Summer Festival

3rd-7th and 15th-19th August 2018, London and other venues

The One Day Swiss Pairs on Sunday has sold out. No entries will be taken on the day at ULU. We're sorry for any disappointment this causes.

Second weekend programmes - Swiss Teams; One Day Swiss Pairs

The Festival Hub - for results, articles, and more

As the Devonshire Park complex is undergoing extensive refurbishment, they will not have space to accommodate us for the Summer Meeting in 2018. We will therefore not be going to Eastbourne, and will instead be holding a one-off Summer Festival in 2018 between 3rd and 19th August. We intend returning to Eastbourne in 2019.

The competitions will not be held in a single block, but will instead be over two long weekends. This is due to the availability of suitable venues, however we hope that it will have the benefit of giving players a chance to recharge their batteries and be at peak performance levels for the second weekend of bridge.


Weekend Challenge Competitions

Programme - First weekend

Swiss Pairs Championship for the Harold Poster Cup

2017 Holders: Alexander Allfrey & Andrew Robson
Previous winners

Friday 3rd - Sunday 5th August; Royal National Hotel, Russell Square, London

If you are looking for an intensive weekend of quality bridge, this is the competition for you. 15 eight-board matches are played across five sessions, over three days.

Master Points are at an enhanced level to reflect the status of the event. This event is stratified.

The Swiss Pairs is part of the Championship Series, in which points can be earned towards the Player of the Year Championship.

Two start times on Friday; Early finish on Saturday: to try to help accomodate those who wish to commute to the venue each day (so need an earlier finish), and also those who need to work on Friday (so need a later start), there will be two starting times on Friday. You can start at 6pm and play three matches, finishing at 9:30pm. Or you can start at 7:15pm and play three matches, finishing at 10:45pm. The choice is yours. There will be one set of boards - the early starters will play boards 1-24, the later starters will play 9-32. We do not need to know in advance which start time you require.
On Saturday, the timings are earlier than normal to ensure that those who wish to travel home at the end of play can do so, removing the need for overnight accommodation in London.

An extra match: compared with the schedule for the event when it has been held in Brighton and Eastbourne, there will be an additional match on Sunday afternoon. So you will play 15 matches, rather than the usual 14. The session on Sunday will be split in two, to give you a short break after two matches.

Free Open Pairs: On the afternoon of Friday 3rd, at the same venue, there will be an Open Pairs which is free to anyone playing in the Swiss Pairs.

Please enter in advance with the EBU - there may be capacity to take entries on the day, but we cannot be sure at this stage, so get your entry in early to avoid disappointment.


Four Stars Swiss Teams

Programme - second weekend

2017 Holders: Marion Robertson, Mike Bell, Sarah Bell, Kieran Dyke & Michael Byrne
Previous winners

Friday 17th - Sunday 19th August; Royal National Hotel, Russell Square, London

An intensive weekend of teams bridge. 10 eight-board matches are played across the first three sessions. Thereafter the top sixteen teams will go forward into one of the all-play-all Four Stars finals. The leading eight teams will go in to the 'A' final, and the next eight teams into the 'B' final. In each final there is a full round-robin of 7 eight-board matches. Those teams outside the top sixteen will continue to play in the Swiss Teams, for the Brighton Bowl, with five matches on Sunday.

Master Points are at an enhanced level to reflect the status of the event.

The Four Stars Teams is part of the Championship Series, in which points can be earned towards the Player of the Year Championship.

Two start times on Friday; Early finish on Saturday: to try to help accomodate those who wish to commute to the venue each day (so need an earlier finish), and also those who need to work on Friday (so need a later start), there will be two starting times. You can start at 6pm and play three matches, finishing at 9:30pm. Or you can start at 7:15pm and play three matches, finishing at 10:45pm. The choice is yours. There will be one set of boards - the early starters will play boards 1-24, the later starters will play 9-32. We do not need to know in advance which start time you require.
On Saturday, the timings are earlier than normal to ensure that those who wish to travel home at the end of play can do so, removing the need for overnight accommodation in London.

An extra match: compared with the schedule for the event when it has been held in Brighton and Eastbourne, there will be an additional match on Sunday afternoon for those teams still participating in the Swiss Teams. So you will play 15 matches, rather than the usual 14. The session on Sunday will be split in two, to give you a short break after a two matches. The format of the Finals is unchanged.

Free Point-a-Board Teams: On the afternoon of Friday 17th, at the same venue, there will be a Point-a-Board Teams which is free to anyone playing in the Four Stars Teams.

Please enter in advance with the EBU - there may be capacity to take entries on the day, but we cannot be sure at this stage, so get your entry in early to avoid disappointment.


One Day Swiss Pairs

It is possible that the One Day Swiss Pairs will sell out - please enter in advance, rather than relying on entering on the day at ULU

Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th August; Upper Hall, University of London Union
Starts at noon.

Two stratified One Day Swiss Pairs competitions, ideal for those who do not have team mates for the Four Stars Teams, who cannot commit to a full weekend, or who would just prefer to play that type of competition.

Each day there will be 6 x 7-board matches, with a short break halfway through.

The University of London Union is just a five minute walk from the Royal National Hotel, so it will be easy to meet before and after play with friends and family who are playing in the Four Stars Teams.

The competition will be fully Green Pointed at the standard level. There will be a bonus award for the pair with the best combined result across the two days.

Please enter in advance with the EBU - there may be capacity to take entries on the day, but we cannot be sure at this stage, so get your entry in early to avoid disappointment.


Midweek Competitions

The midweek competitions which are usually held on the evenings during the Summer Meeting will continue as part of the Summer Festival, but with a change to the usual arrangements.

This year they will each be held as multi-venue competitions, with the same hands played at a few venues around the country, and then scored across the field.

