Newsletter - May 2026

NEW MEMBERS

CLUB NOTICES

2026 Annual General Meeting

The AGM was held in the last few weeks of April. The committee from 2025 was returned unopposed with no other nominations received. The highlights of the AGM were:

- same committee returned with a minor change in role with Terry Dunne relinquishing the role of Secretary and this being taken by Robyn Rogers

- the outstanding result for the Committee was the merging of the Rollers Club with the Bridge Club and the securing of a "forever" home for the Bridge Club

- Appointment of Honorary Solicitors - The President confirmed that the Club’s current solicitor, Michael Giugni of Austin Giugni Martin Pty Ltd indicated his willingness to be reappointed.

- Appointment of Auditors The Club has received advice from the current auditors, Christopher Coote & Company, that they are willing to continue.

- Leo Goorevich Trophy - The President announced that there would be a new event for Intermediate players based on performance throughout the year over a number of events. The event is to be named the Leo Goorevich Trophy, in honour of Leo Goorevich, who has been, and remains, a stalwart of the Club

- The President Sharon Thompson thanked individual Committee members for their contributions, to the many volunteers for their contributions, the employees of the Club from Mike Prescott to gary Barwick, Sue Crompton and Josh Ogle and to our many Directors and to the outgoing committee for their contributions in making NSBC such an outstanding Bridge Club

Please click here to see all the news and photos.

At the end of the AGM, Brian Soutter, who announced his retirement in April was presented with a certificate and small present in recognition of his 23 years of service to the Club

Morgans Open Swiss Pairs Club Championship Event over 5 weeks from Thursday, 7 May 2026, 19:00 online. This is an annual Event at our Club and we are grateful for the many years of sponsorship from Morgan's. Additionally but run over a three week period there will be Morgan's Intermediate Event also online from Thursday, 7 May 2026 Prestige Pairs championship on Thursdays 7th, 14th, 21st May on RealBridge starting 19:00.

Please see below in Upcoming Events the option to enter these competitions.

Mothers Day Open Swiss Pairs Congress Sunday, 10 May 2026, 10:00 on Real Bridge Online Pairs Congress. Prizes include best Mum + child. Don’t miss this really fun day. Mothers Day Intermediate, Restricted, Rookie Swiss Pairs Sunday, 10 May 2026, 10:00 RealBridge Online. Generous prizes on offer. A great way to get some tournament experience.

Please see below in Upcoming Events the option to enter these competitions.

Australia's Biggest Morning Tea - Wednesday 20th May at East Lindfield for the Cancer Council. We will be sending out links for raffles and donations for this wonderful cause. Please keep a look out in Mike’s Monday News and on our website. Our Target for this year is $10,000.

North Shore Bridge Club Bridge Festival of Bridge from 19th to 28th June. This event is fast approaching. Don’t miss this great event as we have lots of different options for every level of player. Intermediate, Restricted, Rookie and of course Open event. For the whole 9 days all Rookie, Restricted and Open sessions will be RED POINTS.

Get your entry in early to reserve your spot.

Please see below in Upcoming Events the option to enter each and all of these competitions.

FROM THE PRESIDENT - BRIDGE

What a month it’s been!

The Kieser Swiss Pairs Congress was, quite simply, outstanding. The atmosphere was electric — and not just at the tables. We had so many younger players, and what really made it special was how many people stayed afterwards. There was laughter, conversation, and that genuine buzz of people just enjoying being at the club.

That’s exactly what we’re aiming for.

So here’s my gentle nudge… don’t rush off after your next game. Stay, have a chat, share a story (or a bad beat), and be part of what makes this place so special.

On the “behind the scenes” front, I’ve been a busy bee working on another piece of the automation puzzle. The good news is it’s starting to pay off. With almost half our members now on Auto Top Up, things are becoming significantly easier for both Mike and Sue — and that frees them up to focus on more important things (like you!).

To those of you already on Auto Top Up — thank you. Genuinely. You’re helping us run a better, more efficient club but we'd really love to have all playing members on Auto Top Up - help us improve our club.

