Evening star., 1939-04-16

Inc Nortnern virginia tOurna-
ment, which was inaugurated last
year by Lewis Tubbs. will hold its
second series Of annual champion
ships on May 5, 6 and Z at the Hotel
George Mason in Alexandria, Va.
The women's pair event will occur
on May S In the afternoon, and the
mixed pair game will be held on the
evening Of the same day. Each Of
these is one-session play.
The open pair match will be held
IN two sessions on May 6, In the
afternoon and evening. The open
team-of-four contest will be in two
sessions, May Z at II am, and at 5
pm. Master points, according to
the schedule of the American Con-
tract League, under whose auspices
the championships are to be held,
will be awarded, as we'll as suitable
trophies to the winners and the run
ners-up In each event. Mrs Edith
Swanson, president of the Washing
ton Bridge League, will act as chair
man Of the tournament, and Russel
j. Baldwin will oficiate as director.
The National Masters individual
championship, one of the blue ribbon
events on the bridge calendar, is in
progress today at the Park Central
Hotel in New York. 1t began on
Friday and will terminate today.
The match is In five sessions and the
top-notchers In the world of bridge
are the contestants. The number of
players is limited to SO and the only
persons invited to participate are the
Life Masters and those holding high
rank on the list of master players.
The entries are filled when these SO
have accepted. The contest is one
OF the most interesting in the bridge
field. as each player must adapt him.
self or herself to the individual style
OF other players and study the ever
changing partnership which are met
through the So rounds of play.
The scene is quite different from
other bridge games. A suite of rooms
Is engaged and the games are con-
Quoted each in a separate room, so
that there can be no chance to re-
celve or give information from the
bidding and the play of others.
The National Individual Masters
championship has been held annu-
ally for. the past eight years, and
each time it has been won by a diff
ferent individual. Previous winners
have been Willard Karn, 1881: How
ard Schenken, 1892: David Burn
stone, 1888: Miss Elinor Murdoch,
1884; Oswald Jacoby. 1885; Walde-
mar Won Zedtwitz. 1896; B. j. Becker,
1887; DR.. r. H. Ecker, jr, 1888.
The friendly bridge bidding con-
traversy between those two eminent
Washington medicos, DR.. James A.
Cannon and DR.. r. Arthur Hooe has
aroused widespread interest and Diff
ference Of opinion among the players
and is now submitted to The Star
from several sources for an opinion.
The premises in the case are these.
DR.. Hooe and DR.. Cannon were play
ing a social game of contract as
partners. DR.. Hooe sitting east and
DR.. Garron in the West. DR.. Hooe
dealt and picked up glorious hand
containing six-plus honor tricks and,
according to all the conventions it
demanded two heart bid which Is
forcing to game, at least. South
passed, and as was his duty in the
circumstances, DR.. Cannon in the
West called two no-trump, which is
known as a negative bid made to
keep the bidding open. DR.. Hooe
thereupon bid three spades and
when it was DR.. Gannen's turn again
to bid he called four spades. DR..
Hooe then bid four no-trump, which
West passed and thereupon played
the deal in that contract. There's
where the controversy began and is
still going on. Fortunately for the
declarer North led a diamond and
East and West made a slam. Had
North led club east had none of
that suit, the declarer could have
been held to five odd. A slam was
easily possible either In hearts or