Evening star., 1943-12-12
BY FANRK b. LORD.

By FANRk b. LORD.
The score of Washington players
who went to New York last week to
attend the l7th annual tournament
of the American Contract Bridge
League returned home filled with
enthusiasm over the success of the
meet, but empty-handed as to cham
pionships. They thought they did
very well, however, for the company
was extremely fast, and four Of their
number succeeded in qualifying for
the major event, the open-pair
championship.
Those who were able to stand up
against the competition to the last
of the four rounds were Mrs. r. H.
Skinner, wife of the new president
of the league, and Mrs. Catherine
Cotter; Gene Hermann and Mrs.
Irene Snrguy, Robert Thurell and
Alfred Stedham, DR.. A. J. Steinberg
and Capt. r. H. Skinner.
There were 104 pairs in this COM
petition, which is the largest num-
ber that has ever contested for this
championship in the history of the
league. The mixed pair champion
ship, which was originally scheduled
to be held in California under the
auspices Of the Pacific Coast League,
unit of the parent organization,
was returned to New York and
formed a part of the regular pro-
gram. 1t proved particularly inter-
esting for many of the local play
ers because they were pulling for
Mrs. Margaret w. Wagar of Allan
ia. who Is we'll known here, to win
with her partner. B. Jay Becker.
Mrs. Wagar needed only four mas
ter points to enable her to become
Life Master, which is the highest
ranking in the bridge world. She
and Mr.. Becker were third in the
race, which gave her the necessary
points for the honor, and she there
fore joins the group of super
experts. She becomes the 37th Life
Master and the fifth woman to
acnleVc Sucn q ratlnR.
Charles H. Goren and Mrs. Olive
Peterson of Philadelphia took the
championship title with 523.7 match
points. Another Philadelphia pair,
Charles j. Solomon and Mrs. Ben
jamin M. Colder, were runnersup.
Following the election of officers,
which included Capt. r. H. Skinner
of Washington as president and AL
bert H. Morehead. retiring president,
as chairman of the Executive Com
mittee the league decided to defer
selecting the city in which the next
annual tournament will be held to
await improved transportation facili-
ties. Ever since the league alb
sorbed the Pacific Coast League,
there has been desire on the part
of the members to favor the Far
West members by holding tour
nament in either Los Angeles or
San Francisco. In fact, the Pacific
Coast players have been promised
that such a designation would be
made, but difficulties of travel have
made it impossible. Should the war
end before next December, 1t is pos
sible that the 1914 meet may take
place in one or the other Of the
Far West cities.
DR.. N. ]. McHugh had an unusual
experience playing last week in the
master point game of the Federal
Bridge League and, in consequence
is accepting the good-natured Josh
ing" of some of his fellow players.
1t not infrequently happens when
a player fails to win a contract he
will say that 1t could have been
made playing double dummy" by
which the declarer is enabled to To-
cate definitely all the cards in play.
Double dummy" however, never
occurs except in what is called
honeymoon bridge" unless some
one makes blunder, as DR.. Jassny
did when playing against DR.. Nc
Hugh. The latter was in a three
heart contract. The player on his
left made an opening lead and the
dummy was spread. DR.. Jassny, the
player on the declarer's right, then
inadvertently also placed all his
cards face up on the table. Under
the rules, the declarer was then
privileged to call the play of each
card in the second dummy. He did
SO. but still was unable to make his
contract. DR.. McHugh is still try
ing to explain how he happened to
fail when he had that advantage.
The leagues master point game
resulted in big victory for James
G. Stone and John Darsey. They
had a .704 per cent game. Jack
Roster and r. H. Mullen were sec
ond and DR.. McHugh and DR.. w. H.
Gorton.
Jay Sourwine and Ray Kerr were
winners in the duplicate game at
the National Press Club on Monday
night. Mrs. r. Richards and Mrs.
L. c. Merrill were second, and Ned
Brooks and j. B. Latta, third.
Following its Red Cross benefit
game on December 81, the Federal
Bridge League will play two open
pair games on Tuesday nights dur
ing the holidays Membership in
the league is not necessary for
players in these games The second
half OF the leagues team of four
series will start in January.
Winners in the Washington
Bridge League were Mrs. j. R. Belt
and Mrs. H. Young, Miss Kathleen
McNutt and Mrs. Boschan, William
Cheeks and Mrs. r. H. Skinner.
The hand given below, about
which a Federal Bridge League
player asked last week, proved very
troublesome.
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