Newsletter 15 January 2026
In our newsletter this week...
- President's Message
- ABF Top 50 Most Improved Players for 2025
- Novice and Rookie Butler Championships
- Graded Butler Pairs Saturday
- New Members
- Wednesday Night Pizzas
- Youth Week Part One
- Upcoming Events
- Lighter Moments
President's Message
Welcoming Our 2026 Beginners
Our 2026 Beginners Lessons got off to a flying start last Wednesday, 7 January, with both morning and evening sessions full of eager new faces. We were excited to welcome around fifty newcomers, a wonderful sign that our late-2025 marketing campaign really hit the mark! Some brave souls even admitted they heard Alison and Vanessa on the radio and thought, “Why not give this bridge a go?”
We hope our beginners quickly discover the fun, challenge, and camaraderie that make bridge such a special game. If you see any new faces around the club, please take a moment to say hello and help them feel part of our friendly community.
Reminder About Room Arrangements
To ensure all players can participate comfortably, room arrangements continue to alternate depending on accessibility needs. January and February Beginner lessons are in the Barry Turner Room, as the Olive Lott Room is not currently wheelchair accessible. Wednesday morning Open sessions will continue upstairs in the Olive Lott Room.
Thank you for your patience and consideration during these temporary adjustments, helping everyone enjoy bridge safely and comfortably. If you have any questions about the arrangements, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
SFOB - A Quick Heads-Up About Our Directors
Over the next 12 days, many of our regular directors will be playing in the Summer Festival of Bridge. Bridge at the club continues as usual, so please be kind and patient with our fill-in directors, they are here to make sure your games run smoothly! I would also like to extend a special thank-you to Jennifer and Brett Yeats for assisting with office inquiries while Elizabeth enjoys a couple of days off playing.
Good luck to all our members playing, and, most importantly, have fun! And remember, in bridge, it’s perfectly fine to win with a smile or lose with one too. 😊
- Mary
ABF Top 50 Most Improved Players for 2025
Congratulations to following members who have made the Top 50 Most Improved Players for 2025:
• Becconsall, Craig
• Cherbuin, Jacques
• Minogue, Liam
• Michael, Sharon
• Chowdhury, Zara
• Meares, Nicola
• Birkby, Paul
• Birkby, Debra
They have also made the McCutcheons rank which lists players who have earned the most masterpoints within their category nationally.
Craig Becconsall was ranked first in the Silver Local Category and he was also ranked 2nd overall most improved player for 2025.
Canberra Bridge Club Novice and Rookie Butler Championships
This pairs event crowns the club Rookie and Novice champions. To be eligible for the championship, players must have less than 100 masterpoints each and to win either title you need to be a CBC member. Red masterpoints will be awarded. The Rookie category cutoff will be determined based on the number of entries.
- Saturday 7th February 9:45am - 5:15pm
- Cost to be charged on the day: $24 members, $20 concession, and $30 non members.
- Entries close 5-00pm on Tuesday 3rd February
- Click here to Register
Players who have more than 100 masterpoints will be entered into a graded pairs side event, with the categories based on the number of entries.
Graded Butler Pairs Saturday
On Saturday the 7th February CBC will hold alongside the Novices and Rookie Championship, a mini congress style Pairs Day where players of all abilities will get to play in graded pairs competitions.
This event starts at 9-45am. It will finish around 5-15pm. It will be run over two sessions and scored using imps converted to VPs.
There will be a lunch break of about 1 hour. Please bring your own lunch as many of the cafes at Deakin shops are shut at Saturday lunchtime. At the end of play there will be drinks and nibbles with the winner presentations.
- Enter now through myABF
New Members
Canberra Bridge Club welcomes the following new and returning members to our club:
- Lynleigh Evans
Wednesday Night Pizzas
The Wednesday night pizzas provide the opportunity for social interaction while enjoying a pizza sampling. It provides a great opportunity to talk to and socialise with your fellow players, which is not always the case when engaged in playing bridge.
- 28th January - 6:30pm
- $5 payable on the day for half a pizza
Those wishing to partake should place their name on a list on the noticeboard or contact Jon Pike directly. His email is
Cheers
Jon
Youth Week Part One
The 2026 Australian Youth Bridge Championships better known as “Youth Week” is in full swing. The ACT region is well represented with 16 players competing in the main events and our very own Daryl Whitfield as Director.
It began with the Australian Youth Pairs on Saturday and Sunday on 10-11 January. Liam, Zara and Jade qualified for the the Pairs Finals with Jade and Taydon Gold (VIC) having a massive second session of 66.8% to finish third overall.
Dev and Diya were second in the Pairs Consolation and Jess, Byron, Max and Alexis scored over 51%.
Monday and Tuesday continued with the Australian Youth Teams. 16 teams competed overall playing 15 x 7 board matches over two days. The team of Liana Wilsmore, Annabelle Louys, Aaron Kendal and Alexander Wilkinson made a heroic effort, playing all 105 boards. Annabelle has never played in a bridge session before and Aaron has only played in supervised and all of the players are under 12!
Natalee White (15) was a very considerate team mate to Reya Shah (9), Sam White (13) and Ashley Matheison (9).
Upcoming Events
The next Tuesday night competition Hugh Hudson Butler Pairs starts on 27th January and runs for 3 weeks, click below to register:
Lighter Moments
- I entered the world kleptomaniac championship tournament. I took gold, silver and bronze.
- I recently took part in the World Innuendo Championships. It wasn't long before I got pulled off
- Thousands of people have made it to the finals of the world limbo championship. Apparently the bar was set too high
- What could be the reason for separating male and female chess championships? In case they mate
- Did you hear that they're broadcasting the World Origami Championships? It's on paper-view.
- I'm thinking of starting a marsupial fighting championship
- I'll call it mortal wombat
Don't forget to sign up for our 7th February play bridge on Saturday event. We are hoping to get a big field in each of the categories, this should be a very exciting day and a reminder that the CBC Novice and Rookie Championship is an Honor Board Event.
Best of luck to everyone at the SFOB!
Elizabeth
