2009 WORLD BRIDGE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 2009 Bermuda Bowl, Venice Cup, Seniors Bowl and the World Transnational Open Teams Championship will be held in São Paulo, Brazil from 29th August – 12th September 2009. The headquarters hotel will be: Hotel Transamerica, Av. Nacoes Unidas, 18591, São Paulo – 04795-901 S.P., Brazil. As more information becomes available, it will be published on the WBF Site at www.worldbridge.org and also on www.ecatsbridge.com.

E-ban takes effect at Summer NABC

Players are reminded that a new ban on electronic devices goes into effect for all nationally rated events at the 2008 Summer NABC. The new policy reads as follows: Electronic devices, excluding health-related equipment, capable of sending or receiving communication, including but not limited to, headphones, earphones, cellular phones and mini-computers: (1) shall not be allowed in the playing areas, adjacent hallways, restrooms or accessible break areas; and (2) shall not be used during a session. These restrictions shall apply to all pairs, team members, captains, coaches, recorders and kibitzers and shall apply throughout any actual playing session or segment. A violation of this policy shall result in a disciplinary penalty of one full board (or 12 IMPs at that form of scoring) for the first offense. A second offense shall result in disqualification from the event for the pair/team. Kibitzers violating this policy shall be removed from the playing area for the remainder of the session. These devices are not permitted near the playing area, even if they are turned off.

Bridge in World Mind Sports Games

The recently established International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) is to organize the 1st World Mind Sports Games, following the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, October 3-18. IMSA comprises Bridge, Chess, Draughts and Go. All these mind sports (and Chinese Chess, in addition) will be represented at the inaugural World Mind Sports Games, which may well prove the doorstep to the Olympic Games.

All WBF member countries are invited and expected to participate in the World Bridge Games, i.e. the bridge series of the 1st World Mind Sports Games. Each country may be represented by one national team in the open series, one team in the women series, and one team in the youth series consisting exclusively of players born in 1980 or later. Team expenses (lodging and food at the Olympic village) will be borne by the organization (see details on the 1st World Bridge Games, linked to below). Participation in the World Bridge Games in Beijing is a prerequisite for participation in the 2009 World Team Championships (NBOs with an open team in Beijing will be eligible for the 2009 Bermuda Bowl; while NBOs with a women's team in Beijing will be eligible to compete in the 2009 Venice Cup).

A series for national senior teams will also be held, on the sidelines of the World Mind Sport Games. On the second week of the games, the World Transnational Mixed Teams competition will be played, as it has happened at every World Team Olympiad since 1996.

Finally, the World Youth Team Championships, comprising series for zonal representative teams of players under-26 (formerly, Juniors) for the Ortiz-Patiño Trophy and under-21 (formerly, Schools) for the José Damiani Cup, will also be contested in Beijing. There will also be Pairs and Individual competitions open to players born in 1980 or later.

For PDF on the 1st World Bridge Games, click here

Bridge for Parkinsons The National Parkinson Foundation will host a luncheon-duplicate bridge fund-raiser in honor of bridge Grandmaster Zeke Jabbour. Jabbour, winner of many honors and awards, was the American Contract Bridge League 2007 'Member of the Year.'  The event will be held at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton FL on March 30th and the proceeds will go to the foundation. More than 40 bridge experts, mostly from south Florida, have volunteered their services to play in the event as partners of donors. Well over half of the experts are world or national champions. Optionally, donors can come with their own partners. There are three levels of donation. Interested persons can call event chairperson Marilyn Perlin 561 477-1325 for details.

The deals for the event have a pre-written commentary. If anyone wants to write about the event and would like a good deal or two to write up afterwards, I will happily oblige. Barry Rigal

FROM THE WORLD BRIDGE FEDERATION

New World Championship Scheme
Following the meetings of the WBF Executive Council in Shanghai 2007, the World Bridge Federation has announced the new plan for the World Bridge Champion-ships, to be put into effect in 2008. The World Bridge Cham-pion-ships will operate on a four-year cycle. Read more here

China, Brazil & Russia to host World Bridge events
Beijing, China; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and St.Petersburg, Russia have been selected by the WBF to host the major world bridge events in the coming years. Beijing will be the venue of the World Bridge Games which is part of the World Mind Sports Games in 2008. Sao Paulo, Brazil will be the venue of the 2009 World Team Cham-pion-ships, while St.Petersburg, Russia is to host the World Bridge Series in 2010.

