Funeral and wake for Avi on Thursday 27 March
A funeral and wake for Avi will be held on Thursday 27 March. Go here for more details and to RSVP should you wish to attend.
Avinash Kanetkar passed away suddenly on the evening of 8 March 2025. Peter Buchen has written a touching tribute to Avi Kanetkar on the ABF site.
As Peter recounts, Avi was a giant of the bridge game, winning over 50 national events. This included two Open Playoffs, nine Seniors Playoffs (including the 2025 Playoff), eight Grand National Open Teams, five National Seniors Teams, three Spring National Teams, and a host of other events, including a 1978 NOT. Internationally, Avi was part of the winning 2010 and 2013 Asia Pacific Seniors Teams and a finalist in several Seniors World Championships.
The ‘Avi’ standard
David Beauchamp was one of Avi’s playing partners.
David fondly recalls the team of Chris Hughes, John McIlrath (NPC), Paul Lavings, George Bilski, Robert Krochmalik, Avi Kanetkar and Terry Brown (pictured below) that represented Australia at the 49th Asian Pacific Bridge Championships in Hong Kong in 2013. They were successful in winning the Seniors’ division from Indonesia and Chinese Taipei.
“Perhaps that was the result he most cherished,” said David.
Avi is second from the right in the 2013 team
Avi and David played together for Australia in Marrakesh two years ago.
“We played ‘Avi standard ‘– unlike any other system…. When I asked (on numerous occasions) if we could try some ‘new’ bidding ideas, he would say ‘Dave, I can’t remember those and my system is the best!’”
David said Avi’s style of bidding was very aggressive, which placed lots of pressure on opponents.
“He had a canny nose for when to double the opponents and he was usually right,” he said.
“His card play was top notch! He loved to play very quickly and was mildly irritated by slower opponents.
“Avi and I were great mates and loved to share stories about our successes and disasters at the table. I will miss his company, his sense of humour, and our friendship.”
Avi (left) with Ron Klinger and Ian Thomson at the North Shore Bridge Club
A proud bridge player
Another playing partner of Avi’s, Bruce Neill, visited Avi and his wife, Lalita, at their home one time.
“One delightful memory was admiring their recessed coffee table. It had a glass top and some of Avi’s many bridge trophies were on the display shelf below. The first of two such tables! They were for his grandchildren,” said Bruce.
Some of Avi’s bridge titles
Avi in his element
The deal below occurred in the 2022 ANC Senior Teams in Adelaide. It was the only tournament Peter Buchen played with Avi, which they won for NSW.
The bidding against ACT in Round 13 went:
| S | W | N | E |
| Avi | Peter B | ||
| Pass | Pass | ||
| 1C | X | XX | 1H |
| 1S | 2H | 2S | Pass |
| 4S | All pass |
Note the typical aggressive Avi bidding, says Peter. Once the fit was found, Avi blasted into action.
| Board : 1 | S | Dlr: N |
| H | Vul: None | |
| D | ||
| C | ||
| S | S | |
| H | H | |
| D | D | |
| C | C | |
| S | ||
| 9 | H | |
| 153 3 | D | |
| 13 | C |
Peter recalls: “West led HA and Avi knew instinctively how to play the hand. He won the HA, ducked a Spade around to West’s Jack who continued Hearts. Avi ruffed and reverted to Clubs. There was nothing East/West could do. All they could get was AQJ of trumps.
“We picked up 8 Imps when EW went down 1 in 4H.”
Avi leaves behind his wife, Lalita, and two daughters.
Avi and his wife, Lalita, with Peter and Kathy Buchen
NSW sweeps Aus mixed team playoffs
Four NSW players swept the Australian Mixed Teams playoffs in Canberra this week and will go on to represent Australia in 2025.
Liz Sylvester, Peter Gill, Arlene Dalley and Michael Courtney – all New South Wales players – came from behind in the eighth and final stanza to beat the Lazer team by 4.9 IMPs.
On paper the Lazer team, which included all time greats of the game Warren Lazer and Pauline Gumby – were most likely to take out the trophy. Other team members included Giselle Mundell and Andrew Peake – who are both having breakout performances in 2024 with national rankings of 22nd and 26th for the year – as well as Christy Geromboux (163rd for 2024) and Sebastian Yuen.
However, the Slyvester team triumphed with its own superstars of the game, with Peter Gill an Emerald Grand ranked 3rd on the all time list just behind Warren Lazer, and Michael Courtney and Arlene Dalley both chalking up serious masterpoints in 2024 to reach rankings of 11th and 43rd respectively.
The four NSW-based Sylvester players have booked their seats at the 2025 World National Teams Championship in Herning, Denmark on 20-31 August.
We wish them the best of luck! We will report on their efforts here on the Bridge NSW website and on our Facebook page.
2024 ANC Seniors Team
2024 Seniors ITS Winners – Peter Buchen, Bruce Neill, Joan Butts, Pauline Gumby, Michael Courtney and Warren Lazer
Subject to ratification the team to represent NSW at the ANC Seniors Teams in Orange in July will be:
Joan Butts – Michael Courtney
Peter Buchen – Bruce Neill
Pauline Gumby – Warren Lazer
2024 ANC Women’s Team
2024 Women’s ITS Winners – Marcia Scudder, Judy Mott, Sybil Hurwitz, Monica Ginsberg, Ella Jacob and Louise Leibowitz
Subject to ratification the team to represent NSW at the ANC Women’s Teams in Orange in July will be:
Sybil Hurwitz, Monica Ginsberg
Marcia Scudder – Judy Mott
Louise Leibowitz – Ella Jacob
2024 ANC Youth Team
2024 Youth ITS Team – Sherry Wang, Shannon Ooi, Yiwei Qi, Adrian Le, Duncan Lai and Aadhi Hariharan
Subject to ratification the team to represent NSW at the ANC Youth Teams in Orange in July will be:
Yiwei Qi – Adrian Le
Sherry Wang – Shannon Ooi
Duncan Lai – Aadhi Hariharan
2024 ANC Open Team
2024 Open ITS Winners – (L to R) Liam Milne, Dagmar Neumann, Maurits van der Vlugt, Tony Nunn, James Coutts and Paul Dalley
Subject to ratification, the team to represent NSW at the ANC Teams in Orange in July will be:
Dagmar Neumann – Maurits van der Vlugt
Tony Nunn – Paul Dalley
Liam Milne – James Coutts
