Barnet Joseph Shenkin

Barnet Joseph Shenkin (b 1950) was born into a Zionist family Glasgow and latterly emigrated to the US with his second wife Margaret Mary Shenkin. They are both Bridge players and Barnet is a multiple competition winner. In his younger years he worked in the Shenkin family business selling carpets and rugs.

His grandparents were Barnet Shenkin and Freda Shenkin and his parents were Louis Shenkin and Miriam 'Mamie' Leah Shenkin , all of whom were Zionist activists stretching back to at least 1905.

He married Lavinia Eva Shenkin (nee Din/Dean) in Glasgow in 1975. Lavinia married William Purkiss in Kilmarnock in 1990.

Barnet married Margaret Mary Shenkin (nee McPaul/MCLeay) in 1991 in Glasgow.

Barnet gives the following account of his life:

Barnet was born in 1950 in Glasgow into a bridge-playing family. It was at the age of 13 that he first went to Albert Benjamin's club. Without knowing what stakes were involved, he ended the session by being given 7/6d, untold riches for a 13 year old in those days. He worked for many years in the family business, buying and selling rugs, but his main interest has always been bridge.

He burst on to the bridge scene as a Junior with a truly remarkable run of success. He represented Great Britain in two Junior European Championships: in Delft (1972) with George Cuthbertson, finishing 6th of 17 teams; and in Copenhagen (1974) with his cousin David Shenkin, where they won a bronze medal. Barnet was the first Scottish player to win the prestigious "Sunday Times" (Macallan) Invitational Pairs, in 1976, aged 25, with 21-year-old Michael Rosenberg.

Barnet also played with Michael in the British Open Team at the 1977 European Championships. The partnership won bronze medals in the British Open Team at two Common Market Championships in 1975 and 1977. In 1978 they led the prestigious Cavendish Invitation Pairs in New York till the very last round, when a costly lead against a slam relegated them to second place.

Barnet's third appearance for Britain at a Common Market Championship was in 1979 with Victor Goldberg, and this time the medal was silver. Later that year he and Victor played in the British Open team at the European Championship. In 1980 Barnet won his second Sunday Times Pairs with Victor, a truly remarkable achievement.

Barnet's next partner was Willie Coyle, with whom he played in the British Open team at the 1984 World Teams Olympiad and the 1985 European Championship. His fifth and final appearance in a British Open team was in 1993 with Les Steel. Barnet also won the Lederer Memorial Trophy (London CBA invitational Teams) twice, in 1977 and 1979. He is a World Master in WBF ranking lists.

In 1997 Barnet decided to move to USA to concentrate on playing, writing about and teaching Bridge. In the year 2000 his book Playing With the Bridge Legends was published by Masterpoint Press. Since moving to USA he has won 3 National Championships and many Regionals. He had a second place finish in the Vanderbilt Teams, and the US team trials, a third in the Reisinger and reached the semi–finals of the Spingold.

See also

• Shenkin family