Barnet SHENKIN
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Barnet SHENKIN |
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Barnet junior è nato nel 1950 a Glasgow da una famiglia di noti bridgisti. Il padre Louis e lo zio Lennie era una coppia assai ben conosciuta nel mondo del bridge anglosassone.
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Quando aveva solo 13 anni si recò per la prima nell'arcinoto club di Albert Benjamin, una legenda del bridge scozzese, e si innamorò del gioco.
Per molti anni lavorò nell'azienda di famiglia che commerciava coperte, ma la passione per il bridge gliela rendeva troppo stretta.
Entrato nella nazionale juniores britannica vinse la sua prima medaglia nel 1974 (un bronzo) giocando in coppia con il cucino David nei Campionati Europei a Squadre.
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Fu il primo giocatore scozzese a vincere il Macallan nel 1976 a soli 25 anni giocando in coppia con quel Michael Rosenberg che come lui avrebbe poi fatto la carriera professionistica negli USA.
Con sua moglie Maggie (17 marzo 1947), anch'essa valente giocatrice, prima di espatriare vinse la Scottish Cup nel 1994 ed oggi la coppia vive a Boca Raton in Florida.
Sempre per i colori britannici vinse due bronzi e un argento nei Campionati del MEC a Squadre Open (1995, 1997 e 1999).
Continuò a mietere diversi trofei nazionali e a fare parte più volte della nazionale Britannica maggiore, fin quando, nel 1997 non decise di espatriare negli Stati Uniti e di dedicarsi interamente al professionismo.
World Master, nel 1999 vinse il Jacoby Trophy, negli anni 2000 fece le sue prime apparizioni nella nazionale USA, e nel 2004 vinse i restanti due NABC conquistati in carriera. Nel 2024 guadagna un bronzo alle Olimpiadi a Coppie Senior.
Barnet che oggi vive in Florida giocando, insegnando e scrivendo di bridge, nel 2000 pubblicò un libro di discreto successo "Playing with the bridge legend".
Barnet was
born in 1950 in Glasgow into a bridge-playing family. It was at the age of 13
that he first went to Albert Benjamin's club. Without knowing what stakes were
involved, he ended the session by being given 7/6d, untold riches for a 13 year
old in those days. He worked for many years in the family business, buying and
selling rugs, but his main interest has always been bridge.
He burst on to the bridge scene as a Junior with a truly remarkable run of success. He represented Great Britain in two Junior European Championships: in Delft (1972) with George Cuthbertson, finishing 6th of 17 teams; and in Copenhagen (1974) with his cousin David Shenkin, where they won a bronze medal.
Barnet was the first Scottish player to win the prestigious "Sunday Times" (Macallan) Invitational Pairs, in 1976, aged 25, with 21-year-old Michael Rosenberg. (link to Flashback)
Barnet also played with Michael in the British Open Team at the 1977 European Championships. The partnership won bronze medals in the British Open Team at two Common Market Championships in 1975 and 1977. In 1978 they led the prestigious Cavendish Invitation Pairs in New York till the very last round, when a costly lead against a slam relegated them to second place.
Barnet's third appearance for Britain at a Common Market Championship was in 1979 with Victor Goldberg, and this time the medal was silver. Later that year he and Victor played in the British Open team at the European Championship. In 1980 Barnet won his second Sunday Times Pairs with Victor, a truly remarkable achievement.
Barnet's next partner was Willie Coyle, with whom he played in the British Open team at the 1984 World Teams Olympiad and the 1985 European Championship. His fifth and final appearance in a British Open team was in 1993 with Les Steel. Barnet also won the Lederer Memorial Trophy (London CBA invitational Teams) twice, in 1977 and 1979. He is a World Master in WBF ranking lists.
In 1997 Barnet decided to move to USA to concentrate on playing, writing about and teaching Bridge. In the year 2000 his book Playing With the Bridge Legends was published by Masterpoint Press. Since moving to USA he has won 3 National Championships and many Regionals. He had a second place finish in the Vanderbilt Teams, and the US team trials, a third in the Reisinger and reached the semi–finals of the Spingold.
Barnet has played for the USA in several World events and finished 5th in the Rosenblum World Championship in Verona in 2006.
In 2024 he earned a bronze medal in Olympiad Senior Pair.
As a writer he has written for the ACBL Bulletin and Sunshine Bridge News.
As a teacher and lecturer Barnet is presently working on new "Power Teaching Programs" His original presentation "Put Yourself in the Hot Seat" has been well received.
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