The first two competitions will be held on the days following the Swiss Pairs, the second two will precede the Four Stars Teams - thus making two long weekends of bridge.

Please note that the list of host venues may be subject to change at short notice

Monday 6th August - Play with the Experts Pairs
This is a pairs event, but uses team-style scoring. At the the end of the evening all N/S pairs will 'score-up' using the scorecard of a pair of experts who previously played the E/W cards. The E/W pair will score-up with the 'expert' N/S pair. The pair who finished furthest ahead of the average score of those sitting in their direction will win.

Tuesday 7th August - GCH Fox Championship Pairs

Wednesday 15th August - Mixed Pivot Teams
For teams of four which must include at least one man and at least one woman. You play one-third of the boards with each of your team mates.

Thursday 16th August - Mixed Pairs Championship


The Seniors Congress

There won’t be a Seniors Congress, or any specific Seniors competitions, held during the Summer Festival fortnight, but the Scarborough Summer Congress, which will take place 25th-29th July, will now include the Northern Seniors Pairs Championship, and there will be additional prizes for Seniors in the multiple teams competition at that congress.

The Summer Seniors Congress in 2018 will still take place in Eastbourne, using the facilities at the tennis centre on the far side of the Devonshire Park complex.

We hope any players who would have usually played in the Senior Congress at the Summer Meeting will, in its absence, support these two events.


Really Easy Congress

This will take place at The Hilton Hotel, Warwick/Stratford-upon-Avon, CV34 6RE, 10th – 12th August 2018

This is aimed at 'less experienced' players. You should be no higher than a Jack on the NGS, and likely above a 7, though there is no lower limit - if you are comfortable playing club bridge you are welcome.

Please see this page for more details.


Under 26 Championship Pairs

The Under 26 Championship Pairs will take place as a separate event in 2018. See here for details.

Other events

'Discuss it with an Expert' Seminars: The necessary changes to the timings for this year, and the layout of the venue, means it is not possible to hold any seminars before play each day. We do hope, however, to provide more content on the website with articles on the deals from the previous day.

TD Training: Given the necessary changes for this year there will not be the opportunity to hold any TD Training during the festival.

* - The intention is that the two sections will play 16/24 boards in common for this first session

Closing date for entries is 27th July. It may be possible to enter on the day for the weekend competitions in London, but we cannot be sure at this stage, so get your entry in early to avoid disappointment

Master Points

  • Green Points in the main Swiss Pairs and Four Stars Swiss Teams are awarded at an enhanced level to reflect the status of this congress in our calendar - 0.42 for a win and 0.21 for a draw in each eight-board match.
  • The one-day Swiss Pairs will be fully Green Pointed at the standard level, with a bonus award for the pair with the best combined result across the two days.
  • Midweek evenings competitions, the Open Pairs and the Point-a-Board Teams: Blue Points to the top places

Swiss Pairs: 0.42 Green Points are awarded per match won (0.21 for a draw), plus bonus ranking awards to the top third of the field - 1st place: 16.00, last award receiving position: 0.56 (awards for intermediate places will be in accordance with the standard EBU congress formula).

Four Stars Swiss Teams: 0.42 Green Points are awarded per match won (0.21 for a draw), plus bonus ranking awards as follows:
'A' final - 1st place: 16.00; down to 8th place: 4.00 (awards for intermediate places will be in accordance with the standard EBU congress formula)
'B' final - 1st place: 8.00; down to 8th place: 2.00 (awards for intermediate places will be in accordance with the standard EBU congress formula)
Brighton Bowl - Awards to the top 1/3 of the field, including the 16 teams playing in the two finals (for example an original entry of 132 equates to 44 ranking award, so awards will be made to 28th place in the final standings for the Brighton Bowl).

Venue and Tariff


Royal National Hotel

The main congress site is the Royal National Hotel, 38-51 Bedford Way, Bloomsbury, London WC1H 0DG - Location map

2018 rates

The Imperial Hotel offers a ‘Capital Weekend Package’ for single rooms only for either Friday and Saturday(inclusive) or Saturday and Sunday at £176.00 per person. There is an optional Sunday night supplement of £61.00 per person if 3 nights (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) are booked. All rates are inclusive of VAT, full English breakfast, either lunch or dinner and free car park.

The package is available to book online at www.imperialhotels.co.uk or by telephoning Central Reservations on 0207 278 7871/2/3.

Guests staying fewer than 2 nights or for any additional nights when booked in conjunction with Capital packages will be charged at £111.00 B&B per room per night. Alternatively the additional nights can be booked online at a rate of £101.00 per room per night (rate only available on website).

A number of rooms are reserved for booking at this negotiated rate for a limited period of time. Any unbooked rooms are usually released for booking by the general public a few weeks before the event. Thereafter rooms may still be available, but at the hotel’s current rate. Likewise if all allocated rooms are booked then rooms may still be available, but at the hotel’s current rate. To ensure rooms are available at the negotiated rate please book as early as possible.

EBU Policy on Venue Hotels

Or, if you wish to stay elsewhere, the following websites may help you to find alternative options:
Hotels.com; Expedia.co.uk; Lastminute.com
(searches based on 2 nights, 2 people, for the first weekend, sorted by distance to Russell Square - please change these as required)

University of London Union

The One Day Swiss Pairs will be held in the Upper Hall at the University of London Union, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HY

This is just five minutes walk from the Royal National Hotel.

Location map

Parking and Travel Information

See here for information on parking, and travel and the London Underground.

Find a partner/team mates

If you are looking for a partner or team mates for this congress, please use the comments board below.

Please note: To reduce confusion, messages relating to a previous year's congress will be removed from the board.

Please see this page if you need help using the comments board.