Newsletter 20 January 2023
In this week’s newsletter...
- President's Message
- Summer Festival of Bridge Update
- Supervised Lessons resume 1 and 3 February
- Master the Basics Lessons resume 2 February
- Competitive Bidding and Play - 7, 14, 21 and 28 February - Great for intermediate and novice players
- Coming Soon - State Open Pairs - Entries close on Thursday!
- Calling all sweethearts for the Not-Quite-Valentine's Day Congress - Saturday 11 February
- Illawarra 2023 Bridge Congress - Calendar notice
- Notes from a Novice on the Summer Festival of Bridge - Bricet Kloren
- Lighter Moments
President's Message
How time flies when you are having fun. It seems only yesterday the SFOB was beginning and yet here we are in the blink of an eye coming to the end. CBC achieved mixed success but I hope everyone enjoyed the camaraderie and learned from the experiences.
Our next congress will be taking place on Saturday February 11th when CBC will host an Almost Valentines Day Congress all day at the club. Details are again below in the Newsletter so please get on the phones or emails and organise yourselves into teams so you can enjoy a fun filled day full of love for your fellow humans while still enjoying bridge competition. There are categories for all standards of player with red points up for grabs. Refreshments will be provided at the conclusion, but lunch will not be provided. Delish in Deakin shops have advised they will remain open for attendees to purchase lunch if desired.
Now that we are into the swing of the year it behoves me to remind everyone that we are still having cases of Covid in the community, so if you have health issues please use appropriate measures to minimise your potential exposure.
Bridge is a fun game, play it in a way that everyone can enjoy themselves.
Tim Mather
Upcoming Sessions
Our weekly sessions are almost the same as last week. The Butler is back running on Thursday mornings assuming we have a viable number of tables.
Links to online sessions are on our RealBridge page.
Supervised play is on Wednesday evenings at 7pm and Friday mornings at 9.30am. An experienced player will be available during January to answer any questions.
If you want a partner, phone the office (6282 2382) or email the office a day or two beforehand and we will attempt to match you up with someone. For RealBridge sessions go to the link and chat with the Director if you need a partner.
Canberra Summer Festival of Bridge Update
The SFOB is the ABF’s premier event with the Seniors and Womens Playoffs, The TBIB Open Pairs, the South West Pacific Teams, the National Open Teams and a number of other events for all levels of players.
CBC members have excelled!
Chris Stead and partner third in Chris Diment Swiss pairs.
In the Novice MP Swiss pairs:
1. Leonie Jones and Brenda Watt
2. Bricet Kloren and Hilary Merrit
3. Jenny Bell and Ian Vickers
A clean sweep by CBC members! And then Murray Campbell and John Reis were top under 20MPs, Congratulations Murray and John!
Christy Geromboux and Sebastian Yuen were 5th in the Mixed Swiss Pairs
The National Life Master Teams was taken out by Trevor Berenger, Ian Dalziell, John Donovan and Terry Heming.
Rowan Corbett and Robin Erskine placed fourth in the Penline Swiss Pairs.
Jayne Francis and Kate Ward were third in the Novice Swiss Pairs.
John Knight and teammates came third in the under 750MP teams.
Michael Cullen, Bernie Waters, Malcolm Carter and teammate and George Kozakos and teammates made to the Senior Teams Playoff Finals.
Jodi Tutty, Judith Tobin and teammates came second in the Women's Teams.
In the South West Pacific Teams, Michael Smart's team has made the playoffs. A number of other teams (Mullamphy, Hoffman and Tutty) narrowly missed the payoffs
Congratulations to all the winners and everyone who participated! Bridge is richer for the event going ahead so smoothly! See also the perspective of our own Bricet Kloren on her virgin Congress below.
Australian Championship Youth Pairs and Teams
Meanwhile the Australian Youth Championships were held in Narrabundah. Andrew Spooner took out the Youth Pairs (with partner Jamie Thompson)
In the Teams Spooner again excelled teaming with Jamie Thompson, Alan Stoneham & Mitch Dowling. Congratulations to Andrew!
Beginners Lessons
Beginners lessons start in February! Beginners are the lifeblood that benefits us all by continuing to succeed and foster this great game. Please encourage any newbies along the way with a smile, an encouraging word and patience. We were all beginners once! Our Beginners registrations are very healthy but there are still spare slots if you know anyone who would like to learn.
Supervised Lessons
Supervised Lessons resume in February! Wednesday night 1 February or Friday morning 3 February. A 15 minute lesson commences at 7pm and 9.30am respectively followed by up to 20 boards.
Here is the program for Feb
- 1/3 Feb: Pre-emptive openings
- 8/10 Feb: Weak 2D/2H/2S openings
- 15/17 Feb: Strong 2C openings
- 22/24 Feb: Slam bidding, Blackwood
Master the Basics
Master the Basics virtual lessons will resume on 2 February 2023 on Thursdays at 9.00am. Please email Barb Toohey if you want to be added to the Zoom class. It's $6 for members and $8 for non-members. The lessons run for 30 minutes.
Competitive Bidding & Play - kicks off Tuesday 7 February
Barb Toohey will again present face-to-face our Competitive Bidding and Play course this year. This is the next step after the beginners lessons, and is suitable for Novice & Supervised Players.
