EVENTS FOCUS - Issue 8

Dear Roger

Welcome to our eighth Events Focus; keeping you up to date with forthcoming events and providing news on changes that we hope will improve your enjoyment of our varied calendar, with less travel for many, no hotel bills, earlier start and finish times. We'll be releasing this each month, so you can keep fully up-to-date with what's going on.

Lots of highly enjoyable events coming soon, including the famous Schapiro Spring Foursomes, the ever popular Spring Bank Holiday Congress, the new Oxford Belfry Midweek Congress, the Corwen Trophy, and the sunny Riviera Congress.

In addition to the below events, we would like to take this opportunity to remind our readers about the new Accommodation Booking Service (ABS). The service will be operated by Bridge Overseas, a company with a proven track record in dealing with hotels, both arranging bookings and in dealing with any issues that might arise.

The aim is to provide a comprehensive service that is quick and easy to use which will have some of the best negotiated rates that can be had.

Please visit http://www.ebu.co.uk/competitions/abs.htm for more information.

Finally, please don’t forget to take a look at our diary changes page, here: http://www.ebu.co.uk/general/announcements/diarychanges.htm

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It’s easy to enter any of the events below, or read all about the competitions, or choose the events you want to attend, by simply visiting https://www.ebu.co.uk/members/ and booking online through your personal members’ area. You can also contact Peter or Dawn during office hours on 01296 317203/219 or by emailing comps@ebu.co.uk to enter or get further information.

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SCHAPIRO SPRING FOURSOMES

3-7 MAY 2013

 

ONLY ONE SPACE AVAILABLE!

One of the greatest events in the bridge calendar.

The principal event, the Schapiro Trophy, has become one of the toughest events in domestic bridge. It is run on double-elimination lines over nine sessions, each of 32 boards. Play starts at 7.45pm on Friday evening, with semi-finals and final only being played on the Tuesday. Not for the faint-hearted! Due to the generous sponsorship
arrangement in place for this event, prizes are approximately twice the normal EBU value (e.g. approximately £1600 - £2000 for the winning team based on the typical size of the original entries).

A secondary event, the Punchbowl, is open to teams eliminated before Sunday evening. It has a round-robin qualifier followed by a mini knock-out.

The Hamilton Cup is a more relaxed event for teams seeking a game on Bank Holiday Monday (start 11.30am).

More information: http://www.ebu.co.uk/competitions/schapiro-spring-fours

Book here: https://www.ebu.co.uk/members/

 

 

SPRING BANK HOLIDAY CONGRESS

25 - 27 May 2013

 

Relaxed, popular congress held in Bournemouth over the three-day holiday. The Swiss Teams event on Bank Holiday Monday is stratified and suits a whole range of players from Local Master to Premier Grand Master. Please note  that the Swiss Pairs is now a one-day event on the Sunday.

The Championship Pairs is a four-session event with a two-session qualifying round on the Saturday, leading to a pair of two-session 'all-play-all' finals on Sunday.

More information: http://www.ebu.co.uk/competitions/schapiro-spring-fours

Book here: https://www.ebu.co.uk/members/

 

 

OXFORD BELFRY MIDWEEK CONGRESS

28 - 30 May 2013

 

Come and discover one of the most beautiful English counties, with the most inspiring city at its heart. Oxfordshire has a truly varied and stunning rural landscape. The midweek congress is a fully Green-pointed Tuesday to Thursday midweek congress featuring a 3-session ‘all play through’ Championship Pairs event and a one-day Swiss Teams event. Entry fees and prizes are specially reduced for this particular congress.

 

On Wednesday morning, the EBU will be providing a coach to Oxford so that players can uncover hidden treasures in a city renowned for its history and heritage.

 

More information: http://www.ebu.co.uk/competitions/oxford-belfry

 

Book here: https://www.ebu.co.uk/members/

 

 

ENGLISH RIVIERA CONGRESS

28 – 30 June 2013

 

A summer congress at the fabulous Riviera Centre which overlooks the bay in Torquay, featuring a one-day Swiss Teams event on the Friday, followed by a two-day Swiss Pairs event on the Saturday and Sunday.

 

All events are Level 4.

 

More information: http://www.ebu.co.uk/competitions/riviera-congress

 

Book here: https://www.ebu.co.uk/members/

 

 

GERARD FAULKNER SALVER

 

Introduced in 2002, the Seniors Knockout Teams for the Gerard Faulkner Salver has proved to be very popular. It is open to teams consisting of four to six players, all of whom are EBU members born in 1953 or earlier.

 

This year the Gerard Faulkner Saver will see a new format allowing all non-seeded teams to play in at least two matches. Teams losing their first round match will then be paired with another losing team from round 1 and the winner of this tie will progress to round 2.

 

A minimum of four and maximum of eight teams will be seeded. Seeds will be exempt from the first two rounds, and will not meet until the quarter finals. Teams defeating seeds adopted seeded status.

 

The event is played as a knockout throughout, with matches played privately. Matches prior to the semi-finals will be played over 32 boards, the semi-finals 40 boards, and the final 48 boards. Matches in the early stages will be arranged so as to avoid long journeys wherever possible.

 

More information, please view: http://www.ebu.co.uk/competitions/gerard-faulkner-salver

 


Looking further ahead…

BRIGHTON SUMMER CONGRESS

9 - 18 August 2013

 

The Brighton Summer Congress will be an exciting ten days this year: bookings are already higher than this time last year; we expect lots of international bridge players to attend; more young bridge players are attending; plus there are lots of new events available to bridge players of all standards. The Congress has a wide range of bridge events to choose from - meaning that the congress is a very popular venue for all bridge players. Come and try it this year!

 

Building on 2012’s innovations, the EBU has will group events other than the two main weekend competitions under the umbrella title Brighton Lite.

 

This means that you can play as little or as much bridge as you like, taking advantage of new events and new timings to reduce the number of nights spent in hotels, or to get home earlier, or so that you can relax for a little longer in the wonderful city of Brighton. Download our special Brighton Lite leaflet and full timetable at: http://goo.gl/jK8b3

 

The latest events to be added to the Congress schedule are an Under 25s Championship Pairs, all day on the Tuesday;, and a Point-a-Board teams on the afternoon of Friday August 16th – ideal for teams who arrive early for the weekend and want to try out this interesting and unusual scoring method.

 

Remember too that we have set up a Brighton Discussion Group so you can find a bridge partner; provide tips on where to park or stay; recommend your favourite restaurant; or tell everyone about your favourite Brighton event. Join us at: http://tinyurl.com/a75rj2d and help other players enjoy Brighton as much as they can.

 

Book here: https://www.ebu.co.uk/members/

 

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COMING SOON…
We have many more exciting and interesting bridge events coming up in the future.

Please have a look at our Coming Soon page for more information (http://www.ebu.co.uk/general/frontpage/default.htm).

Until then, enjoy your bridge and we'll be here next month with another edition of Events Focus. May we also take this opportunity to wish you a happy Easter break.

NB: Please note that we are sending this to you because you have attended an EBU Tournament in the past three years. If you would not like to receive this email again, please let us know by clicking here. Apologies if we missed your email request the first time.

Best regards,

EBU Competitions Department
English Bridge
Union

Tel: 01296 317 203/219
Email:
comps@ebu.co.uk

English Bridge Union Limited.
Tel. 01296 317200; Fax. 01296 317220
Registered Office: Broadfields,
Bicester Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19 8AZ

Registered in
England No. 358588