Evening star., 1943-01-10
Bv Frank B. Lord


transferred from Alexandria to
Washington because Of war condi-
tions, and originally set for early
in January and later advanced to
the 22d, 23d and Oath of this month,
has again been postponed until the
last week of February Several rea-
sons made the change necessary.
In the first place it was the desire
of William Cheeks who has charge
of the arrangements to hold 1t in the
New Statler Hotel, but 1t has been
found that the hotel will not be
fully equipped to entertain the meet
in January, and further the January
dates would be too close to the Bal
timore tournament which is to oc-
cur during the first week end of Feb
ruary. The Harrisburg tourney is
scheduled for the following week,
and as there are some players who
would like to attend it, if possible,
1t was thought best to defer the
Northern Virginia event until the
last week in February.
The only other change in the
program which may be made is the
substitution of A. NJ Sobel as di-
rector in place of Capt. Russell j.
Baldwin. There is a possibility that
Capt. Baldwin's Army duties may
prevent him from taking part in
the tournament in which event Mr..
Sobel will ofnciate. Mr.. Sobel, who
is the ACBL's new director has
been i'll in the South for several
weeks, but Is rapidly improving and
it Is believed that he will be able to
be here on the dates now fixed.
Mr.. Cheeks and Capt. Baldwin
have conferred with the manage
ment Of the New Statler and have
received assurances that the hotel
will provide the bridge players with
one Of the most attractive settings
that any tournament has ever had
in Washington. There will be four
sessions of the three-day program
with mems game and a women's
game played simultaneously on Fri
day night, mixed pair game on
Saturday night and an open pair
game in two sessions on Sunday.
This will be an elimination game
with a special consolation game in
the evening for those pairs which
fail to qualify in the opening round.
The usual team-of -four game will be
omitted as was done at the tourna-
ment of the Washington Bridge
League in order to shorten the
schedule.
The War Ohpans' Fund of the
American Contract Bridge League,
which is being promoted by Secre-
tary William E. McKenney, will be
the beneficiary of the tournament.
The local Norfolk tournament Is
being concluded in the tidewater
city today with a two-session open
pair game. The program began on
Friday. Among the Washington
players participating are William
Cheeks and Fred Schinwald. The
open-pair trophy was won last year
by Mr., and Mrs. Cheeks. Owing to
illness Mrs. Cheeks was unable to
play with her husband in defending
title to it, and Mr.. Schinwald. a for
mer New York bridge star, was sub
stituted.
Although suffering reverses which
caused them to have less than an
average game in the sectional playoff
OF the Federal Bridge League on
Tuesday night, the Hamlin team was
able to retain leadership in the first
division by margin OF four boards
In view of the fact that there are
only "a more boards to be played in
the playof series, it seems probable
that, barring an unforeseen disaster,
the team will win the half season
prize in its division.
The Yankee Clippers whose play
throughout the season series has
been marked by the use OF the mcdi-
fled open two bid which most other
teams have not employed, made a
Jump to second place displacing the
Vain team. The Skyrockets who fig
ured strong in the season series,
holding second place through all ex-
cept three sessions. dropped below
average to tie with the Justice,
Mixed Party and Federal teams. Top
score for the evenings play was
made by the Cascades who wen IA
out Of "a boards and advanced to a