Now… the Cruise. We’re down to just four spots left. Four.

It’s shaping up to be a fantastic trip with a great mix — a strong Rookie group and a very handy Open field. I have to admit, I’m more than a little jealous… and that’s saying something given I’m not exactly known for my love of cruising!

If you’ve been thinking about it, now’s the time. This one will sell out. Click here for more details.

On the merger front, we continue to make excellent progress. We’re now very close to having all legal formalities wrapped up, which is a significant milestone. A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to get us here — and it’s exciting to see it all coming together.

And finally… Festival of Bridge.

It’s back, at the end of June, and we’d love to see every event full — just like last year.

Now, I know bridge players have a special talent for leaving things until the last minute… but if you could humour me just this once and get your entries in early, it really helps. Early entries create momentum, momentum creates buzz, and buzz brings in more players. Before you know it, we’ve got a full house — a marketer’s dream.

So grab a partner (or a team), jump online, and get your entries in. Click here to see all events.

Thanks as always for being part of this wonderful community.

Shaz

OUR MEMBERS - OUR CLUB

Late in April I had the pleasure of a conversation with Brian Soutter, who recently decided to retire from the position of Director at NSBC after 23 years in that position.

Pictured at right are: Brian Soutter, President Sharon Thompson and Online Manager Gary Barwick

After completing his matriculation from North Sydney Boys High School in the early 60’s Brian went to Sydney University to study Pharmacy on a cadetship. He completed his degree and then became apprenticed to Hallam Chemists, his sponsors, and where he worked during university holidays. As with so many of this era, Brians first exposure to Bridge was during these University days although he doesn’t consider the exposure to be "real" bridge.

I started playing what I consider, serious bridge in the late 1970’s at Lindfield Bridge Club which was located in the rooms at the Lindfield Shopping Centre. The Club Director was Rex Knox whose mother was credited as a foundation member of the Club.

I was extremely nervous at first, to the extent of not remembering in which direction the bidding went (clockwise or anticlockwise) and we learnt and played the Acol system in those days, the standard across Australia (see footnote below). Rex Knox sat with Brian initially and helped him learn the art of Bridge play.

In the mid 1980’s Brian married and travelled to Great Britain like so many young Australians of that time. Lived in Earls Court – "Little Australia" in London and worked as a pharmacist. His Australian degree was well regarded in England, and work was easy to obtain – saved money and toured Europe.

On return to Australia after 10 years overseas he rejoined Lindfield Bridge Club. The rooms were above a Greengrocer (now IGA) – the club knew they would be forced to move from their venue at some time and Brian, in serving as Club President spent significant time trying to find alternative premises. That problem continued on after leaving the Presidency and John Mottram took over – John was able to get other premises at Willoughby RSL for several years.

Brian first became a director in the early 1980’s. He started directing on Saturday afternoons when the regular director was unavailable. He obtained D and C grade Director certification and on return from overseas directed at a number of clubs both permanently and as a relief Director.

When asked thoughts on Directing - what is the most difficult problem to resolve, Brians quick response was – the air conditioning - half the room complain they are too cold, while the other half are too hot. EW, who will only be at the table for 15-20 minutes, want it off (or on). If they know how to use the controller, some players will set the system to suit themselves.

Do people always readily accept the Directors directions/answers when they call you to a table - most do. But there are a few who will “argue the toss” especially if there has been a revoke and they feel they’ve been denied their 'pound of flesh'.

What is the incentive/best outcome for being a Director - You hope you are contributing to an enjoyable session.

Brian ventured a number of other thoughts on Bridge – he considers Acol is superior to Standard American due to pre-emptive values: Open 1 Spade with 4-card suit, Open 1NT with 12-14 points both making it more difficult for opponents to enter the bidding.

His thoughts on F2F vs Real Bridge are interesting – he thinks Real Bridge is not far short of F2F. Real Bridge allows interaction with partner and opponents, to some extent more than F2F. He thinks Real Bridge is superior to other platforms online.

