The EBU Overseas Congress in Malta has recently concluded, and was a great success. The sun shone for most of the week, and Malta provided a number of wonderful excursions during the breaks in the bridge schedule.
Photographs of the competition winners can be seen here. The picture shown here is from the end of event 'Unofficial Awards', hosted by David Jones.
The stories behind some of David's 'award' recipients are:
1. The event was held in adjoining hotels. One gentleman went to view the results posted in the lobby of the hotel. On reading the results, deep in thought, he left the hotel to return to the other hotel. He entered the next building to find himself completely lost. He asked a man walking the other way down this corridor ‘Could you please direct me to room 504?’. The man replied ‘Our rooms do not have numbers, they have names like A&E, Operating Theatre etc.. You are in the Hospital’.
2. One experienced and respected player in the group was known to have left behind him, on previous Overseas Congresses, less experienced players with a few ruffled feathers. To ease this situation the Chief TD quietly asked him if he could use his undoubted charm to ensue this did not happen in Malta. All were content when a positive answer was received. Three days later the same player asked the Director if there were any upset pairs left in his wake. The answer of 'No' was well received but he did reply ‘Well it isn’t working. Look at our scores!’.
3. A certificate was awarded to a pair for improvement in form filling. At Garda they filled in the entry list for the chosen event not once, not twice, but three times. At Malta it was only twice!.
4. In short:
– we had a 21 bid auction(!)
- and we had a concerted effort to disprove Burn’s Law saying you cannot make 3NT on a cross ruff. The quartet played in 2NT making ten tricks, five of them being ruffs as all four played in hearts!
The next EBU Overseas Congress is in Montenegro in October.
February 14, 2014