Hugh Kelsey
Encyclopedia
Hugh Walter Kelsey was a bridge
player and writer. He won the Gold Cup
, the most prestigious British competition, twice, in 1969 and 1980. He represented Scotland twelve times in the Camrose Trophy
, played between the constituent countries of the British Isles
. He was the non-playing captain of the Great Britain
Women's Team in the 7th World Team Olympiad
held at Seattle in 1984.
However it is as a writer that he will be best remembered. He wrote some fifty books on the game, mostly aimed at intermediate to advanced players. It is a measure of their quality that - over a decade after his death - many of them are still in print. Two of his books, Killing Defence at Bridge and Advanced Play at Bridge, were listed by the Official Encyclopedia of Bridge as "mandatory requirements for a modern technical bridge library". Adventures in Card Play, written with Geza Ottlik
, is still regarded by many as the most advanced book on the play of the cards. He was the bridge columnist for The Scotsman
, and wrote many articles for bridge magazines. He was the International Bridge Press Association's Personality of the Year in 1993.
The Scottish Bridge Union (SBU) holds an annual Hugh Kelsey Tournament. This is open to all those in Scotland who are currently receiving lessons.
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
player and writer. He won the Gold Cup
Gold Cup (bridge)
The Gold Cup is the premier open Britishcontract bridge competition for teams of four. It was first contested in the 1931/32 season, making it one of the oldest contract bridge tournaments anywhere...
, the most prestigious British competition, twice, in 1969 and 1980. He represented Scotland twelve times in the Camrose Trophy
Camrose trophy
The Camrose Trophy or "The Camrose" is an annual bridge competition among open teams representing the home nations of Great Britain and Ireland: England , Northern Ireland , Republic of Ireland , Scotland and Wales...
, played between the constituent countries of the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. He was the non-playing captain of the Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
Women's Team in the 7th World Team Olympiad
World Team Olympiad
The World Team Olympiad was a contract bridge meet organized by the World Bridge Federation every four years from 1960 to 2004. Its main events were world championships for national teams, always including one open and one restricted to women...
held at Seattle in 1984.
However it is as a writer that he will be best remembered. He wrote some fifty books on the game, mostly aimed at intermediate to advanced players. It is a measure of their quality that - over a decade after his death - many of them are still in print. Two of his books, Killing Defence at Bridge and Advanced Play at Bridge, were listed by the Official Encyclopedia of Bridge as "mandatory requirements for a modern technical bridge library". Adventures in Card Play, written with Geza Ottlik
Géza Ottlik
Géza Ottlik was a Hungarian writer, translator, mathematician, and bridge theorist.He attended the military school at Kőszeg and Budapest, and studied mathematics and physics at Budapest University 1931-1935. After a brief career on Hungarian radio, he was a secretary of Hungarian PEN Club from...
, is still regarded by many as the most advanced book on the play of the cards. He was the bridge columnist for The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
, and wrote many articles for bridge magazines. He was the International Bridge Press Association's Personality of the Year in 1993.
The Scottish Bridge Union (SBU) holds an annual Hugh Kelsey Tournament. This is open to all those in Scotland who are currently receiving lessons.