Gordon Lessells, the recently elected president of the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland, has become the country’s 35th grandmaster, having accumulated the required 1,000 national master points. A mathematician at the University of Limerick until his retirement, he is a native of Aberdeen, Scotland and a graduate of Oxford University. Before moving to Ireland in the 1980s he worked in Nigeria, where he organised that country’s first bridge congress. A competitor of the top rank, he has held a number of national titles and has played on Irish senior teams in home-international, European and World championships. He is a former secretary and treasurer of the Irish Bridge Union.
Joan Kenny, one of the country’s leading players and a regular member of Irish women’s teams, has been appointed Ireland’s representative on a newly established European Bridge League women’s dedicated committee, whose aims include to increase the number of female participants in EBL tournaments and to strengthen links with female players at all levels with a view to understanding and meeting their particular issues and needs. The committee’s slogan is: Fair play for women! Bridge is a game for all! Further information on cbai.ie.
RealBridge website and Bamsa (Bridge A Mind Sport for All), an academic research-led project that explores the social world of bridge and the benefits of mind-sports and is headed by Scottish international player Professor Samantha Punch from the University of Sterling are organising an online conference for bridge teachers, coaches and mentors on Saturday and Sunday next. Dermot O’Brien, chief executive officer of the CBAI, will be among the presenters. The conference will be recorded and made available online.
Ireland is included in the American Contract Bridge League’s offer of free online tuition to children. Classes begin today with times suitable for Irish participants. Details on cbai.ie.
Drogheda’s four-day congress will begin on Thursday evening with intermediate B, novice and open pairs’ competitions at the town’s ABCD centre, Fairgreen. Mixed and gala pairs events will be held on Friday evening while graded two-session pairs tournaments will be decided on Saturday, starting at 12.00 noon. The congress will end on Sunday when the open and intermediate team championships will commence at 11.00am. Sessions will be limited to 40 tables, the seating capacity of the centre. Pre-entry, which is required for all events, must include NBID numbers, to Peter Byrne 086-8049531 or email: pb1@outlook.ie.