His philosophy on Bridge is like many others – the most enjoyable aspect is the social interaction and camaraderie – it fits with his view of humans who are curious and like meeting people.

Finally, Brian was very thankful for his farewell held as part of the AGM on Saturday 18th April and appreciative of his recognition on that day.

Thanks for the conversation, Brian. Thanks for your contribution over many years and having now retired from Directing we hope you enjoy all the pleasurable aspects of Bridge for many years to come.

Footnote:

Acol is a traditional bridge bidding system originating in the UK, characterised by 4-card major openings and a weak 1NT opening of 12–14 points. It was widely used in Australia prior to the 1990's due to historical ties with British bridge culture. In contrast, Standard American, particularly the

Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC), uses 5-card major openings and a stronger 1NT opening of 15–17 points, making it the dominant system in North America and increasingly common internationally and now the only system taught in Australia.

Reasons for the Change

International Compatibility

Standard American is widely recognized and used in online bridge platforms and international tournaments. Switching to this system allows Australian players to communicate effectively with international partners and participate in global competitions without confusion.

Consistency Across Australia

Adopting Standard American provides a uniform system for teaching and club play, reducing variability between local clubs and making it easier for players to transition between different settings.

Facilitates Modern Conventions

Standard American serves as a good foundation for advanced systems like Two-Over-One Game Force. Its structure simplifies the adoption of these conventions, which are harder to implement consistently in Acol due to its 4-card major approach.

Online Play and Education

Many online bridge platforms default to Standard American or SAYC. Learning this system ensures that Australian players can participate in online games and lessons without needing to adapt to a different bidding language.

MAJOR RESULTS

The Kieser Physiotherapy & Strength Training Swiss Pairs event was the first major event for April. Kieser are to be thanked for donating significant support for the event in terms of prizemoney for donating the many prizes awarded in this event. There was a large turnout for the Event in all categories

In the Open Section

Winners in the OPEN section were Noah Klugman and Duncan Lai

Second in the OPEN section were Hamish Newman and Peter Newman

Third in the OPEN section were Alex Yezerski and Steven Bock

First in the Intermediate section were Mary Poynten and Tony White

Second in the Intermediate section were Garry Viner and Selina Gibson

First in the Restricted Section were Brian Osborne and Meera Kudva

First in the Rookie section were

Second in the Restricted section were Terry Dunne and Sharon Thompson

Tim Jackson and Ramarathinam Krishnamachari

After all the events held in April the table to the right is the Current Club Championship Leader Board

Second in the Rookie section were Chris Gaskell and Mark Lakota

Mixed Pairs Championship

The next major event held in April was the Mixed Pairs State Qualifier

What was special about this Event - the top three placegetters are offered free entry to the State Mixed Pairs Championship in 2026. For the first three placegetters to be eligible, to go forward to the State Mixed Pairs Championship, pairs must be members of an affiliated bridge club in NSW with the final a Face-to-Face event at Sydney Bridge Centre.

The Winners were:

Tony NUNN and Liz ADAMS

Runners Up were:

Tania LLOYD and Hugh GROSVENOR

Third Place Getters were:

Andrew PEAKE and Giselle MUNDELL

Congratulations and hopefully you all do well in the State Championship

UPCOMING EVENTS

Morgan's - Intermediate/Restricted/Rookies Swiss Pairs - Online Thursday, 7th May, 14th May, & 21st May starting 19:00 each evening NSBC Thursday Nights | Pairs | Online | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

Morgan's - Open Swiss Pairs - Online Thursday, 7th May, 14th May, 21st May, 28th May & 11th June starting 19:00 each evening NSBC Thursday Nights | Pairs | Online | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

Mother's Day - Intermediate/Restricted/Rookie Swiss Pairs Congress - Online Sunday, 10th May, All Day starting 10:00 NSBC Sunday | Pairs | Online | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

Mother's Day - Open Swiss Pairs Congress - Online Sunday, 10th May, All Day starting 10:00 NSBC Sunday | Pairs | Online | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

