Raymond Brock
Encyclopedia
Raymond Brock was for over forty years a leading English
bridge
player and then administrator. In 1987 he was a member of the British
team that won the silver medal
in both the European Bridge Championship and the Bermuda Bowl
(the World Championship). This success came during his partnership with Tony Forrester
, which lasted from 1982 to 1990. He achieved the rank of World Bridge Master through his performances.
Brock was educated at Manchester University and became a physics teacher at a Manchester
school. A subsequent job as a computer manager with Honeywell
took him to Glasgow
from 1968 to 1975. Whilst living there he played seven matches for Scotland
; the team won the Camrose Trophy
- for which England, Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland
compete - three times during this period. Before and afterwards he played for England, with 26 appearances for the country in all. Additionally on four occasions he was non-playing captain of the England team, as well as serving as a selector. He won the Gold Cup
, the premier British domestic competition, seven times.
He was twice President of the British Bridge League and was non-playing captain of many Great Britain teams, including the bronze medal
winning Women in the 1980 World Team Olympiad
and the gold medal
winning Juniors at the 1989 World Championships. He did much coaching of the best young players, and in 1994 was non-playing captain of the British Junior team that won the European Championships and went on to win the World title the following year.
He wrote several books, in particular on defence, a part of the game at which he was especially expert. These include Planning the Defence (1996) and Expert Defence (1997). While with Honeywell at Brentford, Middlesex in the late seventies and early eighties, some of his early bridge writing included chapters on the Stayman convention
. His vacations during this time were spent at Monte Carlo
playing bridge with the likes of Omar Sharif
.
He died of cancer. His widow, Sally, is herself an international bridge player. Together they won the England Mixed Teams event on six occasions and the British Mixed Pairs twice.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
bridge
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 then administrator. In 1987 he was a member of the British
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...
team that won the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in both the European Bridge Championship and the Bermuda Bowl
Bermuda Bowl
The Bermuda Bowl is a trophy awarded to the winners of the Open series in the World Team Championship in contract bridge and is named for the site of the inaugural tournament held in 1950...
(the World Championship). This success came during his partnership with Tony Forrester
Tony Forrester
Anthony R. Forrester is an English bridge player and writer. He is a British and English international and a World International Master. Forrester is the bridge columnist for The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph....
, which lasted from 1982 to 1990. He achieved the rank of World Bridge Master through his performances.
Brock was educated at Manchester University and became a physics teacher at a Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
school. A subsequent job as a computer manager with Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
took him to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
from 1968 to 1975. Whilst living there he played seven matches for Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
; the team won 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...
- for which England, Scotland, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
compete - three times during this period. Before and afterwards he played for England, with 26 appearances for the country in all. Additionally on four occasions he was non-playing captain of the England team, as well as serving as a selector. 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 premier British domestic competition, seven times.
He was twice President of the British Bridge League and was non-playing captain of many Great Britain teams, including the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
winning Women in the 1980 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...
and the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
winning Juniors at the 1989 World Championships. He did much coaching of the best young players, and in 1994 was non-playing captain of the British Junior team that won the European Championships and went on to win the World title the following year.
He wrote several books, in particular on defence, a part of the game at which he was especially expert. These include Planning the Defence (1996) and Expert Defence (1997). While with Honeywell at Brentford, Middlesex in the late seventies and early eighties, some of his early bridge writing included chapters on the Stayman convention
Stayman convention
In the card game contract bridge, Stayman is a convention used to find a 4-4 trump fit in a major suit after the 1NT opening bid, and it has been adapted for use after an opening 2NT, a 1NT overcall, and many other natural notrump bids...
. His vacations during this time were spent at Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
playing bridge with the likes of Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
.
He died of cancer. His widow, Sally, is herself an international bridge player. Together they won the England Mixed Teams event on six occasions and the British Mixed Pairs twice.