Story by Ugur Degmez (BBO: ugu679)

I am a retired engineer. In my youth, I played bridge according to Goren(e). When the Covid pandemic started, I searched for online bridge on Google and started playing on BBO. However, all the players were playing 5-card major bridge. This made me feel lonely.

One day, I met a Turkish player on BBO. Her nickname was Mahnur. That meeting changed my life. Mahnur sent me her bridge notes, and she became my regular partner. We lived in different cities. We participated in the Bodrum Bridge Festival together. We played live bridge in Istanbul at the Büyük Kulüp, Hoşgörü Bridge Club, and Akademi Bridge Club. Everything was going very well.

Mahnur participated in the Köyceğiz Bridge Festival. It was a three-day tournament on September 26–27–28. She played in the tournament on the first day, Friday, September 26th. That same evening, while returning to her summer house in Marmaris, she stopped in front of a restaurant, parked her car on the side of the road, and wanted to have soup with her bridge partner. While crossing the road, she was hit by a car, and sadly, we lost her. The pain is deep and lasting. May she rest in peace.

Mahnur was not only a good bridge partner, but also a kind and thoughtful friend. Our partnership began online, but it soon became a real friendship. I will always remember the games we played together and the time we shared at the bridge table.

In August 2025, a tournament was organized in Bodrum at the Gümüşlük Bridge Club in memory of Nevin Yavuz (Mahnur). I participated in this tournament. It was meaningful, but also very sad.