Filip Kurbalija – It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Filip Kurbalija aged 67, following a brief illness. Filip had an outstanding record representing Wales over four decades both in Home Internationals (55 Camrose and 4 Teltscher ‘caps’), and European Championships (5 ‘caps’). He was a tower in Welsh bridge and had won every Welsh national tournament many times over, as well as having success in major English events. Fil was a hugely respected member of the bridge world and will be missed by his many friends. Our heartfelt condolences go to his wife and bridge partner, Diane. Please view
Obituary (Jeremy Dhondy) and
Obituary (Pat Shields)
30.12.21
Welsh & Cambria Competitions 2022 – The WBU Welsh and Cambria Cup competitions for 2022 will initially be held online. The draw will be done on a National basis, and the only non-regional travelling may be for the finals later in the year (undecided as to whether these will be online or FtoF). A ‘double elimination’ system will operate, ensuring any team must lose two matches before being eliminated. There are generous Green Point awards, based on the result of 8-board stanzas, so you can lose the match, but still win Green Points. For event details and entry forms, see
Welsh Cup or
Cambria Cup, or contact the event organiser
Jean Hand –
the closing date for both entries is Tuesday 25th January.
17.12.21
International Trials – Trials for both the Lady Milne and Teltscher (Seniors), will take place in January on RealBridge. Interested players can submit entries, together with payments, through
Lady Milne or
Teltscher.
The closing date for both entries is Thursday 13th January.
14.12.21
Women’s Bridge – January’s Women’s event will take be held on on RealBridge on Monday 3
rd January at 6.45pm. The format will be x-imp pairs (i.e. pairs playing a teams game). For further details and joining instructions, see
Women’s Bridge.
18.12.21
EBU Year-End-Congress – This year’s EBU year-end congress is being run as a hybrid event, incorporating both online RealBridge participation, and face-to-face club sessions. Welsh Clubs are welcome to participate – see
EBU Year-End Congress for details.
27.10.21
EBL Women’s Series – The next event in the EBL women’s series is on Dec 29
th at 11.00 (CET), on BBO. The event is free, and the format is 60 boards Swiss Teams. Prizes are awarded in $BBO. It is suitable for international standard lady players. Team captains should enter via
Entry Form. If you require team-mates please contact
Gilly Clench
26.12.21
Llangollen Congress – Congratulations to the winning team at this year’s Llangollen Congress – Dave Robinson, Tony Sowter, Trevor Ward, Rob Cliffe. Full results can be viewed at
Overall Results or through the ‘Results’ tab.
14.12.21
Llangollen Congress – The WBU primary Swiss Teams Event – the Llangollen Congress – will be held on RealBridge from December 11
th – 12
th, with enhanced Green Points – please see
Poster and
Entry Form.
For Joining Instructions see:
Saturday and
Sunday
28.10.21
Women’s Bridge – The the next event will take place on BBO on Monday 6
th December at 6.45pm. This month’s event will be held in conjunction with the charity Celtic Sims, and ‘table money’ will be BBO$3.50. This month, the format will be match-pointed pairs. You need to
Pre-Register your BBO moniker.
Joining Instructions
3.12.21
Porthcawl Congress – Congratulations to the winners at the Porthcawl Congress held 26
th to 28
th November and to West Wales Bridge Association for running a well organised and successful event (BBO Online). See all the results on this site at
Results
Red Dragon Championship Pairs – Gwynn Davis & Sue Ingham
Swiss Teams: Julian Pottage & Tony Ratcliff; Filip & Diane Kurbalija
Ladies’ Pairs: Joyce White & Babs Matthews
Men’s Pairs: Mike Reed & Barry Thorne
Mixed Pairs: Peter & Julie Milewski
Novice Pairs: Julia Gilbertson & John Bowen
28.11.21
Cambria Cup – Congratulations to this year’s Cambria Cup Winners: Ceri Pierce, Richard Plackett, Mia Deschepper, Adrian Thomas, Tony Disley. Full results can be viewed on the WBU Results Website –
Results
The WBU extend their thanks to David Stevenson for the very successful organisation of both the Cambria and Welsh Cup Events.
21.11.21.
Welsh Cup – Congratulations to this year’s Welsh Cup winners: Andrew Prothero & Chris Pope; Stuart Matthews & Alan Stephenson; Matt Foster & Paddy Murphy. Full results can be viewed on the WBU Results Website –
Results
20.11.21.
Welsh & Cambria Cups – The finals for these two premier knock-out competitions will take-place on Sat. 20
th November (Welsh) and Sun. 21
st November, both on RealBridge. Players should view the Joining Instructions:
Welsh Cup Session 1;
Welsh Cup Session 2;
Cambria Cup. The Schedules and Playing Instructions can be viewd at
Instructions – Welsh Cup;
Instructions – Cambria Cup.
18.11.21.
WBU Camrose Teams – As a results of the Camrose trials, the selectors have chosen the following team to represent Wales for the first weekend (January) in Bristol – Gary Jones & Paul Lamford; Richard Plackett & Paul Denning; Julian Pottage & Tony Ratcliff (npc Tim Rees). For the second weekend (March), the winning trialist team of Martin Jones & Jake Dunn; Dafydd Jones & Adam Dunn; together with a further pair to be chosen, will represent Wales in Edinburgh.
14.11.21
EWBA Mixed Pairs – The East Wales Bridge Association are holding their annual Mixed Pairs event on Sun. Dec. 5
th on BBO. The event is restricted to members of the EWBA. For details see
Poster/Entry Form.
7.11.21
NWBA Teams Championship – The North Wales Bridge Association are running their Area Teams Championship for the Catherine Spalding Cup on Dec. 5
th. The event is restricted to members of NWBA. The event will be run online, and members are being requested to give their opinion as to which platform they prefer.
