Evening star., 1939-02-26
In Local Bridge Circles
Grand Slam Made Without Trump Support

4HCAOcI0 VI LIlAL OTB6IllZAtlOu y
great deal about bridge.
Mr.. OLeary, who preceded his
wife to San Francisco, now superin-
tends the activities Of a bridge club
in the main Office of the railroad
company where he is employed.
Two years ago Mrs. OLeary joined
him on the coast and they have
been conspicuous in all bridge af-
fairs there since that time.
The San Francisco event, known
as the Chronicles Bridge Fiesta,
filled to overflowing the lounge,
rainbow room, third deck and pilot
house of the city's glorious 81 500 900
Aquatic Park Casino, with players
from all over Northern California.
There were 90 tables of duplicate
alone and in addition 40 tables of
progressive play and rubber bridge,
making in all a grand total of 568
participants. This stamps it as one
of the largest bridge turnouts of
the country, not excluding the ma
tional tournaments of the American
Contract Bridge League, and even
goes beyond the meet held in Wash
ington. There was long list of
prizes ranging all the way from
cash for sWeepstake winners to
merchandise offered by San Fran
cisco merchants and worlds fair
tickets.
The Pacific Coast supports its
own bridge organization, known as
the Pacific Coast Bridge League,
which is independent of the Ameri-
can Contract Bridge League. and
has a large number of successful
units. 1t awards its own master
points. The Chronicle, under the
able direction of Miss Maureen
O'Brien, is its principal avenue of
publicity. Many bridge readers re-
gard her Contract Contacts" as the
best bridge column published any
where in the country.
Washington bridge units will not
compete this year in the South
eastern championship games to be
held at Hollywood. Fla, March 16,
II and 18. Last year after a spirited
preliminary competition for the dis
tinction of representing Washing
ton William NJ Mcintyre and Leroy
Thurtell were selected and gave
good account of themselves in re-
turn for their expenses and en-
trance fees, paid as prize for their
local victory. The Washington
players who participate in the
Hollywood events next month will
do so independently.
Grover A. Whalen. president of
New York Worlds Fair, one day
last week shuffled and dealt four
bridge hands which were designated
as hands across the sea-" to be
played by thousands of bridge en-
thusiasts in SIS countries partici-
pating in the World Bridge Olympic
on April u Of this year.
William E. McKenney, secretary
of the American Contract Bridge
League, and Shepard Barclay,
director of the league, assisted Mr..
Whelan in the ceremony. The four
hands were duplicated for distribu-
tion all over the world and the
originals were placed in vault at
the Worlds Fair, where they will
remain until the night of the
Olympic, three days before the
opening of the fair itself.
Accompanying the four hands
abroad will be Is additional hands
prepared by a committee of bridge
experts. A secret par was set on
these 16 problem hands as a guide
to scoring the players ability, but
no par was set on the Whelan hands
and they will be played naturally.
Commenting on Mr.. Whelan's
DEAL Mr. McKenney said: TT was
necessary in selecting a person to
deal these hands to find some one
with an international reputation
and someone in whom everybody
would have implicit confidence. No
one could fill these qualifications
better than Mr.. Whelan.'
The World Bridge olympic was
inaugurated five years ago by Ely
Culbertson. This year it is being
sponsored for the first time by the
American Contract Bridge League,
non-proft making organization
of players at large. There will be
several hundred prizes in the event,
as usual, four going to the inter-
national winners, four more to the
winners in each country. four to the
winners for each State in the United
States and for each province in