37
December 2016 English Bridge
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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