7.11.21
WBU Camrose Trials – Congratulation to the winners of the WBU Camrose Trials – Martin Jones & Jake Dunn, Dafydd Jones & Adam Dunn. The selectors will now analyse the performance of all players before announcing the teams to represent Wales. See
Results and
X-Imps
7.11.21
Camrose Trials – The WBU Camrose trials are being held on Nov 6
th – 7
th, FtoF in Cardiff Bridge Club. The results of the Trials will then be used as the main criterion in selecting the Camrose teams for 2022. For further information see
Draw and Timings
31.10.21/4.11.21
Porthcawl Congress – Participate in this year’s Celebration of Bridge – the Porthcawl Congress (Prizes and Green Points) – being held on BBO from 27
th – 29
th November. You can play in Men’s, Ladies, Mixed, Novice, and Championship Pairs events, and also Championship (Swiss) Teams. See
Poster and Entry Form.
28.10.21
West Wales Championship Pairs – The West Wales Bridge Association is holding its annual Pairs Championship (Vince Bevan) on Sunday October 17
th October 2021, on BBO. This is a Green Pointed event, with entry being restricted to West Wales registered members. Entry fee is £6 per player, playing about 40-45 boards.
Entry and Registration Details
10.10.21
WBU Camrose Trials – The WBU have cancelled this year’s Premier League/Trials, and have replaced it with a one-weekend Camrose Trials. These will be held on 6
th/7
th November in Cardiff Bridge Club. Interested teams can enter via
Entry Form
5.10.21
Bridge Podcast – ‘Sorry Partner’ have announced the launch of a weekly podcast about bridge and all things interesting to bridge players, brought to you by bridge partners and friends, Catherine Harris, and Jocelyn Startz. This will include chat with international bridge luminaries and up-and-coming stars, and stories from around the world about the game. In the
First Episode, they talk with champion player Giorgia Botta about “la dolce vita” and the blame game; kibitz about their “first time” at a bridge club; and dip into listener mail. In
Episode 2 there is an interview with Heather Dhondy, and in
Episode 3, there is a discussion about practising, and ‘context’.
You can subscribe for this ‘fun-time’ on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen:
Sorry Partner or
Instagram/Facebook or
Email
25.9.21/9.10.21
Director Training – The previously advertised courses have had to be re-scheduled due to insufficient numbers, but we can now offer a course in South Wales on October 14
th/15
th, in Sully – see
Course Information for revised details. There is still room for further attendees. If intertested, please contact the Course Presenter
(Tony Haworth).
30.9.21
Women’s Bridge – The the next event will take place on BBO on Monday 4
th October at 6.45pm. The format will be x-imp pairs (i.e. pairs playing a teams game). You need to
Pre-Register your BBO moniker.
Joining Instructions
30.9.21
Premier League – The dates for the WBU Premier League are now confirmed as 23
rd – 24
th October and 6
th – 7
th November (subject to there being an entry of at least four teams).
The sessions will be held F2F at Cardiff Bridge Club. Entries are requested from teams of four, five, or six, using the BESS online entry system on the WBU website. The results of the WBU Premier League will be used as one of the main criteria in selecting the Camrose teams for 2022. Entry will be £400 per team, covering both weekends – please use the
Online Entry Form. The closing date for entries is 30
th September 2021.
18.9.21
Patrick Jourdain Cup – The East Wales Bridge Association are holding their Green Pointed Area Teams Championship on Sunday 26
th September (on RealBridge). See
Poster and Entry Form (restricted to EWBA Members or Club Members within East Wales).
Link Details
16.9.21
EBL Women’s Bridge – the 2021 September information letter from the EBL Women’s Committee is now available on the EBL Website at
EBL Womens Newsletter
9.9.21
Online League – The 6
th Geoff Evans Online League has now completed –
Final Results. Congratulations to the Division winners: Div 1 – Mike Tedd, Yuan Shen, Gary Jones, Paul Lamford, Julian Pottage, Tony Ratcliff; Div 2 – Adrian Thomas’s team; Div 3 – Kevin Maddox’s team; Div 4 – Julie Thomas’s team. Details for League 7 will be posted shortly. Once again – thanks to Liz for organising these events.
8.9.21
Simultaneous/StepBridge – For Clubs wanting to use StepBridge for this week’s Simultaneous Pairs, there is now a facility to produce the relevant Usebio/XML file. On the club results, organisers should use the Usebio link (prominent at the top of the results). This will download the file (.xml) to the computer; this should then be sent to the central organiser (Anna Gudge). There is also a facility to download the hand records (.pbn file).
6.9.21
Player Profiles – You can now view various statistics and photo profiles of past Welsh International players –
Player Archive. The WBU would be grateful if members could supply missing or improved photos for some profiles – please send to
WBU Webmaster. (This archive will be permanently available via the side panel on this website).
5.9.21
West Wales Swiss Pairs – The West Wales Bridge Association is holding its 4
th. annual Swiss Pairs Championship on Sunday 19
th September 2021, on BBO. This is a Green Pointed event. Entry fee is £6 per player, playing about 42-48 boards. Pre-registration and entry is essential, via
Poster and Entry Form
3.9.21
BridgeWhiz. Exciting news. Please spread the word and help recruit students in the UK for a BridgeWhiz session in the UK. Classes will be held on Thursdays starting on Oct 28
th 2021 at 4pm UK time. Use the following link to
Register. Free for students 8-18 years.
2.9.21
Colin Heard. It is with sadness that the WBU announces that Colin Heard has died. Aged 85, he suffered from cancer for the past few years. Colin was a regular Camrose player between 1969 and 1980, playing in a total of 14 matches. The funeral is at 11.00am. on 11
th September in Llanelli Crematorium, with the wake at the Diplomat hotel. We send our condolences to his wife Hazel.
