Newsletter 29 July 2022

 In this week’s newsletter...

  • Beginners Classes starting soon
  • COVID update
  • Results - GNOT Qualifying
  • Community Rewards through the Southern Cross Club
  • Upcoming Events - Save the date for Canberra in Bloom
  • Member Spotlight: Jeanette Harper 
  • Welcome Home Ian Morison
  • Tim's Swim with Vim
  • Lighter Moments

From the President

As I am sure you are all aware, there have been a number of Covid cases involving members of the Club. Please remember not to come to the Club if your are feeling unwell or if you have any symptoms of a cold or Covid.  Please  familiarise yourself with the Club’s Covid plan and checklist for members.

Just a reminder that the Club’s AGM is on Wednesday 5 October 2022 at 5.30. All members are welcome at the AGM.

Stay safe and enjoy your bridge.

Margaret

 

 

Vale Denis Grahame

The funeral for Denis is 10am  Monday 1 August at The Chapel, Gold Creek. Refreshments follow at The Verandah, Alivio Tourist Park at noon.  

 

Beginner's Classes

Our next beginner’s classes start in August on 17 and 19 August.  We have two sets of classes -  Wednesday – 7pm to 9pm (generally for people who can't commit during the day) and Friday 10am to 12 noon.  The classes run for 6 weeks. If you know someone who would like to learn to play bridge please tell them about our classes.  They can register interest on the club website or by talking to the managers. The cost is $69. 

Encouraging a younger cohort of players is beneficial and will ensure succession planning for our great game.  So if you know someone that you think may be interested in learning please consider a gift of lessons or just plant the seed that face-to-face lessons kickoff in the middle of next month.  There are 41 takers presently so this is great news for the club and bridge! Covid willing...

 

Sessions in the Club and on RealBridge are outlined below

Upcoming Sessions

Our weekly sessions are the same as last week:

  • Monday morning 10.00am at the club
  • Monday 2.00 pm (24 boards) RealBridge
  • Monday 7.00 pm RealBridge
  • Tuesday afternoon 1.00pm at the club
  • Tuesday 7.15pm event RealBridge - Swiss Pairs - 3 week competition commencing 2 August
  • Wednesday morning 10.00am at the club
  • Wednesday morning 10.15am RealBridge
  • Wednesday evening supervised at the club 7pm (18 boards following lesson) 
  • Wednesday evening 7.15pm at the club including GNOT finals 
  • Thursday morning 10.00am at the club - Butler and walk in duplicate
  • Thursday afternoon 2.00pm (24 boards) RealBridge
  • Friday morning supervised 9.30am at the club (18 boards following lesson) 
  • Friday morning walk-in session 9.30am
  • Friday afternoon 1.00pm at the club
  • Friday afternoon 1.15pm RealBridge
  • Saturday afternoon 1.15pm RealBridge

Watch the newsletters and website for advice on face-to-face sessions at the club, and RealBridge sessions as these are fluid, depending on COVID developments and demand.  At this stage it is intended that the Monday and Thursday afternoon RealBridge sessions will continue indefinitely.  

Member table money will be deducted from players CBCPay accounts. Visitors' fees will be paid for by their member-partner, or via prior arrangement by emailing the office.

Cost: face-to-face $10 members/ $13 visitors, concession $9.  RealBridge $8 members and $7 concession (including event) $10 visitors

Links to sessions are on our RealBridge page.

  

COVID Update

The CBC COVID-19 Safety Plan and Checklist for Players have been updated.  The updated versions are available on the website.  Please read both documents to refresh your memory about the Club's COVID-19 protocols.  Everyone has a role to play in keeping our clubrooms as COVID-safe as possible for all.  Please wear a face mask that securely covers your nose and mouth.

 

August Supervised Sessions happening Wednesday nights and Friday Mornings at the Club

We run supervised duplicates on Wednesday evenings starting at 7.00pm and Friday mornings starting at 9.30 am.  

Each duplicate is preceded by a short lesson. 

