New Laws of Duplicate Bridge, effective August 2008

The 2007 Laws of Duplicate Bridge take effect in Wales and England on 1st August 2008. Two seminars are planned to acquaint club directors with the changes in the these news: 1st June at Prestatyn Bridge Club, to be conducted by David Stevenson, and 15th June at Gwent Bridge Academy, to be conducted by Ken Richardson.

The cost will be £10 per person, tea/coffee will be provided free, but please bring your own food. Those attending will receive a copy of the new Laws gratis. Start at 11am finish about 5pm. Please inform Ken Richardson in advance if you wish to attend either seminar, enclosing a cheque for £10 per person made payable to 'WBU'.

Courses
The Welsh Bridge Union organises 4 courses for Tournament Directors according to demand. The courses were formerly known as the A,B,C & D courses, but are now more helpfully described as Book Rulings, Judgement Rulings, Assessment, & the County Course.

The first two courses are primarily targeted at Club TDs although anyone with an interest in the laws can attend, subject to availablity. These courses are lectures with a few exercises & simulations built in.

The Assessment course can be taken only if you have previously taken Book Rulings and Judgement Rulings, and it is advisable to have at least several months experience of directing before attending. As the name suggests this course is made up entirely of tests and simulations, and at the end candidates that pass are qualified as WBU Club Tournament directors.

The County course is there for people who want to direct congresses, area and national events. Qualified Club directors who want to improve their knowledge are also welcome. In Wales we often combine the County Course with the County Refresher course. This course is mainly simulations and exercises and runs over two days, and there is as much learnt chatting to the tutors in the bar as there is in the classroom.

Anyone interested in TD courses should contact: Ken Richardson 029 2025 5162

David Stevenson produces an annual booklet describing and discussing all the appeals that have taken place associated with WBU events. You can find the full set of these booklets on his website here, together with similar booklets for EBU and North American events. Heartily recommended reading!