2.9.21
Women’s Bridge – The the next event will take place on RealBridge on Monday 6
th September at 6.45pm. The format will be x-imp pairs (i.e. pairs playing a teams game). For further details see
Women’s Bridge.
31.8.21/2.9.21
EBL – The EBL Championships have now finished. Wales entered two teams into the EBL Championships. The winners of the Open event were Switzerland, and the Mixed was won by France. Full results can be seen at
EBL Results
29.8.21
Online League -The 6
th Online League is now reaching its conclusion (results shortly). Liz is already planning the next 3-month session, to be run along the same lines as previous leagues. She is requesting that all teams who are interested in playing – existing and new teams – contact her –
Liz Atkinson.
29.8.21
WBU Sims – The WBU will be holding this year’s Autumn Simultaneous Pairs from the 6
th to the 10
th September, with a different set of hands for each day. Sessions can be played on StepBridge, BBO, or RealBridge, with the results being uploaded to Ecats (if on StepBridge, the scores will need to be entered manually prior to upload). The cost is £2.50 per player (plus any table monies). All payments should be sent to the WBU. Hands and commentaries will be available online after 10.00pm, and enhanced Master Points will be awarded. The beneficiary will be Air Ambulance. See
Sims for further details. Clubs wishing to enter should email
Anna Gudge – Ecats.
20.8.21
NIBU – WBU Members are welcome to play in the NIBU annual Green Pointed Autumn Congress – online 10
th-12
th September. There are Congress Pairs, Teams, Mixed Pairs and events for inexperienced players. These Intermediate A & B competitions equate to County Master. Entries can be made via
NIBU Website
20.8.21
EBL – The European Bridge League are holding their online (RealBridge) qualifiers for the World Bridge Championships, and European Champions Cup, from 23
rd – 28
th August. Wales are entering two teams – Open Team – Richard Plackett & Paul Denning; Gary Jones & Paul Lamford; Tony Ratcliff & Julian Pottage: Mixed Team – Adrian Thomas & Mieke Deschepper; Tony Disley & Ceri Pierce; Mark Roderick & Laura Woodruff. We wish them every success.
The matches can be kibitzed via
Kibitz Link
20.8.21
Post-Covid Bridge – A number of Clubs are now starting to resume their FtoF sessions. The WBU recognises that Clubs need to adapt, but with Clubs varying so much, it feels that they will know their own requirements. However the Swansea Bridge Club has circulated an extensive
Restart Protocol, much of it being suitable as a guideline for other Clubs (and Areas). Please read this in conjunction with the previous general
WBU Guidelines.
The WBU also recognises there will be many administrative changes in the way Clubs operate (venue, session days, times, teaching facilities, continuance of online bridge, etc.), and in order to keep up-to-date with what’s happening, and to assess the overall impact of these changes, Clubs are asked to advise the WBU of their circumstances; this can be done using the
WBU Club Information form. (For current information held, see ‘Club Details’->’Club Information’).
16.8.21
Director Training – The previously advertised courses have had to be re-scheduled due to insufficient numbers – see
Course Details for revised details. Three 2-day Basic Courses are re-scehduled, in South, Mid, and North Wales – the Course is intended to train Directors to Area standard. Also a 1-day Advanced Course is planned, probably to be held in South Wales (depending on attendees), (a further Course may be held in Mid or North Wales if there is a demand – please advise) – with experience, this Course should enable Directors to run National events. Interested clubs or individuals are requested to contact the Course Presenter
(Tony Haworth), prior to finalising arrangements.
14.8.21
BBO Advice – The WBU knockout competitions – the Welsh and Cambria Cups – are now well underway, but playing them online has given rise to some set-up problems in BBO. David Stevenson has issued some
Guidelines to help captains optimise match preparations. These should be read in conjunction with the general ‘Host Set-Up’ in the
BBO User Guide.
10.8.21
Women’s Bridge – Monday night was another great success with 16 tables, a healthy Irish contingent, interesting hands, and a friendly atmosphere. Congratulations to Mary Kelly Rogers and Anne Fitzpatrick who won the event (yep – they are Irish!). I was so pleased/
furious to come second playing with my lovely Irish friend Diane Greenwood, closely followed by Aida Aris and Di Kurbalija. A Welsh win would be nice sometime soon. A couple of interesting hands in the last set (see Gilly’s analyses
Hand1 Hand2), which gave Mary and Anne their deserved win. See
Results. Next match – September 6
th.
Gilly –
3.8.21
Results Submission – The WBU have now introduced a Form for non-BridgeWebs results submission. Captains of Welsh, Cambria, and Online League are encouraged to use the form, which can be found at ‘Events->Welsh Cup/Cambria Cup’ (and via the side panel), or ‘Online Bridge->Online League’, or ‘Results->Submission Form’.
Other relevant event organisers who wish to use the form please contact
WBU Webmaster.
27.7.21
Northern Ireland Bridge – The NIBU is running the Ciara Burns Gala Pairs on Sunday 1
st August (online). This event may appeal to less experienced players – those with less than 200 master points. 24 boards in total – see
Ciara Burns Gala Pairs for more details.
27.7.21
World Bridge Federation – The WBF has now published the address made by their President – Gianarrio Rona – at the BAMSA Conference, in which he states that Bridge is a Hobby, a Sport, and a Culture, with these three aspects identifying it as the world’s most popular card game. Well worth reading –
WBF Presidential Address.
27.7.21
Women’s Bridge – After a successful launch of the ‘Women’s Bridge’ series, the next event will take place on BBO on Monday August 2
nd August at 6.45pm. (note earlier start and change of platform). The format will be x-imp pairs (i.e. pairs playing a teams game). For further details see
Women’s Bridge. You will shortly be sent
Joining Instructions, and a link to the Zoom ‘Chat’ following the event. You will need to pre-register for the event by contacting the organiser or using the
Registration Link.