NSBC - Board A Match Teams - Online Thursday, 18th June, 2nd July, 23rd July starting 19:00 each evening NSBC Thursdays | Teams | Online | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

Two Men and a Truck - Intermediate, Restricted Teams - East Lindfield Friday, 19th June, All Day starting 10:00 East Lindfield NSBC Friday | Teams | F2F | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

Two Men and a Truck - Intermediate, Restricted, Rookie Pairs - East Lindfield Sunday, 21st June, All Day starting 10:00 East Lindfield NSBC Sunday | Pairs | F2F | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

Fixed Income Solutions - Swiss Matchpoint Pairs Intermediate, Restricted, Rookie - Online Thursday, 25th June, All Day starting 10:00 NSBC Thursday | Pairs | Online | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

Fixed Income Solutions Swiss - Open Matchpoint Pairs -Online Thursday, 25th June, All Day starting 10:00 NSBC Thursday | Pairs | Online | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

Watermark Swiss Pairs - Intermediate, Restricted, Rookie - East Lindfield Friday, 26th June, All Day starting 10:00 NSBC Friday | Pairs | F2F | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

Watermark Swiss Pairs - Open - East Lindfield Friday, 26th June, All Day starting 10:00 NSBC Friday | Pairs | F2F | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

Fixed Income Solutions Swiss Teams - Open - Online Saturday, 27th June, All Day starting 10:00 NSBC Saturday | Teams | Online | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

Fixed Income Solutions - Swiss Teams - Intermediate, Restricted, Rookie - Online Saturday, 27th June, All Day starting 10:00 NSBC Saturday | Teams | Online | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

TBIB Swiss Teams - East Lindfield Sunday, 28th June, All Day starting 10:00 NSBC Sunday | Teams | F2F | Red Masterpoints Click here to enter via MyABF

LESSONS

Will's Lessons for May and June

Included in all Will's online Lessons are the following:

Recorded Video Lesson

Ability to attend the Lesson either Online or watch a Video recording at a later time. 2 hours of recorded video lesson, firstly covering the theory with ability to either play the Lesson at the arranged time or watch a video later. Then Will will show us the theory with real hands. Lastly Will gets Students to play the hands.

Practice Hands

The choice of two tools to practice what you have learned. You can practice on your own, with Will's guidance throughout.

Downloadable Notes

The Presentation, Hand Notes, plus PBN and LIN files for you to upload to BBO for practice with friends or practice with Robots.

Landy Defense to 1NT

May 7 at 9:30 till 11:30

An easy and useful convention for overcalling the opponent's 1NT opening. Finding your best Major fit.

Opening Leads - Real Hands - part 1

May 14 at 09:30 till 11:30

Opening Leads are the hardest part of the game! This lesson contains real hands, with suggestions about the opening lead, and playing through the hand to see how it works or doesn't. This is part of a series about opening leads.

Game Tries and Competing

May 21 at 09:30 till 11:30

When is bidding 3H competing, and when is partner trying to invite game. Knowing how strong you are in a contested auction.

Balancing

May 28 at 09:30 till 11:30

When to push your opponent's higher when they have stopped in a low contract.

4NT Quantitative

11 June at 09:30 till 11:30

How to invite slam after partner opens 1NT or 2NT. Making sure you have the required 33 HCP when you bid to 6NT.

Minors After 1NT

18 June at 09:30 till 11:30

A simple method for showing a long minor suit after we open 1NT. When are you Weak or Strong with a minor suit.

Reverses - part 1

25 June at 09:30 till 11:30

What is a Reverse, and what to do next. Bidding the best game and possibly finding a slam when the Opener has a good hand.

DEAR DIRECTOR

How often does it happen that your opponent opens a game-forcing 2C, and at the end of the hand you regret not bidding a slam against them? This hand from last week might have been a first for me.

