June 2024 - 7

IN Box
What a thrill!
Although the recent Spring North
American Bridge Championships in
Kentucky wasn't my first, it was still
incredibly exciting.
Why, you ask? Well, my partner and
I made it to the finals of the President's
Cup North American Pairs,
Flight C. Although we didn't clinch the
victory, someone from our state did.
Furthermore, the tournament
boasted impressive attendance, a
refreshing change from the sparse
turnouts we've seen since the pandemic
began. I took the opportunity
to note the places of origin of all our
opponents. My partner and I faced
off against pairs from 28 states and
five provinces of Canada. We even
went up against a remarkably skilled
10-year-old and his father.
Despite the intensity of the competition,
everyone we encountered was
pleasant, and there was a palpable
sense of camaraderie. It was truly a
testament to the spirit of the NABC.
Hooray!
DEBORAH J. WILLIAMS
Nanuet NY
NABCs: Attracting
newer players
I enjoyed playing in the two national
events for players under 2500
masterpoints at the NABC in Louisville.
I know that adding events
to the national schedule is difficult,
but limited-masterpoint national
events can be used to draw in newer
players to the NABCs. There should
be similar events at every nationals
for under-500, under-2500 and
under-6000 players. The actual limit
is unimportant; the key is for players
to feel they have a chance to win a
limited national event.
I see there is a new 0-2500 Pairs
at the 2024 Fall NABC in Las Vegas.
I encourage the Board to also add
0-500 or 0-750 events as well to
draw in newer players. I hope the
Board understands that this is an
opportunity to grow attendance at
the NABCs and give these new events
a chance to attract players.
KEITH HAFEN
Gainesville VA
It's not that bad
I certainly emphasize with Hoyt
Goodrich's Letter to the Editor in the
April issue ( " Bad online behavior " ).
I'm a regular player of all types of
games on Bridge Base Online. I know
what he is talking about. However,
one must realize that bridge is no
different than any other activity. You
will always meet nice and not-so-nice
people. It's just a fact of life.
Here is what I do: Anytime I play
casual bridge and I'm partnered
with a nice, friendly person, I go to
their profile and click " Follow. " This
way, anytime they are online, their
profile pops up, and I try to play with
one of them. I have made some nice
partner connections and eliminated
the stress of being stuck with some
arrogant individual.
MARIO ROVINELLI
Sudbury ON
Switching off autopilot
Two recent articles emphasize the
huge benefits of bridge to the human
brain: Donald Caplin's Letter to the
Editor in the March issue and Jeff
Carp's feature article in the Insight
section of The Toronto Star form
April 14.
Caplin's letter, featuring John
Raimondi's active effort to ward off
hereditary Alzheimer's by learning to
play bridge, is especially relevant for
aging ACBL members. Carp's article
focuses on overcoming ADHD by
learning to " pinch your brain. "
Although exercises like Sudoku and
crossword demand focus, top bridge
players, like expert chess masters,
must push their brains to a more
alien zone. This rare focus apparently
" burns off old neurons, facilitates
new neural pathways and enhances
synaptic connections. " Put more simply,
" the work involves interrupting
... the 'low energy brain' state [that is]
your brain on autopilot. "
Even though bridge, unlike, say,
euchre, uses the full deck (thereby
allowing for absolute counting), most
players function on automatic pilot,
simply " pulling cards " according to
the basic tenets of the game.
But what happens to the brain
when a declarer or defender stops to
count, to draw inferences, to make
deductions? Often, the " thinker " will
shut down any brain pollution by
eliminating outside stimuli. In my
limited experience, the most extreme
example of this need for absolute concentration
occurred at a London (ON)
Regional a few decades back. Brooke
Nelles, a local expert, was our teammate.
He had found himself in an
impossible-looking slam. He left the
table, stepped outside for five minutes,
and returned ... having worked
out the only lie of the cards that could
ensure success.
Yes, bridge can be played and
enjoyed solely on automatic pilot.
But higher levels of the game encourage
- nay, demand - an exercise that
we rarely employ, namely, turning a
switch in our brain to ultra-active.
This state of concentration may be
annoying to other players; the need
for time, space, a kind of internal
hiding, indeed, absolute isolation to
allow the brain to work at its highest
level.
Check out your local club. How
often do you encounter players who
stop, count and analyze? If we are to
derive the maximum benefits from
bridge, we must take these special
moments to think.
BRIAN THOMAS
North Bay ON
June 2024 | Bridge Bulletin |
7
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June 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2024
