Welsh Bridge Union

Welsh Players win the Spring Foursomes!

A brilliant result! Tim Rees & Filip Kurbalija (with English team-mates Chris Jagger and Ian Pagan) won the EBU's Spring Foursomes in Stratford. This is the strongest event in England, attracting many top players including many from Europe. In the final they beat the very strong Allfrey team. The win was particularly notable as they were just a team of four in a gruelling event where other fancied teams fielded six, and also that they won all their matches. There was a good turnout from Wales; Patrick Jourdain's team also reached the last 12. Detailed results.

Filip and Tim lead the Welsh team at the European Championships in Pau, France next month. Let us hope that they and their team-mates there play so well.

WBU Magazine Now Out

The Spring 2008 edition of the WBU Magazine has been distributed to clubs and is now available on-line here. It features Tim Rees's bidding competition with generous prizes for WBU members, both expert and non-expert; enter by 6th May.

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 these new laws: 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. There will be a nominal charge made for a copy of the 2007 Laws, but WBU members attending will receive one gratis. Start at 11am finish about 5pm. Please inform Ken Richardson (31 Deri Road, Cardiff CF23 5AH) in advance if you wish to attend either seminar, enclosing a cheque for £10 per person made payable to 'WBU'.

Forthcoming Events

The Inter-Area Teams events, the Perry Shield and Spickett Bowl, are in The Rest at Porthcawl on 17-18 May. The WBU AGM is there on the Sunday morning. (Although the Journal says 11.30, it is hoped to start the AGM at 11.)

The 10th Welsh Seniors Congress is at the David Lloyd Tennis Centre in Cardiff on 24-25 May 2008. There is a Swiss Pairs open to all on the bank holiday Monday, 26 May 2008. Brochure.

The inaugural Seniors Camrose, the home internationals for players with bus passes, is in Oxford on 30 May to 1 June.

Welsh Cup and Cambria Cup

TheWelsh and Cambria Cups 2007-8 have now reached their quarter final stages. The draw can be seen here. The matches should be played before the end of April.

Camrose Trophy

The second and final weekend of the Camrose home internationals was held in Dublin on 7-9 March 2008, broadcast live on BBO. It was very exciting!

With Sunday's two matches to play, England had a comfortable 19 VP lead over the holders, Ireland. Even after losing 23-7 in the following match between the leaders, England remained favourites, leading by 3 with only the Irish second team to play. But when the Irish second team trounced England 21-9, Ireland romped home for their fourth win in a row.

The Welsh team again had a very creditable time. Our weekend total of 84 VP, the same as the first weekend, was second highest, leaving us third overall, only 8 behind England, and 30 ahead of the fourth-placed Scots. The overall results.

Patrick Shields has provided us with a much-appreciated report on this final weekend.

Simultaneous Pairs

The WBU St David's Day simultaneous pairs was held in clubs between 25 February and 5 March 2008. Congratulations to the clear winners, Anne Johns & Trish Tracey at Penarth Bridge Club. Full results.

This popular event is planned to be held next year on March 2-6 2009, with three sets of hands (Monday, Tuesday/Wednesday, and Thursday/Friday).

The WBU also expects to revive the Autumn simultaneous pairs on September 1-5 2008 again with three sets of hands (Monday, Tuesday/Wednesday, and Thursday/Friday).

Internationals

Following the Selectors' meeting on the 19th January, a number of the teams for International events have been announced. You can see a list of the teams so far known for 2008 here; further information will be added as it becomes public.

The Junior Camrose & Peggy Bayer (home internationals for under 25s and under 20s respectively) were held in Manchester on 16-17 February. Our Peggy Bayer team achieved a very creditable third place. Full results here.

The Lady Milne Trophy, the home internationals for ladies' teams, was held in Dundee in Scotland on 11-13 April. It was a disappointing weekend for Wales; we won only 1 of our 8 matches, finishing in last place. Detailed results. Our team was Mary Moore & Di Jones, Linda Greenland & Sue Ingham, and Gilly Clench & Laura Woodruff, with Adrian Thomas as NPC.

Orange Book Changes

The updates to the 2006 Orange Book (which defines the conventions players are permitted to use) are now available, and became operational on 1st August 2007. Click here to download the complete book, or click here to download the updates only.

What's New

11/5/08: Results of the Webber Cup Final

1/5/08: New calendar up to 2010

24&25/4/08: Spring 2008 WBU magazine and bidding competition.

11/4/08: Revised details for Newport(Pembs) club

7/4/08: Results of the North Wales Swiss Teams

3/4/08: Brochure now available for GP Pairs and Teams 2-3 August in Cwmbran

3/4/08: Non-WBU members welcome at New Laws seminars, but will have to pay a little for their copy of the laws.

1/4/08: Report on the Harry Scully Trophy, part of the EBU's Young Bridge Challenge

1/4/08: Draws for the quarter-finals of the Welsh and Cambria Cups

1/4/08.: More teams announced for the European Championships and the World Mind Sports Games

28/3/08: Seminars on the new laws

26/3/08: Mid Wales Congress 12-13 July. Brochure now available

24/3/08: Report by Patrick Shields on the final Camrose weekend

20/308: Updated Membership Information

17/3/08: Result of the National Pairs Final

11/3/08: Camrose results 2008

11/3/08: New sim arrangements for Autumn 2008 and Spring 2009

11/3/08: Added results on St David's Day sim

28/2/08: Link to CBS interview with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett

28/2/08: Change of date for North Wales Green Point Swiss Pairs. Now 12 October 2008.

24/2/08: Results of the WBU Mixed Pairs Final

23/2/08: Brochures now available for the Welsh Seniors Congress and Open Swiss Pairs in May, and for the Aberystwyth Congress in July.

18/2/08: Results of the East Wales Annual Congress

18/2/08: The Seniors' Congress and Swiss Pairs on 24-26 May 2008 will now be held at the excellent venue of the David Lloyd Tennis Centre in Cardiff (rather than in Cwmbran).

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