West opened 2C with only 12 points! Sure, she had a 7-5-1-0 distribution which does not happen every day, and a very nice heart suit. But this hand is not great for a game force. Powerful two-suited hands are generally better opening at the one level and then jumping to show strength - it can be hard to find the space to communicate two long suits after opening at the 2-level, and in this case the diamonds are pretty poor. Finally, regardless of loser count, 12 points is pretty low for such a bid.

But here we are. I’m sitting North, we are all vulnerable, and even though I didn’t feel comfortable about it, I overcalled 2S anyway. I figured that I only needed a couple of spades from partner for it to be an acceptable sacrifice, and that they were unlikely to double me at this level, but I’m pretty sure it’s not a good bid. So imagine my surprise when partner jumped to 4S!

West was not to be denied and bid 5H and because I can’t see how we can defeat this, I bid 6S and waited for the inevitable double. When it didn’t come, I was amazed, and figured we were in for a top board even before dummy came down. Who gets to play at the 6-level undoubled after a game force is opened against them?

Partner puts down his cards after the heart lead, and look at that - 12 tricks are easy, losing just the ace of clubs before cross-ruffing the rest.

No doubt if I had kept quiet in the bidding, my partner would have introduced the spades himself - his hand is certainly better than mine for interfering after a game force. The results were interesting, with 5 pairs successfully bidding and making 6S (one doubled), and 3 pairs bidding 6H the other way (all doubled, and one making, which I think is only possible if N very kindly makes the opening lead of a diamond away from AQJ). It just goes to confirm the value of extreme distributions and big fits when evaluating hands, as 22 and 18 HCP do not exactly scream slam.

Yesterday my partner and I were coming first, very narrowly, heading into the final round. Steady and calm, we said to each other, and we should hopefully get there, and then this happened.

I opened 1D as S, a pass from W and 1NT from partner. Rather than letting us play in our nice, easy 1NT, E doubled with 3 aces and nothing else, as well as only 2 cards in hearts. West duly bid 2H which was passed round, and turned out to have the perfect hand.

Partner led JD which was ducked to my K, and I played ace of clubs, and then considered whether to lead back a diamond.

It’s certainly possible that partner’s J was a singleton so I led back a small one, declarer played the 9 which holds the trick, and played three rounds of trumps, losing to the Q. It’s too late for us now to find the spade switch that we needed, and declarer makes her contract with 4 hearts, 3 diamonds and a spade. We get 9% on the board - so much for steady and calm.

So there’s 1 board to go, we are now 3% below first and after I open 1D as S in the hand below, and W overcalls 2C, partner thinks “we need a top board” so jumps to a bold 3NT. And then I think “we need a top board” so jump to a bold 6NT. As you can see, it’s lay-down. After the club lead to the ace, we have 13 of the next 12 tricks and pick up 100% as the only table to bid slam. And that’s why you spend hours putting together a sophisticated bidding system.

* it wasn’t enough, though. We missed out on first place to another pair who had a sit-out in the last round, and jumped up the rankings by cunningly not playing while everyone around them crumbled.

ASK GARY

Managing Bridge Partnerships Clear communication is essential in bridge, both during bidding and play; without it, even well-laid plans may go awry. Often, one partner will be more experienced than the other, and you'll likely have different approaches, especially when starting out together. It's best to keep things straightforward and stick to standard conventions, particularly if you frequently play with various people or are searching for a new long term compatible partner. Avoid making bids your partner doesn't understand, as this can undermine confidence and cause friction within the partnership. While occasional misunderstandings are normal, persistent confusion might result in your partner seeking someone else. Players who use unconventional bidding, reckless doubles, or non-standard sequences can also lose partners for similar reasons. Strive to coordinate with your partner’s abilities to achieve optimal results. Recently, at a national tournament, I observed a pair where one was significantly more advanced than the other, but they played an intricate style that the less skilled partner struggled to grasp. Consequently, their performance suffered, although adopting a simpler, professional approach would have yielded better outcomes. Playing complex strategies against inexperienced opponents sometimes works, but experienced players usually see through these tactics. This approach—targeting weaker players rather than focusing on solid gameplay—is known as "playing the player," not the game and to me this is poor sportsmanship. Once you and your partner are comfortable and enjoying the game, focus on improving your understanding of leads and discards. Develop skills in giving count and attitude, as these are

essential and used frequently, unlike complex bidding conventions that rarely occur and are often misplayed. Most top players perform exceptionally well by playing straightforward and effective strategies without relying on elaborate bids.

