intelligence. Mort Klein possess- es all of these qualities in spades, which is why he recently reached the level of Bridge Silver Life Master, something he'd been striving for over the past few years. He accomplished this feat just a few weeks shy of his 94th birthday, no less, but he vehe- mently protests the magnitude of the success. because there are thousands of them," says the Beachwood resident in his typically serious and self-eff acing manner. tion, and he persevered because, heck, why stop when he's been playing the game two to three times per week for the past 65 years? He began just after World War II, when he served in the Coast Guard's engine department, stationed on ships throughout the Pacifi c. Leventhal when they both lived on Milton Road in University Heights. Mort became hooked because it appealed to his intel- lectual inclinations. game keeps people constantly thinking. At this point in his life, he puts a high premium on mental engagement, wanting to keep his mind as active as possible. 69 years. "He'd play every day of the week, if he were asked to," she adds. duplicate bridge (a version where players compete against everyone else in the room) at Anshe Chesed - Fairmount Temple, the Beach- wood Recreation Department and the Solon Recreation Center. with satisfaction, but he's also chagrined by the notion that "bridge is a dying sport." decide to play, there'd be no one their age with whom to get a game going, he adds. Bridge requires four players. says, mildly baffl ed. with it. He understands. "It's very hard you need to remember cards and combinations of cards." either. to do," she says, counting herself within that category of player. Mather College (now Case West- ern Reserve University). "That was the big thing then," she says of the game in the 1950s. She played "party bridge" which could take under an hour and be played between classes. Time was a factor. around a bridge game. during many winters spent in Naples. He reports that there could be 20 to 30 tables set up in a single location, with 80 to 100 players present. He would play with the same partner all day. Shirley, however, found it to be too serious. She likes to change partners and have snack breaks. years, Mort has attended plenty of events. One time he played three sections in one day, with each section lasting three and a say," he says. are identifi ed by the cardinal directions north and south playing against east and west. Play consists of several deals, each progressing through four phases: dealing the cards, the auction (also referred to as bidding), playing the cards and scoring the results. The game has immense scope by virtue of the incredible number of possible unique deals. evidence existing among the people with whom Mort plays in Beachwood; 90% of them have attained the Life Master designation. am," he laments. responds. that they can't play together. "He yells at me." way to spend an evening. But it took a little bit of time to fi gure this out. boring," he says. Shirley deter- mined that the sequence of events was all wrong. Instead, they needed to start the evening by playing bridge, and talking about the kids afterward. Mort and son Howard. |