Events Focus - Issue 7
Welcome to our seventh 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 two Easter festivals, the Lambourne Jersey congress, the famous Schapiro Spring Foursomes, and the ever popular Spring Bank Holiday 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 for more information.
Finally, please dont forget to take a look at our diary changes page, here: http://www.ebu.co.uk/diarychanges.htm
Its 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.
EASTER FESTIVAL OF BRIDGE
29 MARCH - 1 APRIL 2013
Timings for this event are now similar to those of the London Year End Congress. The Championship Pairs is a stratified three-session event scored across the field. Prizes and Master Points awarded in three categories: below Regional Master, below Life Master and Open.
The Swiss Teams on Sunday is a two-session event with 7-board matches, this is also stratified. The Swiss Pairs on Monday is a two-session flighted event with seven 7-board matches, with current round assigning. The event is flighted into three divisions, subject to sufficient entries: the A flight is open to all, the B flight is restricted to pairs containing no Life Master or above, and the C flight restricted to pairs containing no Regional Master or above. All events are Level 4 except for the C flight of the Swiss Pairs which is Level 2.
Book here:
https://www.ebu.co.uk/members/
UNDER-25 PAIRS CHAMPIONSHIP
30 - 31 March 2013
Royal National Hotel, London. This event is open to any player under the age of 25 on 1st January 2013. Membership of the EBU is not required. This event will be held over two days, Good?Friday and Easter Saturday, at the Royal National Hotel in London. The start time will be 2.00pm on Friday and the event will finish at approximately 6.30pm on Saturday.
Book here:
https://www.ebu.co.uk/members/
UNDER-19 PAIRS CHAMPIONSHIP
30 March 2013
Royal National Hotel, London. This event is open to any player under the age of 19 on 1st January 2014. Membership of the EBU is not required. This event is now played as a one-day open entry pairs event and is held on Easter Saturday, at the Royal National Hotel in London, starting at 12 noon and ending at approximately 6.30pm.
Book here:
https://www.ebu.co.uk/members/
NORTHERN EASTER FESTIVAL
29 - 31 MARCH 2013
The northern festival is run by the Yorkshire Contract Bridge Association on behalf of the EBU at the Park Inn Hotel, York, North Street, York, YO1 6JF. This is a national green point event. Further information:
http://www.ycba.co.uk/events/easter-f.htm
LAMBOURNE JERSEY CONGRESS
26 APRIL - 5 MAY 2013
A joint venture between EBU and the Channel Islands Contract Bridge Association, this congress provides an attractive holiday in springtime with a full programme of bridge over ten days. With its unspoiled landscape and unique blend of British and French influences, Jersey really is a place where you can get away from it all. Relax and enjoy the famed hospitality of its people, and lose yourself in the Island's winding lanes or on its breathtaking coast.
The final day now starts half an hour earlier at 11am, to allow players enough time to get on the (now earlier) last plane.
Truly an event not to be missed!
Book here:
https://www.ebu.co.uk/members/
SCHAPIRO SPRING FOURSOMES
3-7 MAY 2013
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).
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.
Book here:
https://www.ebu.co.uk/members/
Looking further ahead
BRIGHTON SUMMER CONGRESS
9 - 18 August 2013
The Brighton Summer Congress has a wide range of bridge events to choose from - meaning that the congress is a very popular venue for bridge players of all standards. Building on 2012s innovations, the EBU has decided to 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
Remember too that we have set up a Brighton Discussion Group (http://tinyurl.com/a75rj2d) 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/
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/competitions).
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.
Best regards,
EBU Competitions Department
English Bridge Union
Tel: 01296 317 203/219