MONTHLY WINNERS

Congratulations to the following players who were the overall Monthly Winners for their session.

East Lindfield Monday 10.00 AM Rookie - Lois Hamlin Lewis / Michael Richards East Lindfield Monday 1.00 PM Open - David Burton / Ivan Kerdic East Lindfield Monday 7.00 PM Supervised - Kerrie Haig / Jo Taylor East Lindfield Tuesday 1.30 PM Rookie - Catherine Egan / Anne Lancaster East Lindfield Wednesday 10.00 AM Open - Peter Taylor / Anne Taylor East Lindfield Thursday 10.00 AM Rookie - Philip Raymond / Judi Raymond East Lindfield Thursday 10.00 AM Supervised - Lynne Fishwick / Neale Fraser East Lindfield Thursday 1.00 PM Open - Edward Truscott / Gary Lane East Lindfield Saturday 1.00 PM Open - Marlaine Gahan / Helen Stewart East Lindfield Saturday 1.00 PM Supervised - Hilary Chimes / Dorrie Cooper The Willis Monday 1.15 PM Rookie - Kate Mallet / Anne Perkowski The Willis Tuesday 12.30 PM Open - Graham Mcmahon / Yu-Shiun Chen The Willis Wednesday 12.30 PM Open - Ian Maclaren / Malcolm Martin Online Mon 10.00 am Open - Elli Urbach / Adam Rutkowski Online Mon 1.30 pm Open - Liz Wilkinson / John Scotford Online Mon 2.00 pm Rookie - Renuka Patel / Tricia Higgins Online Tue 1.30 pm Open - Giselle Mundell / Rena Kaplan Online Tue 2.00 pm Rookie - Marina Shteyman / Meera Kudva Online Tue 7.00 pm Restricted - John Pick / Alison Pick Online Wed 10.00 am Open - Fran Campbell / Esther Lee Online Wed 1.30 pm Open - Phil Gue / Anthony Burke Online Wed 2.00 pm Rookie - Anne Lancaster / Jan Miley Online Wed 7.00 pm Open - Judy Osie / David Osie Online Thu 10.00 am Open Mini - Felix Shteyman / David Craig Online Thu 1.30 pm Open - Judy Osie / Rena Kaplan Online Thu 1.30 pm Restricted - Lorna Davies / Shaz Thompson Online Fri 1.30 pm Open - Tom Kiss / Alasdair Beck Online Sat 1.30 pm Open - Giselle Mundell / Rena Kaplan

MASTERPOINT PROMOTIONS

Congratulations to the following members on their promotions.

Maryanne Ireland Graduate Geoff Jamieson Graduate Elizabeth Niven Graduate Sarah Fisher Club Allan Lawson Club Di Lewis Club Donna Sun Club Howard Wigham Club Sarah Armstrong Club Ewen Crouch Club Robert Keating Club Andrew Lang Club Tony Carr Local

Sue Carr Local Colleen Sullivan Bronze Local Mushfiqur Rahma Mohan Bronze Local Judi Raymond Bronze Local Phillip Raymond Bronze Local Brian Hunter Silver Local Jann Pammer Regional Marina Shteyman Bronze Regional Chris Gaskell Bronze Regional Sue Morgan Bronze Regional Ivan Kerdic State Lesley Murray National

NEW MEMBERS

A warm welcome to our new members this month.

Tony Bernard - Manly Catherine Collins - South Perth Jon Free - Shenton Park Jane Harvey - North Sydney Anna Rappoport - Melbourne Sue Smale - East Lindfield Patricia Watson - Bundanoon

NSW