Summer is approaching and that means a lot of special club games coming up, in addition to the regularly scheduled tournaments.
Club qualifying rounds for the 2008-2009 North American Open Pairs will take place throughout the summer, with local games being sectionally rated. Competition continues through the district level and wraps up at the Spring North American Bridge Championships in Houston next March. There are four flights for different masterpoint categories.
The following clubs will run a variety of NAOP qualifying games during the summer, often concentrated in June. Call for details and game times.
The Denver Metro Bridge Club, 2186 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite D; Mike Thompson, owner-director, at 303-757-4774.
The Denver House of Cards, 1800 W. Oxford Ave., Unit G; Curt Soloff, director, at 303-781-6552 or 913-221-7245.
The Bridge Club, 2040 S. Oneida St., Suite 101; Marvel Heinsohn, owner-director, at 303-300-4850.
The evening of June 6 and afternoon of June 7 will see the Worldwide Bridge Contest, with bridge players around the globe playing the same hands at approximately the same time. Just as dummy comes down on a particular deal and you are wondering why on Earth your partner bid so much and how did we get so high, a player in Cairo or Calcutta or Canberra could be struggling with the same problem.
A really big percentage game can fetch a districtwide, nationwide or even worldwide ranking.
Scoring is “instant matchpoints” (predetermined) on a 100 top with hand analysis booklets after the game that will explain what you should or shouldn’t have done — excuse me, what your partner should or shouldn’t have done — and why you got the great or miserable score you did.
Instant exhilaration or instant despair.
The same three local clubs will host these games.
And naturally, tournaments are on tap.
The Durango Four Corners Sectional is June 6-8 at the Durango- LaPlata Senior Center, 2424 Main Ave. June 6 has single session Stratified Open Pairs at 1:30 and 7 p.m. with single session 299’er Pairs at 1:30 p.m. only. The first Knockout round is at 7 p.m.
June 7 has single and double session Stratified Open Pairs at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., with the second and third Knockout rounds same times. A single session 299’er Pairs will be held at 3 p.m.
The tournament concludes June 8 with playthrough Stratified Swiss Teams at 10 a.m.
Sectional tournaments are on tap for Denver July 10-13, Grand Junction Aug. 8-10, and Loveland Aug. 22-24.
New Plateaus: Congratulations to new Life Masters Jon Brandon of Denver and Wayne Heinke of Colorado Springs. Also to new Gold Life Master (over 2,500 masterpoints) Charlie Anderson of Louisville and new Silver Life Masters (over 1,000) William Burlage of Boulder, Andrea Kutscher of Longmont and Robert Lupton of Aurora.