19.7.21
Gold Cup – It’s time to enter Great Britain’s Premier teams event – the
Gold Cup. The inital rounds will be online (non-regionalised), but the following rounds will be FtoF – government restrictions permitting (or online if both teams prefer). Entries must be submitted before September 30
th See
Details.
13.7.21
Director Training – Some clubs are now planning a return to FtoF bridge during the autumn, and one of many concerns is the lack of well-trained Directors (personnel no longer available, or changed etc.). The WBU now intends to restart Director training at various levels. Three 2-day Basic Courses are provisionally scheduled, in South, Mid, and North Wales – the Course is intended to train Directors to Area standard. Also a 1-day Advanced Course is planned, probably to be held in South Wales (depending on attendees), (a further Course may be held in Mid or North Wales if there is a demand – please advise) – with experience, this Course should enable Directors to run National events. Interested clubs or individuals are requested to contact the Course Presenter
(Tony Haworth), prior to finalising arrangements. See
Course Details.
12.7.21
Llandudno Congress – The WBU Llandudno National Swiss Pairs Congress, will be held on July 10
th/11
th on BBO. The event is organised by the North Wales Bridge Association. There will be qualifiers on the Saturday, followed by finals on the Sunday. For full details and entry form see
Pairs Weekend. For details on how to join, see
Final Instructions
Congratulations to the winners – Tony Haworth & Kevin Maddox –
Full Results.
1.7.21
Teams-Of-Eight – Congratulations to
‘Cardiff White’ on winning the WBU Club Teams-Of-Eight.
Results
27.6.21
Austin Barnes (1945-2021) – It is with sadness that we announce that Austin Barnes passed away this morning, after a few years of illness. He was a regular Welsh Camrose International in the 1970’s and 80’s, and a major contributor to Lancashire CBA and especially to Bolton BC. He won a prestigious Dimmie Fleming Award in 2019 (
photo). Away from bridge, he was a leading world authority on magnetic resonance spectography, with 122 research papers at Salford University, and a special edition of
Journal Molecules was published to celebrate his 75
th birthday. A full obituary and funeral arrangements (Thursday 8
th July) are posted on the
Bolton BC site.
26.6.21
Subscriptions – WBU subscriptions for 2021-2022 were due from April 1
st. However a ‘grace’ period has been given until the end of June. Members who have not renewed are reminded that as from July, they will not be permitted to participate in WBU National nor Area events (and some other Union’s events requiring membership of an associated NBO). To renew your membership (£10 + Area subscription), members can use the online
Renewal Form. New members should use the
Membership Application Form.
25.6.21
Teams-Of-Eight – The WBU Club Teams-Of-Eight, will be held on Sunday 27
th June on Realbridge. Play will commence at 11.00 am., with the eight qualifying teams playing 56 boards. Please see
Instructions for event details. To join the event, please use RealBridge Link.
23.6.21
Women’s Bridge – Gilly Clench is organising a monthly RealBridge competition exclusively for women. Initially there will be x-imp pairs competitions (i.e. pairs playing a teams game), but in time she may try teams. The events will be held on the first Monday of the month – starting July 5
th – 7.00pm. For further details see
Women’s Bridge. To participate on Monday July 5
th see
Player Link. Gilly will also be holding a ‘chat’ after the event at 10.00 pm. via Zoom. To join in, use
Chat Link (the id and passcode have been sent to possible participants).
For results see ‘Home’->’Results’->’Women’s Bridge’ or view directly via Women’s Bridge Results.
16.6.21
World Bridge Teams Championship Qualifier – Expressions of interest are invited from Pairs interested in representing Wales in the EBL online Qualifier for the World Teams Championships between August 23
rd and August 28
th 2021 – Open, Mixed, Womens, and Seniors. The event will be held online using Realbridge. The WTC will be held in Feb/March 2022. Please email
Ceri or
Selectors. For further details see
WTC – EBL Qualifiers.
11.6.21
Inter Area Events – Congratulations to the winners of the Inter Area events; Perry Shield –
Mid Wales; Spickett Bowl –
East Wales; Presidents Cup –
East Wales. For the full results see
Inter-Area Results and
X-imps.
6.6.21
BAMSA –
Bridge: A MindSport are holding a four-day international virtual conference from Monday 28
th June – Thursday 1
st July, during which various aspects of bridge will be discussed. The conference aims to inspire and enable the bridge community to actively promote bridge in society, by sharing ideas, reviewing best practice, and focusing on solutions. Topics include ‘Future of Bridge’, ‘Bridge and Wellbeing’, ‘Recruiting and Teaching’, ‘Inclusive Bridge’…. See
Conference Details.
8.6.21
Neville Richards – At the recent AGM our President Marie Topp, announced that the WBU were awarding Honorary Life Membership to Neville Richards. Neville has been President, Chief Executive, and Webmaster for the Welsh Bridge Union for many years, and also the Welsh representative on the BGB committee. In addition to his services to the WBU he has been the driving force behind the development of bridge within the Mid-Wales Area (he would have been proud of their win in this year’s Perry Shield). He has recently moved to Gloucester, but fully intends to maintain his links with the WBU. We wish him all the best.
6.6.21
Bridge – Post Covid – As we start to think about our first tentative steps in returning to FtoF Bridge, the WBU have issued a number of guidelines, for both Clubs and the National body. These include recommended resources for Clubs, and Government guidelines. It is important that players and administrators view these at
Restart Post Covid.
3.6.21
President’s Cup – Mid Wales are unable to field a team for this weekend’s President’s Cup, so the WBU would like to enter a replacement team (this would avoid sit-outs for the other Area teams). The event format is 3 sessions over 2 days, and in each 30-board session, each Area plays a 10-board team of four against the other three Areas. Two pairs are required for each session. They could play in every session or just one or two. The event will be held on RealBridge. Entrants must be below the rank of Regional Master (i.e. less than 25 green points). If you are interested please reply to
Welsh Bridge Union.