  • Slam bidding, Blackwood:  3 Aug and 5 Aug
  • More slams:  10 Aug and 12 Aug
  • Reverses: 17 Aug and 19 Aug
  • Declarer play:  Planning and play points:  24 Aug and 26 Aug
  • Declarer play – entries and order of play: 31 Aug and 2 September

If you are interested, please come along.  You don’t need a partner.   There is no need to book.  If you would like a copy of the notes, please contact Morag Lokan.  Morag’s email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Master the Basics

 Master the Basics virtual lessons are on Thursdays at 9.00am. The topic next week is Declarer Play - Entries, Order of Play - something even experienced players struggle with at times. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you want to be added to the Zoom class. $6 for members and $8 for non-members. The lessons run for 30 minutes.  

Please note there won't be a lesson on 11 August as Barb is away.  

 

Competitive Bidding and Play

If you are new to duplicate bridge and find competitive bidding a challenge this 4 week course is a must.  Over 4 weeks we will cover doubles, overcalls, leads and signals.  These sessions start on Tuesday 30 August and finish on Tuesday September 20.   The classes run from 10am to 12 noon. We start with a lesson and then play practice hands.

This course will be run face-to-face in the club rooms.  Cost is $15 per lesson or $55 for all 4 paid in advance. EFT to BSB 032730  Acct 355176.  In the Reference field please put "Compbidplay" and ABF number please

 

Results 

 GNOT Qualifiers

 1.  David & Julia Hoffman, Richard Brightling & Pam Crichton

2.  George Kozakos, David Appleton, Stephen Fischer & Andrew Spooner

3.  Michael Waters, Bernie Cullen, Niek Van Vucht & Bruce Crossman

4.  Jennifer, Malcolm & Lyn Carter & Ruitian Lang

Semi-Finals and Finals will kick off on Wednesday 3 August at 7.15pm face to face at the club.  The Kahler team will make up the four, as the first placed qualifiers won't continue due to international travel commitments.  

 

Upcoming Events

  

The 7th World Youth Transnational Teams kick off in in Salsamaggiore 7 to 14 August.  Josh Tomlin and Andrew Spooner are travelling to compete.  We wish them well. 

 

Upcoming Tuesday Evening RealBridge Tournaments

There are a range of other RealBridge tournaments coming up in August, September and October:

Swiss Butler Pairs incorporating the Ted Crichton Mixed Pairs Championships for 3 weeks on 2, 9 & 16 August.  Entries close 10am on Monday 1 August.  Late entries at the discretion of the Tournament Director.  

Swiss Match Point Pairs on 23 and 30 August

Butler Pairs on 6,13 and 20 September

Teams on 27 September and 4 October and 

Butler Pairs on 10 and 17 October.  

  

 Wagga Wagga Bridge Club 42nd Annual Congress

The Wagga Wagga Bridge Club is holding its Annual Congress on Friday19th, Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st of August. There are entry forms at the club.  

 

Ballarat Annual Congress

 Ballarat Bridge Club has extended an invitation to us to play at their Annual Congress, Saturday 10th September and Sunday 11th September at the Ballarat Bridge Club 1001 Eyre Street, Ballarat Central .

The Congress Director is Martin Wilcox. Entries on Bridge Unlimited   www.bridgeunlimited.com .

Convenor Bruce Morley This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

$25.00 cash, per person per day, payable at Ballarat Bridge Club on the day.

BYO lunch, morning and afternoon tea will be provided. Drinks and nibbles at presentation at the end of each day.

Saturday Swiss Pairs (9.30 am registration) 10.00 am start - SWISS PAIRS

Sunday (9.30 am registration) 10.00 am start – TEAMS

 

Canberra in Bloom - save the date

This is a placeholder for your calendars.  BFACT is holding Canberra in Bloom from Friday 30 September to Monday 3 October inclusive at our club rooms. Save the dates!  Further info to follow in due course.  The Supervised session will run as per normal.  

