Awards

The annual Helman Klinger Award of $400 was donated by Rabbi Helman of USA for the under 26 year old whose ability, achievements, sportsmanship, attitude, contribution and commitment during the calendar year are most deserving, as determined by a panel.

The 2007 winner is Paul Gosney. In 2007, Paul's

(1) achievements were as good as any youth player in recent years, playing very successfully in the Australian Open Team, winning the Swan River Swiss Pairs National Championship in Perth, winning the Interstate Youth Teams, coming 2nd in the GNOT Finals and making the Australian Youth Team, from which he had to withdraw in order to play in the Open Team simultaneously.

Paul made the Finals of the NOT, was 2nd in the National Youth Teams and 2nd in the National Mixed Teams. He came 6th in the McCutcheon Trophy for most masterpoints in Australia in 2007.

Aged only 22, Paul came 2nd in the datums of all pairs from 12 countries at the 2007 PABF Open Teams, helping to lift Australia from 8th in 2006 to 2nd in 2007 in that event. Afterwards, favourable comments were made about Paul's bridge by a top Japanese expert and by legendary Asian superstar Patrick Huang.

(2) ability is shown by his many achievements.

(3) attitude and sportsmanship is serious, well-behaved, calm and courteous, typical of youngsters of Queensland origin.

(4) contributed by visiting Michael Delivera in hospital for rehabilitating bridge games following Michael's stroke, meeting and hosting the Queensland visitors at the Youth Triathlon and filling in as the partner of less inexperienced players at the same event.

The Masterpoint section of Helman Klinger Award ($200) for most masterpoints by an Under 26 year old in 2007, was won by 15 year old Nabil Edgtton, narrowly ahead of 18 year old Justin Howard.

Several past winners were ineligible. Nabil is the youngest ever winner of the Award. He is also Australia's youngest ever Life Master, and our youngest ever international representative.

2007 Hills Hurley Trophy

This annual trophy, donated by Richard Hills and Steve Hurley, is intended to encourage talented young bridge players to form long-standing, well-organised partnerships and thus harness their full potential.

In past years, it has been awarded to partnerships who have reached the top by developing a strong partnership, such as the Edgtton brothers in 2006.

The 2007 winners are rising stars Shane Harrison and Sam Schulz from Adelaide.

David Lusk remarks that they show partnership maturity well beyond their 16 years, and that they are also impeccably well-behaved and composed at the table. Sam and Shane are a good example that partnership takes precedence over profile and reputation. They use the Partnership Bidding feature of BBO, practising bidding hands.

And their results? Their debut at big-time bridge outside of Adelaide was at the Fremantle ANC, where they impressed with good datums and by pulling off several surprise wins over more experienced opponents, playing in the Colts Team. Having done well to qualify for the GNOT Finals at year's end, their good progress continued at Banora Point against top Open players, coming 19th in the Swiss Teams then placing 16th out of 100 pairs in the GNOT Pairs.

Sam and Shane, having played locally in Adelaide for two years before 2007, have in the last 12 months shown that a proper bridge partnership has a big advantage over talented individuals who do not harness their ability fully in tandem with another talented player.