It is not quite true to say that I knew Dan for 44 years. We became friends as students in 1978 but after Uni we lost touch and it was only when he started playing regularly at the Deva (2018?) that we rekindled our friendship.

You probably knew him as a large, shaggy (and sometimes unkempt) presence at the bridge table who bamboozled you with his accurate and detailed analysis of every board. The Danny that I knew as a student and Dan latterly (I could never quite bring myself to call him Daniel.) was warm-hearted, generous, friendly and sometimes private, shy and lacking in confidence.

I was told that he started playing at the Deva (with Colin Humphrey) after his confidence had been shattered by the break up of another partnership but you would never know that. Colin and I were among those who tried (with mixed results) to help him with the social side of bridge.

Things you may (or may not) know about Dan:

• He was a lifelong Everton season ticket holder – initially with his father, Dixie (no prizes for guessing who he was named after!) and then with his son – and had a massive programme collection.
• He was a devoted German shepherd owner and rescue volunteer.
• He gave his time freely and generously to support the game, working tirelessly to support club and county events and player development.

The county has lost a brilliant bridge player. I (and doubtless many others) have lost a valued friend.

Simon Anderson

Merseyside and Cheshire Bridge Association are keen to encourage players of any ability, to join in and enjoy, friendly and competitive bridge competitions, run by “Our County”

On Sunday February 12th 2023, we have an event called “Swiss Pairs”. For those who are unfamiliar with this format, it is great fun. It is played in a similar fashion to an ordinary club night pairs, but structured into mini matches and after each round you will be allocated to play next against a pair with a similar score. This means you will always be playing a pair who are performing at a similar standard to you and your partner.

This competition is open to all players however your partnership/individual NGS rating should not be higher than a Ten. This will make it a more level playing field and hopefully encourage more experienced players to ask somebody less experienced to play, without either player being advantaged or disadvantaged.

** Date of 12th February postponed.

** NEW DATE TO BE CONFIRMED.

NUMBER OF BOARDS 25 (5 five board matches)
ENTRY PER PERSON $5 (BBO dollars)

For many years counties have been allowed to run two one-day, green-pointed open competitions each year. For Merseyside & Cheshire these have been the John Armstrong Swiss Pairs and the Eric Howarth Teams (all-play-all not Swiss). In 2023, faced with a dramatic proliferation of online competitions, the EBU has changed its rules and counties will no longer be able to run these events online. We could still run these competitions as face-to-face events but do not feel that this is a viable option at the present time with recent trends in the numbers signing up to play.

We want to keep these competitions (and the names associated with them) alive in Merseyside & Cheshire so have decided that, for 2023, we will run them as single session events on Thursday evenings. The Eric Howarth Trophy will be held as a on RealBridge on the evening of Thursday 9th March with scheduling of the John Armstrong Swiss Pairs on 18th May on BBO.

Full details and entry forms for the Eric Howarth will be posted in mid-January.

If you have any comments about this plan or suggestions about events you would like the county to consider running then please make contact by email.

Stephen Downes, Tournament Committee Chairman
downes75@yahoo.com

The Chester Congress is taking place at the Deva Bridge Club on Saturday 28th (pairs) and Sunday 29th (teams) January 2023.

For details, and to enter, click here.

The North Wales Congress will be taking place (also in Chester) on the weekend of 25th and 26th March 2023.

For details, see the flyer here.

It is with great pleasure that we can report that Bernard Kaye, a long standing servant of the game, has been recognised by the EBU with the Dimmie Fleming award.

The citation submitted by the County reads as follows:

Bernard has been a member of the County Executive committee for the last 8 years including a period of four years when he was the Treasurer. Prior to joining Merseyside and Cheshire, Bernard worked in Bridge administration for over forty years.  

While in the London area, he was Secretary of the London Banks Bridge Association and both the Chairman and Treasurer of the Tottenham League. After moving to the Northwest, Bernard was the Treasurer and Membership Secretary of the Manchester County Association.

He is currently Chairman/Co-ordinator of the Northern Bridge League. And was an EBU Shareholder for several years

 It is also worth mentioning that Bernard is an accredited EBTA teacher who has brought many beginners into the game.

Here, Bernard is seen being presented with the award at a ceremony in London.

Hearty Congratulations to Merseyside Bridge Centre team on a narrow victory over Bebington the M&C Cup which is restricted to J High NGS players.

Winning team:   Linda Bennett, John Griffith, Margaret Howe and Mike Greatbach

Runners-up: Mark Madeley, Jackie Theeten, Carole Roberts and Peter Middlehurst