Support us while Dining at the Canberra Southern Cross Club

CBC has recently reentered the Southern Cross Community Rewards Program. This Community Rewards Program rewards patrons and their preferred community groups.  

The club can earn up to $20,000 per year through the program. Those groups who are the most successful in the program have higher visitation to the CSC venues at Woden, Tuggeranong, Jamison and the Yacht Club.

7.5% of your food and beverage at the Southern Cross Club will be donated back to us as your preferred Community Group on your Canberra Southern Cross Club membership.  So if you are a member of the  Southern Cross Club and want to make us your favoured community organisation please indicate on this link and we will all be enriched!  

Non CBC members can also nominate us as their preferred community group, so please tell your friends and neighbours

 

The Dead or the Brave: Ian Morison

 Here is an interesting hand for card play:

Dealer N, both Vul

                                                       J98653

                                                           10

                                                            -

                                                        KJ10874

 AQ                                                                                                   K2

QJ652                                                                                              AK87

J843                                                                                                 AK72

 53                                                                                                     AQ9

 

                                                      1074

                                                       943

                                                  Q10965

                                                       62

The Bidding

1. North opened 2S. [Some would say with a second suit, this is wrong, but I like it as it puts pressure on the opponents]

2. East doubled – a big hand!

3. South passed [Maybe if Not Vul you would go 3S or 4S, just to make things hard, but you are Vul]

4. West bid 3H, and before long EW were in 6H by West

The Play

5. North led CJ [I would have led SJ]

6. West must take stock straight away. There are 2 potential losers in Diamonds, hopefully just 1 loser

7. And there is a loser in Clubs if the finesse does not work

8. It is easy to think – ‘I will play CA and then worry about the future later’. But this is lazy – you must be brave and take the finesse straight away. It is 50:50 (maybe a bit less due to North’s 2S bid and the Club lead - why would anyone underlead CK?). But you have no choice. So, you finesse, and magically it holds

9. Then you clear out trumps

10. It is now time to think about Diamonds. You have 8 and are missing 5 of them. The DQ could well fall (if it is singleton or doubleton) or if Diamonds are 3:2, then the long Diamond will make

11. Diamonds could break many ways including as follows:

  • N             Q10965                                  S              –
  • N             Q1096                                    S              5
  • N             Q109                                      S              65
  • N             Q10                                        S              965
  • N             Q                                            S              10965
  • N             -                                              S              Q10965

 12. The above are not the only way the Diamonds could lie, but a good example of how they might break

13. You cannot finesse the DJ in the normal way, by leading it up to DA and DK, as you are missing D10 and D9

14. But you plan to reverse finesse – first you play DA and DK, hoping they break 3:2 or DQ falls. Then you will lead toward DJ. If they break 4:1 or 5:0, as long as that is not with North, you are safe. Given North opened 2S, it is likely that South will have more Diamonds, so you can be about 80% confident you will pick up the Diamonds

The Moral of the Story

15. Sometimes you must take a finesse early – do it! The problem will not go away

16. Then look at how you can set up your second suit (Diamonds). By analysing how many you are missing, and where they might lie, you have very good chance of making this slam

 

 Member Spotlight: Jeanette Harper

How long have you been a player/member? 

  •  Since 2014 at the Deakin Bridge Club.

Most memorable occasion at the club?

There's been a few:

  • I was playing in a Competition at the Club with Paul Haley. It came down to two couples. The other pair were much stronger than us. They made a mistake and we took out the event. It was very exciting game, as it was down to the wire.
  • Also coming second in the 2015 Swiss Pairs National Flighted Novice with Jenny Brogan; and 
  •  Gill Tidey and I took out the 2018 Federation Rose Pairs Novice

What do you do when you're not at the club?

