The NICKO, as it is affectionately named, is probably the most popular of all tournaments. 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.
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, except that the previous year's finalists will be seeded if known in time. Seeded teams will be exempt from at least the first round and will 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.
Later rounds of this event will be face-to-face but teams are invited to indicate willingness to play online, which would be applied to the early stages to reduce travelling. Currently, the vast majority of our entrants have indicated a preference to play online which will reduce the need for teams entering to play face to face until a considerably later stage if they so wish. They must be willing to play later stages face-to-face though should they eventually draw a team that has indicated a preference for face to face. Prices for the NICKO entries are based on the previous face to face iteration.
Important: Player Eligibility Criteria
It has been necessary to disqualify teams from past competitions 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 future competitions by including in your team only players who are registered members. For help on ensuring your club's membership list is up to date please contact us. Please ensure that your team complies with the criteria given below.
Current results
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To enter
By entering an EBU congress or event you agree to abide by the terms and conditions set out in the Terms and Conditions document.
Entry Form (word) (pdf)
Entries for the 2024/25 competition are now open.
1. Entries are open to all clubs affiliated to the EBU, who may enter an unlimited number of teams, to be referred to as A, B, C etc. in no particular order of preference. Entries should be submitted by an authorised official of the club, who should be satisfied of the credentials of the players.
2. Players must: (a) be registered members of the club they are to represent continuously throughout the period commencing with the date three months before the published closing date for entries to the competition, and finishing with the last match which they play in the competition; and (b) play regularly at the club or for the club, or contribute to the club regularly in some other way (or have done so in previous years, yet be unable currently to do so through some personal circumstance, e.g. illness, work, childcare, etc.). “Registered member” means a member of the club who is at all relevant times included on the list of members of the club registered with the EBU for the purposes of the Universal Membership Scheme.
3. Clubs are required to ensure that their representatives meet these criteria and are thus eligible to represent them. If any complaints are received that any members of a team do not meet these criteria, the club will be required to explain why it believes the players to be eligible. If that explanation is not regarded as convincing, disqualification may follow.
4. At least four players must be nominated for each team when the entry form is submitted. EBU numbers must be provided for all players. If, exceptionally, that is not possible, then it is essential that their postcodes are provided instead to enable easy identification of players. Entry forms which are deficient in this respect may be returned for the missing information to be provided.
5. Extra players may be added, up to a maximum of six players per team, at any time during the competition provided that: (a) they satisfy the entry conditions (see 2 above); (b) they have not represented another team in the competition in the same season; (c) they are nominated to the EBU Competitions Department before they play.
6. For the purposes of Conditions 2(a) and 5(b), “the competition” includes the NICKO Plate. Please note that although no player may represent more than one team in the competition in any one season, players representing a club in the NICKO may represent a different club in the Garden Cities or any other inter-club event.
7. Please can entrants who wish to play online contact comps@ebu.co.uk so that those wishing to play online can be drawn against one another in the first few rounds (depending on number of online applicants). Note that the competition will default to face to face and we won't be able to guarantee online opposition after a couple of rounds.
Holders
2022-23
Cup - Young Chelsea B: Barbara Sally Brock, Barry Myers, Claire Robinson & Cameron Small
Plate - Petersfield Bridge Club A: James Clark, Mike Kinsey, Owen Leigh & Steve Preston
| Main Event 2023/2024 | To be completed |
|---|---|
| Semi Finals | 15th September 2024 |
| Finals | 10th November 2024 |
| Plate Event 2023/2024 | |
| Semi Final | 15th September 2024 |
| Final | 10th November 2024 |
| Main Event 2024/2025 | To be completed |
| R1 | 10th December 2024 |
| R2 | 26th January 2025 |
| R3 | 16th March 2025 |
| R4 | 4th May 2025 |
| R5 | 22nd June 2025 |
| Quarter Finals | 3rd August 2025 |
| Semi Finals | 14th September 2025 |
| Finals | 9th November 2025 |
| Plate Event 2024/2025 | |
| R1 | 16th March 2025 |
| R2 | 4th May 2025 |
| R3 | 22nd June 2025 |
| Quarter Final | 3rd August 2025 |
| Semi Final | 14th September 2025 |
| Final | 9th November 2025 |
| 2024/25 entry fees are £90 per team |
|---|
Master Points
Main Event
| Round | I | II | III | IV | V | Quarter final | Semi | Final |
| Green Points | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
Plate
| Round | I | II | III | IV | Quarter Final | Semi | Final |
| Green Points | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Agreements
Level 4 agreements are permitted in this event.
Halfway venues
Some clubs are available for hire by teams wishing to hold a knockout match at a 'halfway venue'. A list of some of these is available here.
Previous Winners
2023 results
2022 results
2021 results
2020 results
2019 results
2018 results
2017 results
2016 results
2015 results
2014 results
2013 results
2012 results
2011 results
2010 results
2009 results
2008 results
2007 results