District 21
American Contract Bridge League
August 26 to September 01, 2025
Santa Clara, CA
October 6 to October 12, 2025
Sparks, NV
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Hello, District 21!
We’re fortunate to be part of a vibrant, active district full of opportunities to play, learn, and compete—and our players are rising to the occasion in impressive ways!
The California Capital Regional is just around the corner, and it comes with two exciting new games:
–Newcomer Game – A new event for players with fewer than 50 masterpoints—perfect for
those attending their first regional.
–Bracketed Pairs – A new format from the ACBL has its debut in D21.
Check out Anne and Brenda’s tournament report for all the details.
Also in this issue:
–Royal STaC is back! See Don’s report for dates and how clubs can join in.
–Strong showings in Memphis: Anne Hollingsworth highlights D21’s top performers at the Spring NABC, while Jim Coke has the full rundown on NAP results.
–Milestone achievement: Arti Bhargava shares reflections on becoming a Grand Life Master after her win in the Rockwell Mixed Pairs at the Memphis NABC.
–ACBL news: Region 12 Director Jackie Zayac brings us the latest from the ACBL Board, including new initiatives to boost player engagement and grow and retain membership. Looking ahead to San Francisco 2025: The Fall NABC will be held in San Francisco from November 27 to December 7, 2025! Anne Hollingsworth, Chair of the 2025 Fall NABC, shares early updates and how you can get involved.
–More milestones: In District Dispatches, we congratulate two of D21’s newest Life Masters. Robert Ilse and Joni Smith each found their way back to bridge—and to Life Master—through family ties, friendships, and a love for the game. We’d love to hear your bridge story.
Jim Coke, President, D21 Board of Directors, reports on the anti-cheating software on BBO called EDGAR (Everyone Deserves a Game Above Reproach) deployed by the ACBL, how it works and the penalties imposed if a player is found to be cheating.
Anne Wilson and Brenda Hatton,Co-Chairs, Tournament Planning Committee, report on the upcoming D21 Regional in Sacramento, at which two new events will be introduced: a Newcomer Game for players with fewer than 50 MPs and a Bracketed Pairs event! Plus, they provide details on the D21 Regionals in Santa Clara and Reno /Sparks.
Don Garka, D21 STaC Coordinator, reports that Royal STaC is Back – May 19 to 25. This is your chance to win Gold, Silver, Red, and Black points! See Don’s report for more information and how Clubs may register to participate.
Anne Hollingsworth, Past President of D21 and Chair, San Francisco NABC 2025, had a rocking time at the NABC in Memphis. Read her newsy report and celebrate the amazing achievements of many of our D21 players.
Arti Bhargava,Unit 508, just might have been the biggest
rockstar at the Memphis NABC, achieving the rank of
Grand Life Master by winning the Rockwell Mixed Pairs
with Aaron Jones. Arti shares some insights from her
bridge journey – it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and
sometimes a little bit of humor.
Jim Coke,D21 NAP Coordinator, reports on the impressive
showing of our D21 pairs at the NABC in Memphis.
Anne Hollingsworth,Chair, San Francisco NABC 2025, is
excited to remind us that the NABC will be held in San
Francisco from November 27 to December 7, 2025. She
provides an update on the tournament and ways to get
involved.
Jackie Zayac, Region 12 Director, provides a full report on the recent ACBL Board of Directors meetings in Memphis. As the ACBL celebrates 100 years, Jackie highlights some of the efforts underway to increase membership, including JumpStart Bridge aimed at middle and high school students and ways to incentivize members to continue on their rank advancement journeys. See Jackie’s report for the news.
We celebrate Robert Ilse, Unit 510, and John Blyskal, Unit 503, on their rank advancements to Life Master! They share a bit of their journeys with us.