Dennis Dawson Standing outside his home in Santa Fe, NM

Meet Dennis Dawson from Santa Fe, the newest Grand Master in District 17.

Dennis, like many people of his generation, started playing bridge while an undergraduate at the University of Texas in the 1960s, and while in graduate school at the University of Michigan. For the most part, Dennis limited his play while a student to about once a week at the college duplicate. But one look at the scene at the 1969 Cleveland Spring NABC convinced him that bridge was something he wanted to make a big part of his life.

Following graduate school, he took a position as an actuary for John Hancock Insurance in Boston. He didn't like this, so he and his ex-wife opened a full time bridge club. Called "The Bridge Studio", and within 8 years it became one of the biggest in the U.S., running 750-800 tables per month. It was while running the club that he met Sally Sabo, who later became his life partner.

After he had children in the late 1970's, Dennis cut his bridge traveling way back. He played locally and, because he did a lot of teaching, started to pick up some professional dates Ð mostly from among his students. He sold the bridge club in the mid-1980s, and started "Bridge Vacations". These started as weekends for people from his bridge club but grew into longer sessions that drew clientele from a wider area. Eventually he was running these at resort hotels all along the East Coast. Dennis played little other than locally. However, the masterpoints kept coming, and by 2002 he had close to 5000.

In 2002 his bridge life changed radically. Carolyn Lynch was a relatively new player who played in club games in the Boston area and wanted to improve her game and become a Life Master "sooner rather than later". She was recommended to Dennis, and in June, 2002 they went to their first regional as a partnership. She had about 50 masterpoints. They won four events, and Dennis had a new career! Dennis always preferred teams, and Carolyn wanted the best teams possible. In the four years since they've been a partnership, they've won scores of regional team events, and with David Berkowitz, Larry Cohen, Mike Passell and Eddie Wold they made it to the quarterfinals of the Spingold team event. And they won the GNT District Finals in Las Vegas earlier this year.

Sally moved to Santa Fe in 2000, and Dennis followed her there in the fall of 2002. With the internet, Dennis and Carolyn have been able to practice wherever and whenever without having to physically be in the same place. In the past couple of years, Carolyn has established her principal residence in Scottsdale, so all are now members of District 17.

Shortly after moving to New Mexico, Dennis established another partnership with Clem Jackson of Albuquerque. With Clem, Dennis won a bronze medal in the Senior Teams at the World Championships in Monaco in 2003. Then, playing with Clem, Bobby Wolfe, Dan Morse, John Mohan and John Sutherlin, Dennis won the Senior KO Teams at the New Orleans NABC, giving him the national championship required to become a Grand Master. After that, all he needed was points. These have come rapidly, 1000-1500 per year the past few years.

Finally, on May 6, playing in a team game with Sally as his partner, Dennis earned his 10,000th masterpoint, becoming our newest Grand Master.

Dennis plays Precision. He learned it from Eric Rodwell, and has modified it so that it is effective for his partnership with Carolyn. Dennis says that life as a bridge professional can be difficult, but having one client with whom he gets along well has made his bridge life something that he is totally happy with. He relishes his roles as teacher, partner, and team manager. Besides Carolyn, he counts Mike Passell as his favorite partner. Formidable opponents? Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell (Meckwell). Dennis says he has no designs on winning the Barry Crane 500; "That's just too much bridge!"

Congratulations, Dennis!