Michelle Brunner

Michelle Brunner (31 December 1953 – 24 June 2011) was a British bridge player, writer and teacher. She was a member of the British team that won the 1985 Venice Cup, the biennial world championship for women national teams. She also once finished second and twice third in the women's event at the World Team Olympiad. She holds Historic rank 24 among European Grand Masters, Women category.^[1]

Brunner was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2007 and died on 24 June 2011, aged 57.^[2]

Early life

Born in London, Michelle attended the Henrietta Barnett School in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, where she learnt and practiced her bridge playing skills during her sixth form years. Following this, she went to Manchester University where she read Italian and French, but her increasing involvement in bridge meant that she left without getting her degree to work in the travel industry for Thomas Cook for seventeen years. At university, she met and played with John Holland, who would also become an international player. He soon became her partner in life as well as in bridge, and they married in 2008.^[3]

Bridge career

As a player, Michelle Brunner’s achievements were outstanding. She was a World Bridge Federation Life Master and an English Bridge Union (EBU) Premier Grand Master.^[3]

Her Venice Cup win in 1985 was achieved when partnering Gill Scott-Jones as part of the Great Britain team. However the pair did not play enough boards to qualify for the title of World Champions. In 1980 she and Pat Davies were part of the Great Britain team which finished third in the World Team Olympiad, but the pair did not play enough boards to qualify for bronze medals. In 1988 the Great Britain team of which she was a member finished second in the same competition. She partnered Sandra Landy on this occasion, and this time did get her silver medal. In 2004 she was part of the England team in the Olympiad which finished third, and received a bronze medal partnering Rhona Goldenfield.^[4]

In mixed and women's events she won gold and bronze medals in the Common Market Championships and gold, silver and bronze in the European Championships. Partnering John Holland, she was part of three England teams which won the Camrose Trophy. Brunner was also in winning teams in the Lady Milne competition, the equivalent of the Camrose Trophy for women teams, on seven occasions.

She turned professional in 1995, when she launched her Mobile School of Bridge.^[2] Brunner taught beginning and intermediate players until 2006. She did private teaching, as well as offering her services as a professional partner. As well as writing articles for bridge magazines, she authored two books.^[3]

Publications

• Brunner, Michelle (2000). Acol Bidding for Improvers. Bridge with Brunner. London: Batsford. pp. 192. ISBN 978-0-7134-8625-4. OCLC 45690140. 
• Brunner, Michelle (2003). Acol Bidding for Budding Experts. Bridge with Brunner. London: Batsford. pp. 192. ISBN 978-0-7134-8799-2. OCLC 51108253. 

References

1. ^ Michelle Brunner player record at European Bridge League. Confirmed 2011-09-05.
2. ^ ^{a b} Maureen Hiron (2 July 2011). "Michelle Brunner: Bridge player regarded as one of Britain's finest". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/michelle-brunner-bridge-player-regarded-as-one-of-britains-finest-2305642.html. Retrieved 29 July 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} English Bridge, August 2011, pg. 21
4. ^ See Venice Cup Results.

External links

• Michelle Brunner player record at the World Bridge Federation