Gordon Robinson | Salmon sandwich anyone?

Recently, Gene Autry and I re-started playing tournament bridge together (online of course).

We play on a website that offers a variety of tournaments for players worldwide. But the tournaments’ most attractive feature, as my beloved grandfather Lionel “Belladonna” Hall would say, is they’re “free; FREE!” We haven’t been doing badly for two rusty, forgetful old geezers as we’ve won two of ten tournaments so far. Our form figures for the last five read 8/26/44/2/1.

I maintain bridge and golf tournaments are similar in that “error-free” bridge is as adjacent to impossible as error-free golf and the mental energy required is as tiring as any day of Test Cricket. So, as Tiger taught the golf world, physical fitness is as important to bridge despite it being a mind sport. A 20 per cent winning average in either sport is excellent. Our latest victory also came with a technical comfort that led Gene to exclaim (via telephone) immediately afterwards “that felt like the old Dynamic Duo.”

Well, I didn’t tell him this but I more recall a Dumbnambic Duo whose obsessive drive for excellence overcame a natural proclivity for fouling up and led to national and international success (late 1970s). In 1987, Gene also represented Jamaica (I’d long since “retired” to focus on law) in that year’s Bermuda Bowl (The World Cup of Bridge) held in Ocho Rios. USA won that year anchored by the legendary Bob Hamman and Bobby Wolff but Gene’s brilliant play was noticed by all and earned him the nickname “Young Zia” from his international peers.

For pity’s sake, look up Zia Mahmood. I can’t tell you everything!

Mention of those early “Dynamic Duo” days caused me to think about my friend Michael Coore who sadly passed away on April 4.

Much. Too. Soon!

When Gene and I started playing bridge competitively Michael Coore (nicknamed “Coolcat” by Gene – you work it out, it’s comic) with early partner Rennie Phillips (Autry’s name for him was “The Concord” – too complicated to explain here) played hotly contested rubber bridge matches against us in my mother’s home on University Crescent. Even then it was obvious he wasn’t interested just in social bridge but wanted to play at a high level. Rennie, on the other hand, the most brilliant young sportsman in any game with a ball I’ve known, was a more happy-go-lucky type who excelled at chess but not-so-much at bridge.

Coolcat wasn’t deterred. After I married the Old Ball and Chain, he’d play at our home against Gene and me with friend and new partner Philip “Newly” Newland whose dry sense of humour was other-worldly. So it was natural, when our eldest, Skullhead III (a.k.a. The Computer Whiz) was born, Old BC sent for Michael to perform paediatric duties. The same was done when The Ampersand came along. When Michael founded Fairhaven Medical Centre, Old BC and I became patients of his associate, the great Lennie Jackson, also of blessed memory.

In those days, Michael’s regular visits to Casa Tout were family legend because he always wanted the same thing – a salmon sandwich washed down with a good scotch.

As time went by we’d meet mainly at weekly bridge tournaments where he often played with Rennie (“Newly” had tragically died) when available but also with others including latterly his daughter Camile, who shows as much promise as her father did in his early days.

But medicine and bridge weren’t Michael’s only connection with your grumpy olde scribe because, from the outset, he demonstrated a deep interest in horseracing that ensured we were never short of conversational fodder. Later on he served as a Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) Commissioner and, even later, JRC First Instance Tribunal member where he analytically applied his detailed knowledge of the sport’s vagaries to good effect.

Recently, circumstances, not the least of which was a certain pandemic, caused us not to see each other for a while. I learned he was ill but Gene Autry, whose memory, these days, like mine, is as reliable as Tony Bennett’s, said Coolcat was stable now (getting better) although he’d been seriously ill.

So I left it alone.

I was shocked, a week ago, upon returning from a long day of MoBay meetings, to see a notice from the Bridge Association that Michael Coore had suddenly passed. He was a good friend; a quality paediatrician; an avid, knowledgeable bridge player and turfite and an all round good guy. I will remember him especially whenever I eat a salmon sandwich!

Peace and Love.

Gordon Robinson is an attorney-at-law. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com