New Laws of Duplicate Bridge
The 2007 edition of the Laws of Duplicate Bridge is now available. The new Laws come into effect from 1 January 2008, but NBOs have until 30 September 2008 to bring them into force. All WBF events, whether world or zonal, will be conducted under the new Laws as from January 2008.
For the new Laws, click here (PDF).

Seniors to become more …Seniors!
As people tend to live longer and longer, the age limit for Senior players - currently at 58 years - could not remain the same. The WBF has decided that the minimum age for a player to be recognized as ‘Senior´ should be increased gradually until it reaches 60 years. At its meetings in Shanghai, the WBF Executive Council decided that the minimum age will remain at 58 years for 2008, then be in-creased to 59 years in 2009 and to 60 years in 2010.

Women´s Festival on Internet
To be organized by the WBF and BBO in April 2008.
A total of four tournaments (Pairs and Individual) will be played each day, for a total of six days. Full details of this will be available in many languages in the Women's section of the WBF website as of December 2007.

ITEMS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE PRESS ASSOC.

Lederer Date Change - The Lederer Memorial Trophy competition at the Young Chelsea Bridge Club in London will be on November 1-2, 2008, not October 25-26, as was previously announced. The date change was necessitated by the proximity of the International Mind Sports Association Championships in Beijing.

Card Combination/ Percentages Gadget - Harold Schogger brings to the attention of journalists and members an online gadget that calculates percentage probabilities of any card combination: http://www.automaton.gr/tt/en/OddsTbl.htm

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JOINT STATEMENT BY THE USBF BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE 2007 VENICE CUP-WINNING TEAM

The United States Bridge Federation (USBF) and the US Venice Cup world championship bridge team are pleased to mutually announce that we have resolved all issues relating to events that occurred at the closing ceremony of the 2007 World Bridge Championship in Shanghai. We all believe that it is in the best interests of bridge to put this behind us so that we can focus on playing the game we love.
The USBF Board has dismissed all charges against the members of the Venice Cup team.

The members of the USA1 Venice Cup Championship team recognize that it is a legitimate request of the USBF, when sending teams to represent the United States, that all participants refrain from using the stage for the Medal Ceremonies as a platform for anything other than receiving their medals.

For the future the USBF will make certain that the Guidelines are clearer as to what is expected.
We all look forward to resuming our mutual enjoyment of bridge and to working together to promote the game.

Anti-Bush Sign Has Bridge World in an Uproar
Controversy rages in the USA world of bridge as a result of a 'moment of levity' on the podium during the recent world championships. Click here for an article in the NY Times.

The WBF looks forward to welcoming you to the First World Mind Sport Games. Beijing, 3 — 18 October 2008
This great new event is to be held under the auspices of IMSA (the International Mind Sports Association).
Following meetings held in Shanghai, it has been decided that the World Mind Sport Games will include not only
a Junior Teams, Pairs and Individual Championship but will also include the Open and Women's Teams, formerly the
World Teams Olympiad. Read PDF here.

Computer Bridge :: WBridge5 Wins Gold, Bridge Baron Wins Silver in World Championships. Click Here for More

Online Women’s Bridge Festival - The World Bridge Federation and Bridge Base Online present the Women's Bridge Festival Pairs and Individual Championships in April 2008. Make new online friends and enjoy a new and exciting bridge competition in a warm and inviting atmosphere! Full details of this great event will be on the WBF web site at www.worldbridge.org at the end of November, so log on to find out all about it.

THE CAVENDISH : 2007 Cavendish Tournament. World’s Largest Money Bridge Tournament was held in Las Vegas May 9 - 13. More here

From the ACBL : Al Roth dies
Alvin Roth, a member of the ACBL Bridge Hall of Fame and arguably the most original bidding theorist in bridge history, died at home in Boca Raton FL on April 18 of natural causes. He was 92. Roth is the creator of the negative double, weak two-bids, the unusual notrump and 1NT forcing. As a player, he was a major force in the fifties and sixties, winning various major championships. He was a Grand Life Master. For various articles including one by Phillip Alder in the New York Times, Click Here.

Internet Club for students - A new club, especially de-signed for students, has been established on Bridge Base Online (BBO): the University Bridge Room. All students are welcome to the online tournaments held every Wednesday at 20.00 hrs and Sunday at 15.00 hrs CET (Central European Time).