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Spring is Coming
The recent pleasant weather in Sydney reminds us that spring is not that far away and the Sydney Spring Nationals is just around the corner. This national event will be held at Canterbury Racecourse from 16 - 24 October. Different events are designed for different levels of players - from novice and restricted to advanced divisions, choose one you feel comfortable (and eligible) to play in and earn some GOLD masterpoints! Please visit the official website to find out more. An early bird discount of $40 per team is offered to entries to all Teams Events before 4 October. Don't miss it. Want to play but need a partner or teammates? Contact the event organiser Mike Prescott, he will try his best to help you out.
State events can be run in different forms. The State Veterans Pairs was hosted by Bowral Bridge Club at the end of July, the State Individual was a one-day congress held by the NSWBA in Sydney in early August, and the State Wide Pairs empowered clubs to run a session with set hands for their players at the beginning of August. The full results of  theState Wide Pairs are now available. Congratulations to all winners who participated in the State events.
Congratulations to the State Veterans Pairs Winners (Left) Elizabeth Havas and Val Brockwell with Organiser Rob Ward. (Middle) Runners Up Richard Douglas and John Brockwell. (Right) Jan and Don Plumb.
Winners of State Individual - Simon Haynes. Heath Henn and Hans van Weeren came 2nd and third. Nader Esber won the Best Restricted prize.
The results of the State Wide Pairs were announced on the NSWBA website. Congratulations to the winners Margaret Dunlop and Nancy De Ville (Camden Haven Lusc Bridge Club). Rosemary Smart and David Smart (Cromer Bridge Club) were second and  David Graham and Karen Newby (Goulburn Bridge Club) finished third state wide.
The Grand National Open Teams (GNOT) is another important annual event run across the State. NSW will send 22 teams to the National Final in Tweed Heads from 29 Novmeber to 2 December - seven of these will come from the Sydney Metropolitan region, the remaining teams from country regions in NSW. The GNOT is the only event in which Gold Masterpoints are awarded at Club Qualifying levels. Those teams who qualify via country club heats will compete in one of the ten GNOT Regional Finals. On the metropolitan front, the NSWBA has qualified two teams and North Shore Bridge Club one directly to the National Final, leaving 4 spots for teams to qualify via the GNOT Metro Final on 21 - 22 September. If you fail to qualify via clubs heats, you can still enter the regional final directly, but only if you have participated previous Qualifying Event. More details can be found here.
Missed out on the GNOT and interested in a teams event? The NSWBA Jacaranda Teams on 27 October will be ideal for you. The Jacaranda Teams Congress also doubles as the Metropolitan Final of the State Teams. As well as the normal cash prizes, the top eligible team will be offered a place in the State Open Teams Finals (officially named John Arkinstall State Teams) in November. Entry is open to all players.
A short break from the routine, a good road trip to the city / country and a great game with like-minded people attracted players to local congresses. In the last few weeks, we had:
Congratulations to the Peninsula Swiss Pairs (Open field) - Mark Kolodzieczyk and Les Grewcock won in the Open division. (Middle) Colin Clifford and Catherine Chaffey finished 2nd. (Right) Witold Chylewski and Judy Osie came 3rd.
Well done in the Peninsula Swiss Pairs (Restricted field) - (Left) Kerry Rymer and Kit Meyers won in the Restricted Pairs. (Middle) Ray Hurst and Nerida Gillies finished 2nd. (Right) The Best Peninsula Pair went to Jocelyn Bertram and Lyn Smith.
Congratulations to the winners in the Orange Pairs - (Left) Terry Bossomaier and Jenny Hector came first. Their "Panic Pass" convention works! (Right) John and Marcia Scudder finished 2nd.
Well done to the following teams in the Orange Congress - (Left) Team Lilley came first - George Kozakos, Brad Coles and David Lilley and Margaret Bourke (absent). (Middle) Team Beeby came 2nd - Philip & Jane Beeby, Margaret Foster and Robbie Feyder. (Right) Team Lisle finished 3rd - Toni Sharp (absent), Vicky Lisle, Marilyn Chadwick, Ian Lisle and organiser. 
Clear, undefeated winners in Coffs Harbour in both Open and Intermediate Teams - (Left) Open Teams winners Elliott Kaplan, Nigel Rosendorff, Martin Bloom & Tony Nunn. (Middle) Intermediate (Under 750MPs) Teams winners David Shorter, Doug O'Meara, Frances Gaunt & Jamie McFall. (Right) Best Under 300MPs Teams winners Peter Gruythuysen, Margaret Jennings, Debbie Gibbards & Gary Gibbards.

Upcoming Events
Events highlights from 7 September - 7 October. Click HERE to view all congresses in the whole year.