2.6.21
Member Suspension – The WBU Laws & Ethics Committee has recently suspended a WBU member, following an incident in an Area Competition. For further details refer to ‘Laws/Ethics’->’Disciplinary Rulings’.
1.6.21
Champion-of- Champions – The WBU Champion of Champions will be held on Sunday 13
th June 2021, on BBO. This event is open to winners of their Club Pairs Championship, and since it was cancelled last year, a Club can enter winners for both last year and this year (even if held virtually). See
Entry Details and
Joining Instructions Congratulations to the winners – Anthony Stevens & Peter Milewski – Full Results.
29.5.21
–
The WBU AGM will be held on Sunday 6th June 2021, starting at 10.00am. We hope as many of you can attend (via Zoom), whereby we can listen to your views on a return to ‘normal’ face-to-face bridge. For the full schedule and link details see Agenda.
In conjunction with the AGM, the WBU will be running the inter-area events for the Perry Shield, Spickett Bowl, and Presidents Cup (these start on Saturday 5
th and continue after the AGM). These will be run on RealBridge;
team captains should refer to – Captain’s Instructions, and relay relevant information to their team. Kibitzers can watch (delayed) via
Kibitzer Link.
24.5.21
Welsh & Cambria Cups – The draw for these competitions is now published –
Welsh Cup –
Cambria Cup. Please note that the first round matches must be completed by early July; the finals of these events are scheduled for end of November. All matches are to be played online. These events are “double elimination”, so you can lose one match and still be in the competition.The progress of these events can be viewed from the ‘Events’ tab on this website.
23.5.21
World Team Championships – Following the WBF’s decision to stage the “2021” World National Team Championships for the Bermuda Bowl, Venice Cup, D’Orsi Bowl and Wuhan Cup at the end of February/early March 2022, the EBL intends to organize a qualification for the Zone 1 representatives in the various categories. Full details are available at
2022 WNTCs.
20.5.21
BAMSA – Aces & Knaves – Now’s the chance to watch the bridge documentary everyone’s talking about! ACES & KNAVES is a tale of triumph and tears, points and partners, crime and punishment, told by world champions and mere mortals (Bill Gates among them).
The film is available to view at any time from 1pm. on Thursday 20th May until the end of Sunday 30th May. A share of the proceeds of ticket sales will support the ongoing work of
Bridge: A MindSport for All (BAMSA) at the University of Stirling. For further details and viewing (incl. free trailer) see
Aces & Knaves.
5.5.21
WWBA Teams – West Wales are holding their Area Teams (Laidlaw Murray) on Sunday 23
rd May, on RealBridge. This is a Green Pointed event, restricted to West Wales members – see
Laidlaw Murray for details.
9.5.21
WBU National Mixed Pairs – The WBU are running their annual Mixed Pairs competition on Sunday 16
th May, via BBO. For further details and entry, see
Details and Entry Form.
Congratulations to Aida Aris and Mark Roderick on their win.
9.5.21
Geoff Evans Online League – The current Geoff Evans Online League Session 5 has now been completed –
Final Results. Congratulations to Paul Denning, Richard Plackett, Gary Watson, Richard Chamberlain on winning Division 1; Maggie Pierce’s team for Division 2; David Smith’s team for Division 3; and Linda Pinnock’s team for Division 4. The next session is now being planned, and new or existing teams should submit entries to
Liz Atkinson.
5.5.21
WWBA AGM – West Wales will be holding their AGM on Sunday 9
th May – 10.00am. via
Zoom. This will be followed at 11.00 am. by the John Isaac Cup (Green Pointed), and the Ann Dolan Cup (for less experienced players – both on BBO. See posters and entry forms
(JI) or
(AD), and then follow the joining instructions
(JI) or
(AD).
2.5.21
NWBA AGM – North Wales will be holding their AGM on Sunday 9
th May – 11.00am. For Zoom link details, please email
NWBA Secretary. This will be followed at 12.00 am. by a one session Green Pointed x-imp pairs (BBO). See the North Wales website for
Registration Details.
2.5.21
Welsh & Cambria Cups – The organiser of the Welsh and Cambria Cup competitions has had considerable email problems, resulting in delays to publishing the respective draws, which are now deferred until the end of May. Due to these problems,
it is important that Team Captains ensure that their team entries have been actioned, see list of
– Team Captains, and contact details for any corrections/omisions.
30.4.21
Realbridge – All the latest news from RealBridge. “Why Realbridge?” “Where Can I Play?” “How Do I……?” (for players, clubs, administrators, directors). An up-to-date comprehensive guide –
RealBridge.
22.4.21
WWBA Mixed Pairs – West Wales will be holding their annual Area Mixed Pairs competition (Ossie Evans) on Sun 2
nd May on BBO. For more information and entry form, see
Details. You need to pre-register for this event, and then follow the
Joining Instructions.
22.4.21
WBU Newsletter – The April issue of the
WBU Newsletter is now available (or read via
Flip-Book). It is also being distributed via WBU MailChimp to registered members and Club Officials.
Laura Woodruff is the editor for the Newsletter and would appreciate any items of interest for the August edition – please submit articles to Laura by the end of July.
20.4.21
Home Internationals – Congratulations to England on winning the Lady Milne Trophy, and to Ireland for their resounding triumph in the Teltscher Trophy (Seniors) – both events played on RealBridge. The full results for these events can be viewed at
Home International Results.
