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December 2016 English Bridge

www.ebu.co.uk

they had a gold medal as a result of a mix-up, but if

they wanted to hand it back the rules would not

permit them to do so. Of course the second-placed

pair, Ashley Bach and Michael Cornell from New

Zealand, weren't in a particularly cheerful frame of

mind themselves: they had a silver medal as a result

of a mix-up, but if someone wanted to give them a

gold instead the rules would stand in the way.

While all this was being deliberated, in public and

in private, it was discovered that the women's World

Pairs Championship had also been decided as a

result of a scoring error. This one had been reported

to the proper officials, but had not been corrected

because the report had come after the correction

period for the session had expired. A spectacular

hat-trick was narrowly avoided when a player in the

Seniors event, elated that his opponents had missed

a game, entered his score as plus 180 instead of

minus 180 (for two overtricks in 2NT) but, by a

fraction of one per cent, could not contrive to win

the tournament as a result.

It didn't turn out too badly. The World Bridge

Federation has often been accused of acting like a

dodo, but when this time it announced that

'everybody has won and all must have prizes' it was

not universally jeered. The now joint gold

medallists in the Open championship agreed to be

team-mates in the forthcoming Rosenblum event.

The now joint gold medallists in the Women's

championship have, I hope, lived happily ever after.

But for a while, things were looking pretty

disastrous. r

SIMULTANEOUS PAIRS

British Winter Sim Pairs

9 - 12 January, 2017

Bridge England Sim Pairs

7 - 8 February, 2017

Club Stratified Sims

13-16 March, 2017

British Spring Sims

3-6 April, 2017

More information on the EBU website

http://www.ebu.co.uk/sim-pairs

RANKED MASTERS

PAIRS 2017

A group of Pairs Championships for players

with spe cific Master Point ranks

25 - 26 February 2017

Premier Grand Masters Pairs

Grand Masters Pairs

Premier Life Masters Pairs

Life Masters Pairs

National Masters Pairs

Regional Masters Pairs

Holiday Inn, Birmingham Airport

EBU Accommodation Booking Service

( 0800 0346 246

All events start at 2pm on Saturday and

end between 3.30pm and 5.30pm

on Sunday depending on numbers.

MASTERS PAIRS

26 February 2017

The Masters Pairs section is open to all below

the rank of Regional Master on 1st Jan 2017.

Unlike the other categories in the Ranked

Masters Pairs (see above), it is a two-session

one-day event (11.30 start, finish by 6.45pm

approx.) at these venues:

• Bradford Bridge Club

• Exeter Bridge Club

• First Class Bridge Academy, Billericay

• Richmond Bridge Club

• Tunbridge Wells Bridge Club

• Welwyn Garden City Bridge Club

• West Midlands Bridge Club

Free entry: If a player was promoted to

the landmarcomps@ebu.co.ukr in 2016, his/her

entry to the 2017 event is FREE.

Entries / Enquiries:

EBU Competitions Department

( 01296 317 203 / 219 or e-mail

comps@ebu.co.uk

All

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