The summer months feature the usual array of special games at local clubs. The sectionally rated qualifying rounds for the 2009-10 North American Pairs will be held throughout the summer, with an extra concentration in June. Competition continues through the District 17 finals and culminates for a lucky few at the Spring North American Bridge Championships in Reno in March.
The Worldwide Pairs are on tap the evening of June 5 and afternoon of June 6. The same hands will be played nearly simultaneously by bridge players around the world.
A big enough game fetches you a spot on the districtwide standings, and a truly phenomenal game could put you on the worldwide leader board. Worldwide fame and fortune!
Well, not actually. There are no monetary rewards, just a little extra recognition inside the bridge world.
Hosting clubs for the North American Pairs are the Bridge Club (303-300-4850) and the Denver House of Cards (303-781-6552), both at 1800 W. Oxford Ave., and the Denver Metro Bridge Club (303-757-4774) at 5250 Leetsdale Drive, Suite 135. Only the Denver Metro Bridge Club will host the Worldwide Pairs.
Two Colorado sectional tournaments are on the schedule in June and July.
The Durango Four Corners Sectional is June 5-7 at the LaPlata Senior Center at 2424 Main Ave. June 5 has single-session Stratified Open Pairs at 1:30 and 7 p.m. with 299’er Pairs at 1:30 p.m. and first Knockout round at 7 p.m.
June 6 has double-session Stratified Open Pairs at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (single-session entries permitted) with second and third Knockout rounds same times. The tournament ends June 7 with Stratified Swiss Teams, playthrough at 10 a.m.
The Denver summer tournament is July 9-12 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Auditorium, 15200 W. Sixth Ave.
July 9 has Board-a-Match Teams at 7 p.m. July 10 has Bracketed Knockouts at 8:45 a.m. and 1 and 7 p.m. plus single-session Stratified Open Pairs and Stratified 199’er Pairs at both 1 and 7 p.m.
July 11 has double-session Stratified Open Pairs at the earlier starting times of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. with single-session Stratified 199’er Pairs same times. The tournament concludes July 12 with Stratified Swiss Teams and 199’er Swiss, playthrough at 10 a.m.
Winners:
These were upper-division winners at the Longmont sectional tournament earlier this month:
Judy Hummel and Jerry Curtright, both of Colorado Springs, won both single-session Stratified Open Pairs events with the double-session championship going to Paul Witonsky of Denver and Barbara O’Grady of Centennial.
Top-bracket Knockout winners were Steve and Kitty Cooper, Jon Gustafson and Varis Carey, all of Fort Collins, plus Larry Matheny of Loveland.
Swiss Teams victors were Jan Janitschke and Bonnie Smith, both of Littleton, and Curt Soloff and Garth Yettick, both of Denver.
Overtricks:
With victory in the Jacoby Open Swiss Teams at the Spring North American Bridge Championships in Houston, Bob Hamman of Dallas, the second- ranked player in the world, now has 50 national championships to his credit.