19.4.21
EWBA AGM – The East Wales Bridge Association are holding their AGM on Sunday 25
th April (11.00am. Zoom). This will be followed (1.00pm) by the
Arthur James (Green Pointed pairs), and the
Beatus Cup for less experienced players – both on BBO – free entry. These events are restricted to EWBA members. To participate see
Details .
14.4.21
EBL Women – The 2021 April information letter from the EBL Women’s Committee is now available –
EBL Women’s Newsletter. This contains information on the Women’s Teams Online Series, the cancellation of the European National Teams Championships (Madeira) and the associated Pairs events planned for June. These are being re-scheduled for June 2022. Also, the WBF are still un-decided as to whether the World Teams Championships can go ahead later this year, but if they do the EBL will organise a different method of determining the Zone 1 (European Zone) qualification. This decision is not expected until the end of May.
13.4.21
Home Internationals – The Lady Milne and Teltscher Internationals are being played next weekend (April 16
th – 18
th) on RealBridge – hosted by Northern Ireland. Wales are represented by: Lady Milne – Ceri Pierce & Mia Deschepper; Gilly Clench & Aida Aris; Margaret Lane & Lee Collier (npc. Tony Disley): Teltscher Trophy – Maggie Pierce & David McAndrew; Paul Denning & Paul Lamford; Alan Stephenson & Peter Kaufmann (npc. Paddy Murphy). We wish them every success. Information and results can be found on the
NIBU Website. Spectators can view the play (delayed feed) via
Kibitz link.
12.4.21
RealBridge – Of the many numerous Online Bridge platforms, RealBridge was developed in the UK, and has fast become one of the ‘market-leaders’. You can read about its development, history, and future intentions at
Making it Real.
7.4.21
NWBA/Laszlo – The North Wales Bridge Association is running its annual Green Pointed Championship Pairs (Laszlo Cup) over three Thursdays – April 8
th, 15
th, 22
nd. The event will be run on BBO, and is restricted to NWBA members.
5.4.21
National Pairs – Congratulations to Julian Pottage & Tony Ratcliff on winning the WBU National Pairs.
National Pairs Results.
14.3.21
Wrexham Congress – The North Wales Bridge Association are running their annual Spring Congress on Saturday March 27
th (Swiss Pairs) and Sunday March 28
th (Swiss Teams). The event is being held on BBO; for full details, and entry form see
Wrexham Congress.
23.3.21
RealBridge/Andrew Robson – Take part in a free event arranged by Andrew Robson in conjunction with RealBridge. You will play four boards selected by Andrew, giving his expert insight into one of the boards, and access to his analysis of all four boards. The three dates and topics for your diary are 3.00pm. Thursday 8
th April –
Splinters; 3.00pm. Wednesday 14
th April –
Fourth Suit Forcing; 3.00pm. Wednesday 21
st April –
Counting & Card Placement. Please register by emailing
WBU Information, with subject ‘Robson’. You will be emailed a joining link on the day of the event. You can then login from 2.30pm. onwards, using your real name and WBU number; then seat yourself at any free table. (You can test your connection to RealBridge in advance via
Real Bridge Test Link).
For general RealBridge information, see
RealBridge.
2.4.21
Subscriptions – Members have had a WBU subscription ‘holiday’ since April 2020, resulting in a significant depletion of the WBU reserves. To ensure that the WBU successfully emerges from the pandemic, and can resume FtoF bridge as near normal as possible, we request that for the new Year (from April 1
st), members renew their subscriptions, at the reduced level of £10, (together with the associated Area subscriptions; MWBA NWBA EWBA – £2, WWBA – temporary concession). Members can renew via their affiliated Clubs (where permitting) as in previous years, but recognising the practicalities in doing this prior to a return to ‘normal’ Club activity, they can alternatively use the personal online
Renewal Form. For more information, please refer to
Membership Details. Also for the numerous visitors that our online Clubs have welcomed, we would encourage them to apply for permanent WBU membership via the
WBU Application Form (members who joined after Jan 1
st will have their membership automatically renewed at no charge). Clubs can also submit a bulk membership renewal on behalf of their members –
Bulk Renewals via Club.
14.3.21
Welsh & Cambria Cups – Following the response to the questionnaire, the formats for both the Welsh and Cambria Cups have been revised –
Welsh Cup,
Cambria Cup. The events will now be held online throughout (including the finals), and the draw will not be regionalised. The entry closing date has been extended to April 4
th. Entries already accepted may be amended or withdrawn – contact
David Stevenson.
8.3.21
WBU National Pairs – The WBU National Pairs (Green Pointed) will take place on Sunday 14th March on BBO, starting at 11.00 am. The entry fee is £10 per player. Please use the online Entry Form.
16.2.21
Camrose – The Camrose Home Internationals resume on March 5
th, with Wales in third position. The selectors have retained the teams from the first weekend:
Wales – Julian Pottage/Tony Ratcliff; Tony Disley/Adrian Thomas; Dafydd Jones/Adam Dunn; npc – Simon Richards.
WBU – Gwynn Davis/Sue Ingham; Mark Roderick/Paddy Murphy; Alan Stephenson/Peter Kaufmann; npc – Lorrie Murphy. For all the tournament details and up-to-date scores, see
Camrose Information and Results. Spectators can view the play (delayed feed) via
Kibitz link.
Latest News – Wales maintained their 3rd position from the first weekend, England being the outright winners. A very creditable performance.
27.2.21
Seminars – This week’s free WBU seminar will be presented on Thursday 11
th March at 2.30 pm. and repeated at 4.30 pm. The topic is ‘Roman Keycard Blackwood’. Suitable for average Club players, and also some ‘experts’ may find it useful – hope to see you there. (Please note this is the final seminar in this first series of talks). For details see
Seminar Information.
(If you don’t have the Zoom app installed on your computer use this direct
Zoom Link, and for general assistance refer to
Zoom Guidelines).
