The NICKO, as it is affectionately named, is probably the most popular of all tournaments with around 300 teams entering annually. The NICKO is open to all affiliated EBU bridge clubs. The early rounds are of 24 boards, increasing to 32 boards for the quarter-finals and semi-finals and 48 boards for the final, with the draw regionalised to reduce travelling.

Why not get together with your regular partner and a couple of teammates from your club and ask your club secretary to enter your team for the NICKO? An unlimited number of teams can be entered by a club.

Seeding for top teams (usually 16) will be based on Gold Points. Seeded teams will usually be exempt from the first two rounds and will be not be eligible for the plate competition.

The Plate competition will be open to all unseeded teams defeated in their first match of the main event, either in round 1, or in round 2 following a bye.

Important: Player Eligibility Criteria

It has been necessary to disqualify teams from the 2015/16 competition for fielding players who were not registered members of their club. Please help us to ensure that this course of action is not necessary in this year's competition by including in your team only players who are registered members. For help on ensuring your club's membership list is up to date watch the second video on the 'club help' page.

Please ensure that your team complies with the criteria given below.

Entry

Entry forms are available for all affiliated clubs. Entries should be submitted by the Club Secretary, who should be satisfied of the credentials of the players. Players must be members of the affiliated club (and included on the membership list registered by the club with the EBU), and must have been so for at least three months immediately prior to the closing date for the competition. Moreover, nominated players must play regularly at the club or for the club or contribute regularly in some other way OR have met this criteria in previous years, yet be unable to currently do so through some personal circumstance (e.g. illness, work, childcare, etc).

Clubs are required to ensure that their members meet the criteria outlined and are thus eligible to represent them. Clubs are also asked to ensure that their representatives match the ethos of the competition. If any complaints are received that a team does not meet these criteria, the club will be required to explain why they believe the players to be eligible.

Each club can enter an unlimited number of teams, to be referred to as teams A, B, C, etc. in no particular order of preference. Each team can be four, five or six players. At least four of the players must be nominated on the entry form at the time that the entry is submitted;

Extra players may be added, up to a maximum of six, at any time during the competition, provided (a) they are qualified as above, and (b) they have not represented another team in the competition. No player may represent more than one team during the year of the competition.

The fact that a player may represent one club in this event does not bar him or her from representing another club in the Garden Cities Trophy or any other inter-club event. Teams will not be drawn against other teams from the same club for the first two rounds, but may be thereafter. This is designed to reduce travelling distances for teams in the middle rounds.

Holders - 2015

Bristol B; David S Jones (Captain), Tim Brierley, Graham Hartley, Steve Tomlinson & Robert Covill

Current results

Results of the 2015/16 competition are available here: Cup; Plate