Evening star., 1940-11-24
BRIDGE
The Game and
Its Players
By Frank B. Lord.

For Lne DTlQge eApeTt-tIlc Buuie
does not recognize the term pro
fessional"-there is no long sur
cease from the round of tourna-
ments, to say nothing of the weekly
duplicates that nearly every COM
munity provides. Washington has
a score or more Of them. Almost
every week in the year. winter and
summer, for the weather does not
seriously interfere with bridge play.
ing, there are at least one and often
two or three city or regional tourna-
ments within the Eastern part OF
the country covered by the parent
organization, the American Con-
tract Bridge League. These region
ais appeal especially to local talent,
but they welcome the experts from
any locality.
Now comes the second Of the big
annual tournaments Of the league
the winter championship event,
which Is to be held the first week
of December In Philadelphia and
where the Washington contingent
will have larger representation than
ever before. The recent District
tournament whetted their bridge
appetites and made them keen for
more opportunities to display their
prowess. In all of the major events
and in some of the minor ones local
players will be represented.
1t was 10 years ago that Philadel-
phia held its first national cham
pionships, and as the game has de-
veloped greatly during the past
decade the coming tourney is ex'
pected to eclipse all other meets
of it's kind. There will be foul
major championships for the ex-
perts and in addition an amateur
pair championship. besides several
beginners and juniors and special
practice games.
Although the program calls for
the opening of the tournament on
December 2, actual playing will not
start until the afternoon of the
following day. The evening of the
first day will be given over to the
Welcoming Committee receiving Wis
itors in a gala get-together affair
where the slogan of the home play
ers, "Phil-a-date in Phil-a -delphia,
will be emphasized.
The first game of the series will
be the women's team-of -four cham
pionship, beginning on the after
noon of December 3 and continued
in a second session on the after
noon of the following day. Any
team of four or five women will
be eligible. In addition to the
Charles E. Coffin Trophy, the win
ners will be awarded Is master
points and the runners-up 5.
Also on the evening of December
and continuing in three sessions
one on Wednesday evening and
third on Thursday afternoon, will
be played the mixed-pair cham
pionship. open to any pair Of one
man and one woman. All contest
ants will play in at least two ses-
sions, but those who do not qualify
by making a certain predetermined
score may be eliminated from the
third session. The winners will re-
ceive the Olga j. billiard Trophy and
20 master points. The second pair
will receive 10 and the third pair g.
The team-of-four championship
contest is listed for Thursday eve-
ming and Friday afternoon and
evening. This is open to any team
of four or five players who may be
men, women or both. All teams will
play through the first two sessions
and suitable number will be quail
fed for the final and third session
The prize is the Chicago trophy and
As master points will be awarded tc
each of the winners, Is to the Sec
ond foursome and 5 convertible
master points to the third team. II
will be board a match game, each
board at match.
The feature of the tournament
will be the open pair championship
in four sessions, afternoon and eve-
ming of Saturday, December 7, and
morning and afternoon of Sunday
December 8. Pairs may be made
up of men or women or both The
first two sessions will be qualifying
rounds for the semi-final and final
games. Here the Cavendish Trophy
is the prize, and in addition, go mas
ter points to each of the winners, 4C
to the second pair, 10 to third and
5 convertible master points to the
fourth pair.
The amateur pair championship
will be an event somewhat similar to
the intermediate event of the
Washington Bridge League for the
Evening Star Trophy. National
masters are excluded from partici-
patton, and it is especially designed
to give to others an opportunity te
enter the masters class through
competition with players not Of
full master rank. 1t is to be played
on Sunday, the last day of the
tournament, in two sessions. Ter
master points will go to the win
ners and four to the runners-up.
While the experts will have the
center of the stage, there is also q
well-worked-out program for those
who do not come within that classi-
fication. Tuesday will be club night
Wednesday will be night for be-
ginners and Junior pairs. Thursday
night will be charity night, with
events to be sponsored by the
Women's Club of Philadelphia fol
crippled children and the Philadel-
phia Club of Advertising Women fol
the British Relief Society. On Fri
day night there will be special Ely
Culbertson section. There will also
be four afternoon practice game:
from Tuesday through Friday and
daily amateur games for tourna-
ment prizes.
The discard isan important play
Often 1t determines success or fail
ure to make a contract. A group
of kibitzers, all of them experts
watched Louis Newman at the
Cheeks Studio make a four-spade
vulnerable contract on the dea