Pair
Fare
News from Northwestern Illinois Unit 239
Editor: Karen Flood, St. Charles IL tkflood@comcast.net
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News from Northwestern Illinois Unit 239 Editor: Karen Flood, St. Charles IL tkflood@comcast.net
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Eight bridge aficionados have recently joined our unit. A warm welcome is extended to:
Delight Pitman, Dixon
Bob Thompson, East Dubuque
Ken Strappini, Fox River Grove
Barbara Helzing, Huntley
Carolyn Bailey, Rockford
Beverly and Douglas Giloy, Rockford
Bonnie Caswell, Sugar Grove
Meyer Abarbanel
provided quite a rich bridge history for this column as
he celebrates his Diamond Life Master status (5000 master points with at least
500 of those points being gold or platinum). He started playing duplicate in
college around 1965 and played for four or five years. Working full-time and
rearing a family did not allow him the time to continue playing. He resumed
playing duplicate bridge in January of 1990 and has been playing ever since.
Meyer plays at the Rockford Bridge Club two evenings a week and an occasional daytime game. He goes to three or four Sectionals and four or five Regionals per year as well as one National Tournament. He became a Life Master in December of 1993, a Bronze life master in January of 1995, a Silver Life Master in February of 1999, a Gold Life Master in August of 2007, and finally, became a Diamond Life Master in June of 2016. His Ruby Life Master status was never acknowledged since it was just recently introduced.
His advice to any new player is to play with several different partners. One can learn something new and different from each partner. Additionally novice players need to be in competition with the most seasoned players since playing against tougher competition will only improve one’s game. Another piece of Meyer’s advice is to always select partners who are equal or better than you. You will only learn more from these more seasoned partners.
Even serious bridge players have humorous experiences to share. While competing in a regional team game (the team consisting of Meyer and his partner and a spousal partnership), the husband asked the hotel staff if there was an available chair for his wife. The staff informed him that there was no chair available. Later that evening, the husband saw that a lobby chair was not being used. He proceeded to put the chair in the elevator and take it to his room for his wife to use. He didn’t realize that he was on camera! The hotel staff thought Meyer took the chair. The hotel staff proceeded to blackball Meyer’s partner, to whom the room was registered. In other words, he was not allowed to stay in other hotels of the same chain across the country.
Meyer shares a second story: He used to play against a very clever player. Whenever there was a two-way finesse situation, this player would try to fool his opponents. Meyer figured out that this opponent would pause if he did not have the missing honor. If he had the missing honor, he would duck smoothly. Therefore, Meyer determined that whenever he had a two-way finesse situation against him, he could make a guess for a 50% percentage play. On the other hand, by observing the opponent’s actions, Meyer could increase his odds to almost 100%.
On a more serious note, Meyer used to play bridge occasionally with his mother-in-law (hard to believe for some of the readers). They were playing on a Swiss team and won the event. They earned enough gold points for his mother-in-law to become a life master at the young age of 80. That was a thrill for both of them. The team picture showed her giving Meyer a kiss on the cheek. He feels this was a memorable event in his life.
For over 46 years Meyer has owned an insurance agency. The skills that he has developed from his profession have made him more organized. This, he believes, has improved his bridge skills over the years.
Meyer wishes to all readers “Good Luck” in their own bridge endeavors.
Rachel Campbell of Elgin recently reached Life Master and Bronze Life Master status at the Lake Geneva tournament in June.
Rachel played party bridge in college and gained her duplicate bridge skills from three mentors: Grace Selby, Flo Curry and Caroline Boklin. Her family includes a brother, sister and four nieces and nephews, and not a one of them play bridge.
Rachel graduated from the University of Illinois with a Master’s in Library Science. One book she hasn’t found is one that explains how she is able to go down one when everyone else makes an overtrick!
She encourages all non-Life Masters to “hang in there” as the cards will go your way sometime soon.
Other members who have advanced their standing in ACBL are:
New Junior Masters: Richard Houde, Huntley and Richa Haas, McHenry.
New Club Masters: Angela Franz, Cary; Greg Maccoubrey, Crystal Lake; Bruce Ferguson, Harvard.
New Sectional Masters: Nancy Esterl, Rockford; Carol Johnson, Saint Charles.
New Regional Masters: Gary Brigel, Aurora; Karen Miller, Crystal Lake; Eric Mayer, Richmond.
New NABC Master: Richard Pleniewicz, Byron; Barbara Nuckles, Machesney Park; Linda Murphy, Rockford; Ray Parnell, Wonder Lake .
New Life Master: Richard Howell, Aurora; Rachel Campbell, Elgin.
New Bronze Life Master: Richard Howell, Aurora; Joyce Gibson, Dixon; Rachel Campbell, Elgin.
New Silver Life Masters: David Bald, Geneva.
In Memoriam: John T. KinstUnit 239 lost one its most recognizable bridge players, John Kinst. John died unexpectedly on Friday, July 15, at Delnor Hospital in Geneva, Illinois. At the time of his passing, John had slightly over 8100 masterpoints.
John was a great supporter of bridge and Unit 239. He served as a Unit 239 Board of Governor’s Representative to the District 8 Board, and he was a recipient of the Unit 239 Goodwill Member of the Year Award. He played in all the club games and tournaments.
John had an unconventional approach to bridge and played with any level of player from rank beginner to national champion. One of his favorite toys was the canape overcall. At club games, John would never call the director, telling the opponent to forget the mistake. He would also do this at tournaments if he was playing against a beginner.
Many players in Unit 239 took bridge lessons from John. As a frequent opponent, this editor can attest that John was quick to offer encouragement and constructive criticism to those at the table. One of the first times I played against John he bid 3NT, which I doubled. He and I did not know one another and John gave me a nasty look, and I became unnerved. Well, in the end, John did not make his bid and said to me, “good double.” Another player in the room said to me, “You doubled John Kinst?” That’s when I realized that I was in the company of a very accomplished bridge player.
John not only loved to play and teach bridge, he was also a well-rounded athlete and taught tennis to children and adults. He was a Vietnam veteran, having served as a Marine officer. John is survived by his wife, Josephine, a son, Matthew, and many friends in the bridge community. John was a fixture at the bridge table and will be missed.