Life
Gordon was born Frederika Leist in Vienna to middle-class Jewish parents. After school, she became the buyer for a Salzburg store, married Paul Gordon and moved to Graz. The Nazi Anschluss in 1938 disrupted her life, as it did to so many others. She fled to London with her husband, though the details of this abrupt transition are not known. Her brother, Dr. Hans Leist, also came to Britain. (Also a fine bridge player, he was a member of five Gold Cup-winning teams between 1946 and 1953.
According to Rixi Markus, published in the magazine English Bridge in April, 1992, at the time of Gordon's leaving Austria she "was not known in the bridge world while I was already a world champion. But she made up for it soon after arriving in Britain... Paul served in the war with the Pioneer Corps so Fritzi was freed of all restrictions imposed on aliens."
Despite their shared cultural heritage and experiences, Gordon and Markus were not personal friends. Success tied them together, but they were often at odds despite their success. Their 'discussions' at the table were quite famous, and earned them the soubriquets Frisky and Bitchy. Mrs Gordon was not a bridge author, and her private life remained private. She is consequently the less well known of the pair.
The actress Tara Summers is her granddaughter.
Read more about this topic: Fritzi Gordon
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