7.3.21
Monica Garbett-Edwards (Randles). We are saddened to hear that Monica recently passed-away (Feb 12
th). She was a prodigy of Jessie Newton, with whom she was a regular partner in the Welsh International Ladies Teams, during the 1970’s and 80’s.
Photo of Monica in the Lady Milne Team (pictured to the right of the team captain Dr. Arwyn Evans) – St. Bride’s Hotel – Saundersfoot 1981. Following her illustrious playing career, she was Secretary to the WBU selectors as well undertaking various roles within the North Wales Bridge Association. A keen member of Newtown Bridge Club, she ended her bridge career some 6 or 7 years ago, shortly before leaving the Area to join her sister at the family home in Rossett. We offer our condolences.
19.2.21
WWBA Mixed Pairs – West Wales Bridge Association will be holding their Area Mixed Pairs (Ossie Evens Trophy) on Sunday 28th February. See
Poster. The event will be run on StepBridge, and if not already done so, you need to be registered with WWBA ‘Club’ (contact
Tony Haworth). The entry fee is £6 per person, with prizes for the leading pairs. Please submit your entry via the online entry form – your email receipt will give more details on how to join the event.
17.2.21
East Wales Congress – In a well attended Congress, our congratulations to Alan & Jette Bailey on winning the Swiss Pairs (Results); and to Fiona Brown, Helen Erichsen, Ollie Burgess, Alan Cook on their triumph in the Swiss Teams (Results).
21.2.21
Seminars – Due to some players experiencing Zoom problems or being unable to attend last week’s seminar on Negative Doubles, as a one-off, the seminar will be re-repeated on Tues. 23rd Feb. at 2.30 pm. – see Seminar Information for joining details, or if you don’t have the Zoom app installed on your computer use this direct Zoom Link For general assistance refer to Zoom Guidelines).
19.2.21
BBO Intercity League – for a number of years a group of Welsh players have participated in the BBO Intercity League (Tonci Radelja). The league restarts next month, and enties are being sought by the European organisers. The WBU is encouraging teams to enter (no fees, no prizes) – why not try playing against some European teams (variable standard). For full details see
Selectors Blog.
11.2.21
WBU/BBO Tournaments – The WBU are making changes to the running of their BBO/WBU weekly tournaments. Due to clashes with other events, we are now reverting to one tournament per week, by cancelling Friday and Tuesday events, and introducing a Saturday afternoon event. The last Tuesday event will be held next week (16
th February), and the Saturday events will commence 27
th February. Come along for these friendly, and yet competitive events – 2.00 pm. start, 21/22 boards. For full registration, and tournament details, see
Tournament Details.
It is essential that you pre-register with BBO/WBU (you only need to do this once). To see if you are already registered, please view the
BBO User Names, otherwise please register by email to
WBU Admin providing the following details:
‘BBO User-name’; ‘First Name’; ‘Surname’; ‘WBU/NBO Number’ (this information will not be available to other members).
9.2.21/11.2.21
RealBridge – The WBU and a number of Clubs are now using RealBridge for their tournaments, and it is also now available for ‘social bridge’ – with the added optional functionality of audio and video. A number of players have already been trained on the Administration and Directing. You can purchase a session for your own RealBridge match for £6 per table for up to 32 boards, or £10 per table for unlimited boards, payable in advance to the WBU. Please book your RealBridge session at least 24 hours in advance by emailing
Ceri. The match organiser will be emailed links and instructions on the day of the match, to enable you to set-up and start when you wish. Then email your players the player link for them to join at the appropriate time. Give it a whirl.
For more about RealBridge, see
RealBridge.
30.1.21
Welsh & Cambria Cups – There has been considerable criticism regarding the format for this year’s Welsh and Camria Cup events. Comments have been noted, and the organiser is requesting that intended entrants give their views, via response to a
Questionnaire – please make the effort to answer this, whereby the WBU can optimise the competitions in-line with
your preferences. The original entry closing-date has now been deferred to 31
st March.
30.1.21
Junior Camrose & Peggy Bayer – This weekend the SBU will be hosting the Junior Camrose & Peggy Bayer competitions on RealBridge. The Welsh teams are: Juniors (under 26) – Stephen Loat & Iwan Williams; Soozy Neson & Mel Thomas; (npc. Gilly Clench – she would have loved to play but narrowly missed the age limit): Peggy Bayer (under 20) – Sophie Akers & Steph Dux; Joseph Bentley & Alua Serikbayeva & Ash Raman; (npc Lorrie Murphy). We wish them all the best. News & Final Results are available from the SBU, and matches can be viewed (delayed) via Kibitz Link.
15.2.21/19.2.21
Seminars – The WBU are continuing its program of free online seminars, with this week’s topic on
‘Negative Doubles’. A fundamental concept in most systems, yet often mis-understood. Come along on Thursday (2.30 pm, repeated at 4.30 pm.) and dispel any mis-conceptions. Suitable for average Club players, and also some ‘experts’ may find it useful – hope to see you there. For details see
Seminar Information.
(If you don’t have the Zoom app installed on your computer use this direct
Zoom Link, and for general assistance refer to
Zoom Guidelines).
14.2.21
East Wales Congress – The ever popular East Wales Congress (Green Pointed) will be held on 20
th – 21
st February on BBO. The format will be Swiss Pairs on the Saturday, and Swiss Teams on the Sunday. See
poster for full details, and submit your entries before 19
th February, using the online
Entry Form.
30.1.21/12.2.21
Lady Milne – Following the recent Lady Milne trials, the Selectors have announced the team to represent Wales on 16
th – 18
th April – to be held on RealBridge. The team chosen is Ceri Pierce & Mia Deschepper; Gilly Clench & Aida Aris; Margaret Lane & Lee Collier (npc Tony Disley). We wish them every success. Further participation and kibitzing details will be announced later.
