Nicola Smith
Encyclopedia
Nicola Smith MBE
(born 28 April 1949 in London
; née Gardener) has been a leading English
bridge
player for over thirty years, with many successes in international competition to her credit. She was a member of the British
teams which won the Venice Cup
, the women's world championship, in 1981 and 1985, and which finished second in 1976. She played in eight successive World Team Olympiad
s, which were held every four years until 2004, winning the silver medal on four occasions. She has won the European Women's Teams on six occasions (1975, 1979, 1981, 1997, 1999, 2001). She won the Generali World Women's Individual event in 1994. In 2008, she was part of the English Ladies team that won the Gold at the first World Mind Sport Games (the successor competition to the Olympiad) in Beijing
, China. partnering Sally Brock.
She was only sixteen when she played in her first international tournament, at Deauville
, winning the teams event in a team which included her father, Nico Gardener
, and the young Paul Chemla
. She made her representative international debut in the European Championships in Estoril
in 1970, partnering Dorothy Shanahan and finishing fourth.
She won the premier British domestic competition, the Gold Cup
, in 1984 and 1991. She has played twice for England’s Open team in the Camrose Trophy
, which is competed for by the national teams within the British Isles. In 1998, partnering Pat Davies, she was second in the prestigious Macallan Invitational Pairs (previously known as the Sunday Times Invitational Pairs). She considers this one of her finest achievements.
She has played with the following in longstanding successful partnerships:
She comes from a notable bridge family, her parents, Pat and Nico Gardener
, both having played for Britain. She ran the London School of Bridge, which her father had founded in 1952, for many years. She still teaches bridge.
In 1983, she took part in a televised match arranged by the BBC
between teams representing Britain and the United States
. The British team was Tony Priday
, Claude Rodrigue, Nicola Gardener (as she then was) and Pat Davies. The US team was Neil Silverman, Matthew Granovetter, Jacqui Mitchell and Gail Moss. The British team won by 32 international match points over 78 deals in seven sessions. The match subsequently formed the basis of a book, in which she was described as follows: "...one of the finest women players in the world. Not only is she an excellent technician – truly, the daughter of her father Nico Gardener – but is equally aggressive and imaginative both in bidding and defence.
She was awarded the MBE in 1995 for her services to bridge.
Outside bridge she has worked as a business administrator, but has recently been training to be a healer. She married Jonathan Smith in 1983; they have two children.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 28 April 1949 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; née Gardener) has been a leading English
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 for over thirty years, with many successes in international competition to her credit. She 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...
teams which won the Venice Cup
Venice Cup
The World Teams Championship in contract bridge for women players only is also known as the Venice Cup, because the first edition was held in Venice, Italy in 1974.It is held every two years, in parallel to the Open World Teams Championship, the Bermuda Bowl....
, the women's world championship, in 1981 and 1985, and which finished second in 1976. She played in eight successive 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...
s, which were held every four years until 2004, winning the silver medal on four occasions. She has won the European Women's Teams on six occasions (1975, 1979, 1981, 1997, 1999, 2001). She won the Generali World Women's Individual event in 1994. In 2008, she was part of the English Ladies team that won the Gold at the first World Mind Sport Games (the successor competition to the Olympiad) in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China. partnering Sally Brock.
She was only sixteen when she played in her first international tournament, at Deauville
Deauville
Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and...
, winning the teams event in a team which included her father, Nico Gardener
Nico Gardener
Nico Gardener was a British international bridge player, born in Riga, Latvia .After the Russian Revolution his family moved to the Ukraine, and then to Moscow, where he trained as a ballet dancer. He later moved to Berlin, where he read languages and history at Berlin University, and played...
, and the young Paul Chemla
Paul Chemla
Paul Chemla is a famous French bridge player.Chemla was born in Tunis. He studied at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris where he took up playing bridge. His wins include three European Pairs Championships , two World Team Olympiads , and the 1997 Bermuda Bowl...
. She made her representative international debut in the European Championships in Estoril
Estoril
Estoril is a seaside resort and civil parish of the Portuguese municipality of Cascais, Lisboa District. The Estoril coast is close to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. It starts in Carcavelos, 15 kilometres from Lisbon, and stretches as far as Guincho, often known as Costa de Estoril-Sintra or...
in 1970, partnering Dorothy Shanahan and finishing fourth.
She won the premier British domestic competition, 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...
, in 1984 and 1991. She has played twice for England’s Open team in 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...
, which is competed for by the national teams within the British Isles. In 1998, partnering Pat Davies, she was second in the prestigious Macallan Invitational Pairs (previously known as the Sunday Times Invitational Pairs). She considers this one of her finest achievements.
She has played with the following in longstanding successful partnerships:
- 1967–1973 Rita Oldroyd
- 1974–1977 Sandra Landy
- 1978–1979 Rita Oldroyd
- 1980–1999 Pat Davies
- 2000– Heather Dhondy
She comes from a notable bridge family, her parents, Pat and Nico Gardener
Nico Gardener
Nico Gardener was a British international bridge player, born in Riga, Latvia .After the Russian Revolution his family moved to the Ukraine, and then to Moscow, where he trained as a ballet dancer. He later moved to Berlin, where he read languages and history at Berlin University, and played...
, both having played for Britain. She ran the London School of Bridge, which her father had founded in 1952, for many years. She still teaches bridge.
In 1983, she took part in a televised match arranged by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
between teams representing Britain and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The British team was Tony Priday
Tony Priday
Richard Anthony Priday is an English bridge player and journalist, who had a longstanding and successful partnership with Claude Rodrigue...
, Claude Rodrigue, Nicola Gardener (as she then was) and Pat Davies. The US team was Neil Silverman, Matthew Granovetter, Jacqui Mitchell and Gail Moss. The British team won by 32 international match points over 78 deals in seven sessions. The match subsequently formed the basis of a book, in which she was described as follows: "...one of the finest women players in the world. Not only is she an excellent technician – truly, the daughter of her father Nico Gardener – but is equally aggressive and imaginative both in bidding and defence.
She was awarded the MBE in 1995 for her services to bridge.
Outside bridge she has worked as a business administrator, but has recently been training to be a healer. She married Jonathan Smith in 1983; they have two children.
External links
- Nicola Smith player record at the World Bridge Federation