CONGRESSES IN NSW LOCAL CLUBS
Sep 7-8 (Sat-Sun) Cowra and District Bridge Club
Swiss Pairs and Teams
Event Details >

Sep 7-8 (Sat-Sun) Port Macquarie-Hastings Bridge Association
September Congress Teams
Event Details >

Sep 8 (Sun) Hunters Hill Bridge Club
Teams
Event Details >

Sep 15 (Sun) Trumps Bridge Centre
Spring Teams
Event Details >

Sep 14-15 (Sat-Sun) Great Lakes Bridge Club
Annual Congress - Swiss Pairs and Teams
Event Details >

Sep 15 (Sun) Lismore Bridge Club
Teams
Event Details >

Sep 21-22 (Sat-Sun) Camden Haven (Lusc) Bridge Club
Pairs and Teams
Event Details >

Sep 21-22 (Sat-Sun) Central Coast Leagues Club Bridge Club
Pairs and Teams
Event Details >

Sep 21-22 (Sat-Sun) Mollymook Bridge Club
Swiss Pairs and Teams
Event Details >

Sep 28-29 (Sat-Sun) Glen Bridge Club
Pairs
Event Details >

Sep 29 (Sun) Illawarra Bridge Association
Swiss Pairs
Event Details >

Oct 6 (Sun) Wollstonecraft Bridge Club
Pairs
Event Details >

Oct 7 (Mon) NSBC@Lindfield Labour Day
Pairs
Event Details >


NSWBA EVENTS
Sep 16-Oct 14 (over 3 Mondays) NSWBA Matchpoint Swiss Pairs
Event Details >

Sep 21-22 (Sat-Sun) NSWBA GNOT Metropolitan Final
A knock-out teams event with Swiss repechage. Two teams from the knockout section and two teams from the Swiss repechage qualify to the National Final.
Event Details >


STATE EVENTS
Oct 27 (Sun) Jacaranda Teams
Incorporating the State Open Teams Metropolitan Final
Event Details >


NATIONAL (ABF) EVENTS
Sep 4-8 (Wed-Sun) Territory Gold Bridge Festival
Alice Springs
Event Details >

Sep 14-15 (Sat-Sun) Hans Rosendorff Memorial Congress
Restricted Swiss Pairs and Women's Swiss Pairs
Perth
Event Details >

Oct 4-7 (Fri-Mon) Canberra In Bloom Bridge Festival
Canberra
Event Details >

Oct 16-24 (Wed-Thu) Sydney Spring Nationals
Sydney
Event Details >


BRIDGE HOLIDAYS
Nov 17-24 (Sun-Sun) Holiday Bridge
Norfolk Island Bridge Holiday
Holiday Details >
FEATURED ARTICLES
Congress Stories by
Rakesh Kumar
Rakesh and his partner played against the eventual winners Mark Kolodziejczyk and Les Grewcock in Round 2 in the Peninsula Swiss Pairs. He found some of Mark's bidding approaches interesting and described it as "swimming against the tide". 

Peninsula Swiss Pairs
New Book 
The Big Payoff - Slam bidding at bridge
by Bill Treble
$34.95 (online) Only $30 when purchased from Paul Lavings' Stall at the NSWBA.

The author first looks at what it takes to make a slam, examining balanced hand situations, upgrading with a bit of shape or good intermediate cards and degrading with poor shape and lack of intermediates. Then he looks at distributional slams, the power of 5-4, 5-5 and 6-4 trump fits, high cards in partner’s suits and fitting shapes. There are many full example hands at the end of each chapter and Treble always discusses the play and defence as well as the bidding.

The book is available on Paul Laving's online bookstore, Bridgegear, or get 10% off by purchasing at the NSWBA stall:
Ask a Director
by Matthew McManus
Q: Is that an illegal claim? 
A: The laws state that a player may not claim any trick that they did not win, nor any trick which they could not possibly win... Just because the opponents concede some or all of the remaining tricks, it does not mean that the other side is entitled to them. If there is no possible way to win a trick, the player is ethically obliged not to accept it. 
Read the full answer HERE>

To understand situations better where a director is called, Matthew McManus has explained them in detail and the reasons behind the rulings in his articles. They are written from the angle of players. Review his columns to be a better congress player. Review his columns here >
CONGRESS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Your Association is pleased to acknowledge this 2019 Award. There will be four categories:
  • Open
  • Intermediate <750 MPs
  • Restricted <300 MPs
  • Novice <100 MPs
Click HERE for our current "interim" list, as at 31 July 2019. This award is based on masterpoints earned at NSW Congresses held under the auspices of NSWBA during the year.
CONGRESS PSYCHE REGISTER
The NSWBA has decided to establish a central psyche register for all congresses held in NSW.

The laws permit players to deviate from their systemic agreements so long as the partner of the player who does so has no greater reason to be aware of this deviation than the opponents. Once your partnership has a history of deviating from its agreements in a certain situation you are required to inform your opponents of this tendency.

If you feel that your opponents have psyched against you, please email details of the hand to the psyche register – no action will be taken against players who are reported to the psyche register but once a pair has multiple entries in the psyche register, congress directors will be informed so that they are aware of this history when making their rulings.

A form which can be used for submissions is available HERE.
ABOUT eCONGRESS
The eCongress is a monthly newsletter published by the NSW Bridge Association. It updates you with the latest congresses in the month, interesting hands and analysis from events, and tips regarding bridge laws.

Subscribe now >
NSW Bridge Association
+61 2 9264 8111
office@nswba.com.au
www.nswba.com.au
Level 1, 162 Goulburn Street,
East Sydney 2010
SEND US YOUR STORIES
Do you have a story to tell or a photo to share after playing in a congress? Let us know, we will be pleased to publish it. 
Submit your stories / photos>

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