5.2.21
Online League – The current Geoff Evans Online League Session 4 has now been completed – Final Results. Congratulations to Mike Tedd, Yuan Shen, Gary Jones, Paul Lamford, Julian Pottage, Tony Ratcliff on their winning Division 1; Gwynn Davis’ team for Division 2; Liz Atkinson’s team for Division 3; and Jennifer Wardell’s team for Division 4. The next session is now being planned, and new or existing teams should submit entries to Liz Atkinson.
10.2.21
Teltscher Trophy – Following this weekend’s trials, the WBU have selected the team for the Teltscher Trophy (Senior’s Camrose), to be played on RealBridge on 16
th– 18
th April. The team is Maggie Pierce & David McAndrew; Paul Denning & Paul Lamford; Alan Stephenson & Peter Kaufmann; npc Paddy Murphy. We wish them all the best.
25.1.21
Lady Milne – The Lady Milne trials will be held on 30
th – 31
st January on RealBridge. Closing date for entries is 27
th Jan (9.00 am.). Please use the attached
entry form. Players should refer to
Competitor Information for final details. Due to technical reasons, kibitzing may not be available, but please try
Kibitz Link.
Congratulations to the winners –
Mia Deschepper and Ceri Pierce – who are now automatically selected. The remainder of the team will be announced shortly. Final rankings can be viewed at
Final Rankings.
25.1.21/31.1.21
European Team Championships (EBL) – The 55
th European Teams Chamionships will take place in June in Madeira. The series consists of four events: Open, Ladies, Seniors, and Mixed. The WBU will fund the entry fee and limited expenses for the open team and are considering funding the entry for a second team. The Selectors are inviting ‘expressions of interest’ from suitable pairs. Please contact the
Selectors for further information.
In parallel with the Teams Championship, there will be a Ladies Pairs and Seniors Pairs. The WBU would support suitable pairs, but are not offering any funding. Pairs who wish to be considered should contact the
Selectors.
For more information on the above see
Selectors Blog.
27.1.21
BBO Extractor – To assist Clubs and Organisations in uploading their BBO results to Bridgewebs, and also Master Points to the WBU, simple easy-to-follow help is available via
BBO Extractor.
27.1.21
Teltscher Trials – The WBU Teltscher Trials will be held this weekend on RealBridge. Competitors should view
Final Instructions prior to playing. Spectators can watch the matches via
Kibitz.
22.1.21
Seminars – This week’s free WBU seminar has been re-scheduled for Thursday 28
th (previously Tuesday). There will be two repeat sessions (2.30pm. and 4.30pm.) on ‘
Splinter Bids‘ (a method of showing singletons or voids together with support for opener’s suit). Suitable for average Club players, and also some ‘experts’ may find it useful – hope to see you there. For details see
Seminar Information.
(If you don’t have the Zoom app installed on your computer use this direct
Zoom Link, and for general assistance refer to
Zoom Guidelines).
20.1.21
WBU/BBO TOURNAMENTS – New for January – The WBU will be holding two new AFTERNOON bridge sessions on BBO; Tuesdays (Matchpointed Pairs) and Fridays (IMPs – Pairs with Teams scoring) at 2pm., commencing Tuesday Jan 26
th (21-22 boards). These events are for WBU members and their guests. Master points will be issued, and the entry fee will be BBO$2.50. There is no better way to spend a lockdown winter afternoon! Do join us and make this a popular event. For full registration, and tournament details, see
Tourament Details.
It is essential that you pre-register with BBO/WBU (you only need to do this once). To see if you are already registered, please view the
BBO User Names, otherwise please register by email to
WBU Admin providing the following details:
‘BBO User-name’; ‘First Name’; ‘Surname’; ‘WBU/NBO Number’ (this information will not be available to other members).
16.1.21
Young Chelsea Congress – Latest Bridge – for those of you who have empty diaries, there is an opportunity to play against some of the top players at Young Chelsea Bridge Club (RealBridge) this weekend Jan 16
th (Pairs) and Jan 17
th (Teams). For full Congress details and registration see
poster.
16.1.21
Camrose – Home Internationals – After the first weekend of this year’s Camrose Home Internationals, Wales are lying third (Ireland in the lead) – all to play for on the second weekend. Results can be viewed via
Results – 1st Weekend. The Captains’ reports for both the Welsh and the WBU teams can be viewed at
Camrose Reports – 2021 . The selectors have chosen the same teams for the second weekend –
Wales – Julian Pottage/Tony Ratcliff; Tony Disley/Adrian Thomas; Dafydd Jones/Adam Dunn; npc – Simon Richards.
WBU – Gwynn Davis/Sue Ingham; Mark Roderick/Paddy Murphy; Alan Stephenson/Peter Kaufmann; npc – Lorrie Murphy.
15.1.21
Entry/Payment Forms – Simon Gottschalk has developed a formalised method of entering and paying for Bridge events (BESS – Bridge Entry System Software). It has been successfully used for the WBU trials, and it is now being made available for Areas, National Events, Congresses, at no charge (to Welsh Organisations). These organisations are encouraged to use this ‘easy to use’ system – further details at –
BESS and via
Simon Gottschalk.
14.1.21
WBU Newsletter – The January issue of the
WBU Newsletter WBU Newsletter is now available. It is also being distributed via WBU MailChimp to registered members and Club Officials.
Laura Woodruff is the editor for the Newsletter and would appreciate any items of interest for the April edition – please submit articles to Laura by the end of March.
11.1.21
WBU Newsletter – The January issue of the
WBU Newsletter WBU Newsletter is now available. It is also being distributed via WBU MailChimp to registered members and Club Officials.
Laura Woodruff is the editor for the Newsletter and would appreciate any items of interest for the April edition – please submit articles to Laura by the end of March.
11.1.21