Each week is a 2-hour lesson on a Tuesday morning from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon and will cover an aspect of bidding or play when the opponents have opened or are playing the contract. Notes and practice hands will be included.
The topics each week will concentrate on:
- Doubles
- Overcalls
- Leads
- Signals
Costs are $15 each week or $55 for 4 weeks paid in advance. If you are making a specific payment please put your ABF number and CB&P in the reference field.
Upcoming Events
Coming soon - State Open Teams
This 3 week event starts on Thursday 26 January.
- Thursday Evenings at the club commencing 7:15pm: 26 Jan, 2 Feb and 9 Feb
- Exact format will depend on entries but either Swiss or Round Robin
- RED Masterpoint GW=5.0
- Cost: $13 for all BFACT members. CBC members can pay by CBCPay - visitors paid by partner's CBCPay or email the office upon registration to arrange payment.
- Pre-registration essential, before 10am Thursday 26 January
The Not-Quite-Valentines Day Congress
There are three sections for this full one day event - Open Teams | Novice & Restricted Butler Pairs. Sweethearts and non-sweethearts are all welcome!
- Novice Butler Pairs (<100MP per player)
- Restricted Butler Pairs (<300MP per player)
- Open Teams
- Red points
- Date: Saturday 11 February 2023
- Time: 9:30am start. Please be seated by 9:15am
- Cost: $24 (full member), $22 (concession), $14 (student). $26 Canberra-based non-members
Payment by CBC Pay (if registered), or by deposit to the CBC Bank Account. No cash on the day. - Venue: Canberra Bridge Club
- Director: Sebastien Yuen
- Enter online, closes 10am Thursday 9 February
Schedule:
- 9:30am Start of Play
- No lunch provided, but a longer lunch break. Donations for morning tea would be most welcome!
- 5:15pm Presentation & Refreshments
- Bring all the love you can!
Tasmanian Festival of Bridge
After a tree change?
The Tasmanian Festival of Bridge will be held in Hobart on 23-26th March 2023 at the new MyState Bank Arena in Glenorchy, 15 minutes north west of the Hobart city centre.
Information and entries are on:
https://www.myabf.com.au/events/congress/view/424.
New this year: a Rookies’ event and a very reasonably priced onsite Saturday evening dinner – a great chance to relax with fellow players.
March is a lovely time to be in Tasmania so if you want to experience Tassie, this is a great way to do it.
Save the Date: Illawarra Chris Diment Pairs and Teams - 17 and 18 June 2023
For more information visit Illawarra.bridgeaustralia.org or email MacRae. Online entry www.nswba.com.au.
Name Badge Orders
Anyone wanting a snazzy plastic coated name badge should pay $15 to the office. Paper laminate ones are free and Kerry and I are very happy to supply.
Notes from a Novice on the Summer Festival of Bridge - Bricet Kloren
Over the last two weeks, I participated in my first ever Bridge Congress and I am now a Congress convert!
Over the years, I have been peripherally aware of the better and more experienced bridge players seeking out country and coast congresses to test their mettle against other players. Occasionally, this cadre of players of calibre debunks to congresses which also double as selection trials for various representative pairs and teams. Unsurprisingly, Canberra Bridge Club players are regularly selected to travel to exotic, overseas locales to play more bridge.
Invariably players return, burnishing their pile of Gold Points and trophies, with stories of the great fun they’ve had, the people they met and the amazing bridge they played. It seems almost immaterial how well they’d played!
‘Not for this little black duck’, I thought, ‘I’m a very social and novice player, I enjoy club bridge, and I won’t ever be competent enough to play at a congress’.
I WAS SO WRONG!! I loved every moment of the SFOB!
I loved the buzz at the Rex, with thousands of bridge players from all over the country and the world! I was completely star struck sitting in the lobby gawking at bridge celebrities sweeping past with their entourages – ‘ZOMG, there goes Joan Butts, and Ron Klinger, and was that Andy Hung?’ I loved watching teams huddle over results, congratulating and commiserating with each other, checking whether slams were bid and made at the other table and how ‘they’ managed to score 70 IMPs against ‘us’. I loved meeting so many friendly people all dedicated to playing the best bridge they could.
The SFOB catered for novices to international level players and I felt totally at ease in the events I entered. I partnered Hilary M in the U100 masterpoint pairs, and we backed up with Diana K and Brenda W in the U300/U750 masterpoint teams. We all loved the experience!
I will definitely enter the SFOB again next year, but in the meantime, I think I’ll enter the Not Quite Valentine’s Day Congress on Saturday 11 February at the Club, and try to put a team together for the Canberra in Bloom Congress from 29 September to 2 October. Actually, there are some congresses in nice warm places over winter – I might just pencil them in …
Editorial note - Thanks Bricet! For a full list of what's on and where see the ABF calendar, watch for notices and dates on the congress table, the NSWBA website the QldBA website or here in the newsletter.
Lighter Moments
Stella shared the news that her young grandson was in awe of the fact that grannies actually get a granny flat when they come to live with the family. He thought this was awesome as all a dog gets is a dogflap.
Kindness is free -and we're already missing Jacinda Ardern as an inspiring compassionate leader!
Tamara (for Kerry and Tamara)