  • I play bridge weekly and the Canberra Club, Deakin with my partner of 8 years, Gordon McAlary. I love bridge so when not at the club I also play bridge at the Commonwealth Club with friends on a monthly basis. I like organising bridge events and people to give lessons for the Club. I also run the Women’s International Club (WIC) Bridge Circle. We meet once a month at the Commonwealth Club. I have 40 women signed up, but usually only 20 to 28 women attend. I give them a lesson and then we play, finishing with a light lunch of sandwiches.

  • We travel to Sydney to see our families and grandchildren. Our grandchildren (2) cousins come and stay with us for a week each holidays, Covid permitting.  I still love to cook and entertain and love doing it with my grandchildren.

  • I am on the Women's Associate Committee at the Commonwealth Club. I organise some of the events for the Commonwealth Club. eg Escala Shoes and Creations Jewellers local businesses. Government House to view the gardens and talk. 
  • I attend St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. I do the flowers for the Church on a roster basis. I run a stall for them at their annual Fete. I collect bottles and bottle tops to be repurposed for the Church and community.
  • The Canberra Times recently published an article about and my involvement with the Black Sash in Pretoria, South Africa 1985 to 1988. I am now in correspondence with members of a South African Group, Pretoria, South Africa and a lady in Canberra.
  • Gardening was one of my passions but that was before I moved into The Grange, Deakin.

What’s your  favourite travel destination pre COVID?

  • Spain and France are our favourite travel destinations. My husband and I had a major car accident. I was badly injured and it took 4 years of of physiotherapy, 7 operations, plus lots of other medical appointments to recover as best as I could. I had the 6th and & 7th operation too close and lost a lot of memory. My husband and I like to travel by sea and do tours. He is my carer and this way he has a good rest.

What's your  favourite travel destination now?

  • Tasmania 

What’s the best thing about Canberra Bridge Club?

  • I received a call from a member to ask if I was okay as they had not seen me at the Bridge Club. I had been away on holidays. I thought this was so special and shows the care and camaraderie of the Club. 

Thanks for sharing with us Jeanette!

 

Tim's Swim With Vim

Every year Tim Mather tries to support research into Multiple Sclerosis or MS as it is known. This year is no exception and during the weekend of 6/7 August will find him journeying up and down the 50-metre swimming pool at AIS attempting to beat his record of 6 kilometres in 2 hours.

Tim requests financial support from members of Canberra Bridge club. If you are able, please go to his fundraising page at MS Mega Challenge - Tim Mather (www.msmegachallenge,org.au/fundraisers/timmather/mega-swim-canberra) to make a tax deductible donation to a worthy cause.

Last year he swam 5km with an injured shoulder but is now fully recovered from a shoulder reconstruction and hoping to better that distance.

Thank you in anticipation for any support you can give.

 

Lighter Moments

1. Johnny’s mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child's name?

Answer: Johnny, of course.

2. There is a tall man at the butcher shop, he is 2.2m tall, and he wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh?

Answer: Meat.

3. Before Mt. Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the world?

Answer: Mt. Everest; it just hadn’t been discovered.

4. How much dirt is there in a hole that measures two feet by three feet by four feet?

Answer: There is no dirt in a hole.

5. What word in the English Language is always spelled incorrectly?

Answer: Incorrectly

6. Billy was born on December 28th, yet his birthday is always in the winter. How is this possible?

Answer: Billy lives in the Northern Hemisphere.

7. In Sydney, you cannot take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why not?

Answer: You can't take pictures with a wooden leg. You need a camera to take pictures.

8. What was the US President's Name in 1975?

Answer: Same as is it now – Joe Biden

9. If you were running a race, and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now?

Answer: You would be in 2nd. Well, you passed the person in second place, not first.

10. Which is correct to say, "The yolk of the egg are white" or "The yolk of the egg is white"?

Answer: Neither, the yolk of the egg is yellow

11. If a farmer has 5 haystacks in one field and 4 haystacks in the other field, how many haystacks would he have if he combined them all in another field?

Answer: One. If he combines all of his haystacks, they all become one big one

 

Collectively we are greater than the sum of our parts.  

 

Tamara (for Kerry and Tamara)