Evening star., 1942-08-09

Although saltwater tafty and the
kibitzers gallery which have here
tofore featured the annual summer
championship games of the Ameri-
can Contract Bridge League at
Asbury Park, N. j., were missing at
the tournament in New York City
last week. there were no other out
ward indications that the war,
which was the cause of the trans
fer from the Jersey Coast resort
to the metropolis, was seriously in
terfering with the event.
The carnival spirit of Asbury was
perhaps a. bit subdued because there
was no boardwalk or sea bathing,
but Notwithstanding there was an
average attendance and no lacking
in the display of high-grade skill,
enthusiasm and interest. Two bids
and slams and squeeze plays and
end plays were sufficiently numerous
to afford both players and specta-
tors plenty of thrills. Not few of
the old masters, however, were alb
sent, some by reason of the diff
culties of transportation and others
because of military service. Among
the notable Washington absentees
who have on other occasions
achieved bridge fame were such
stars as Oscar ]. Brotman, w. M.
Mcintyre, Dr. E. B. Connolly and
several others. They're in the
| Army now.
At this writing it is not possible
to indicate the winners of the vari-
Gus events of which there were
seventeen in the ma jor classes in ad-
dition to the regular duplicate and
! practice games which were added
attractions. How we'll the members
| of the local contingent acquitted
themselves they will tell when they
come home. Some of them started
out strong in the opening match,
which was the mixed team of -four
game. This was especially notable
with the foursome captained by
Mrs. Jimmy" Athey and compris-
ing, besides herself, DR.. and Mrs. A.
j. Steinberg and Ben o. Johnson of
Spartensburg. S. c. She was re-
ferred to in the public prints of New
York as James Athey. She may be
James" on Broadway, but to the
Washington bridge fans who know
her best she is just Jimmy" al
though christened Virginia. Socially,
she is Mrs. w. S. Athey. Her team
scored tie for third place in field
of 36, all Of them experts. which
goes for being very good.
Top score for the first session went
to pickup team captained by Mel
vim Lobell of Brooklyn, private
soldier in uniform. His teammates
had never played together before
yet they won "a out of "a boards for
a percentage of about TO. In the
finals, however, victory went to a
team of superexperts in command
of Valdamar Won Zedtwitz of New
York and three colleagues from
Philadelphia. Pvt Lobells team
ended in 18th place, and Jimmy
Athey's foursome was quite well
above average. The cup defenders,
comprising such stars as Mrs. A. M.
Sobel, Charles Goren, Mrs. r. C.
Young and Sidney Silodor. did not
distinguish themselves as they fin
ished 18th.
Winners in the various events
received victory certificates instead
of the usual cups. These victory GER
tificates show that the players hold
ing them donated the price of the
cup they won to war relief fund
The Executive Committee OF the
league ruled out bridge prizes for
the duration. Master points, now
ever, we're issued as usual.
While the summer championships
were still in progress there was
much discussion of the annual win
ter tournament which is to be held
next December in Syracuse. That
city is an enthusiastic bridge center
with ample accommodations and is
already making plans for the event
the first in its history, but there is