/ tention to attend the meet as indi-
viduals, but there will be no loca
club representation as was the case
last year when w. NJ. Mcintyre and
Roy Thurtell were selected and gave
a good account of themselves at the
Southern resort.
X
Success in making slam contract
often depends upon ones ability to
guess correctly the position of a
single card. In a small slam con-
tract the bidding between the play
er who ultimately becomes the de-
clarer and her partner, even when
the adversaries have made no bids,