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Year of firsts
BridgeNSW will be in action as the State peak body from 2024, assuming that this is approved at the AGM on 28th February. That means this year's Interstate Teams Selection will be the first one to be organised by Bridge NSW. 

The Australian National Championships (ANC) will be hosted by NSW this year – it's the first ANC to be held outside a capital city! The 2024 ANC will be in Orange, the thriving country town which is famous for its rich produce-yielding soils, cool-climate wines and spectacular scenery (and bridge hopefully after this year).

Please note that this eCongress will be the last issue branded as NSWBA and edited by Wing Roberts. The Executive Officer, BridgeNSW will continue reporting the news for our congress players.

Interstate Teams Selection

Open ITS
Qualifying Online starting from 29th January.
Final F2F from 9th-10th March (Sat-Sun).


The Open Interstate Teams Selection (OITS) is conducted in two stages, Qualifying and Final. The Qualifying is played on RealBridge, the Final is face-to-face. The 4-session-Qualifying has already commenced. The 7 highest scoring pairs in each field (NS and EW) will progress to the OITS Final.  

To follow the results, please visit the NSWBA website (note there will soon be a new BridgeNSW website): https://www.nswba.com.au/tourn/res.asp?yr=2024&dir=anc/oits&E=0&R=1&T=R

Women's ITS
F2F from 5th-7th April (Fri-Sun).

The Women's Interstate Teams Selection (WITS) is conducted as a face-to-face event over 3 consecutive days in one or two stages, depending upon the number of entrants.

Please enter via MyABF: 
https://myabf.com.au/events/congress/view/1188

Seniors' ITS
F2F from 19th-21st April (Fri-Sun).

The Seniors Interstate Teams Selection (SITS) is conducted as a face-to-face event over 3 consecutive days in one or two stages, depending upon the number of entrants.

Please enter via MyABF: 
https://myabf.com.au/events/congress/view/1189

Youth ITS
F2F on 14th April (Sun).

The Youth Interstate Teams Selection (YITS) is conducted as a single stage face-to-face event with no pre-qualification. 

Please contact the State Youth Coordinator Mitch Dowling if you are interested.

Congress Snapshots

The 2024 Sydney Bridge Centre Australia Day Matchpoint Swiss Pairs was won by Jessica Brake and Shane Harrison. The NSWBA Chairman Mary Anne Loveridge also presented prizes to the Runners Up Robbie Feyder and Heath Henn (absent) and 3rd placed Jamie Thompson and Ella Jacob. 
The 2024 Sydney Bridge Centre Australia Day Restricted Pairs was won by Sam York and Gary Snow. Runners up were Merle Payne and Susan Feeney. The Best Novice Pair was Michael Reardon-Small and Valerie Mills.

Upcoming Events

Below are links to known 2024 events.
 
STATE EVENTS
👥 Mar 9-10 (Sat-Sun) NSWBA
NSW Open ITS Final

🖥️ Mar 18-Apr 15 (over 4 Mondays) RealBridge
State Mixed Teams

👥 Apr 5-7 (Fri-Sun) NSWBA
NSW Women's ITS

🖥️ Apr 9-May 28 (Tue-Tue) RealBridge
NSW Online Pairs League - Autumn 24

👥 Apr 14 (Sun) NSWBA
NSW Youth ITS

👥 Apr 19-21 (Fri-Sun) NSWBA
NSW Seniors ITS

🖥️  Apr 29-May 6 (Over 2 Mondays) RealBridge
Tim Seres Pairs 

🖥️ May 13-Jun 3 (over 4 Mondays) RealBridge
State Butler Pairs

👥 May 18-19 (Sat-Sun) NSWBA
State Mixed Pairs Championships

👥 May 28-31 (Tue-Fri) Central Coast Leagues Club Bridge Club (Gosford)
State Seniors Championships

🖥️ Jul 17-Jul 1 (Over 3 Mondays) RealBridge
NSW City of Sydney Teams

🖥️ Jul 23-Sep 10 (Tue-Tue) RealBridge
NSW Online Pairs League - Winter 24

🖥️ Jul 27 (Sat) BBO
NSW State Individual

👥 Aug 1-7 (Thu-Wed) at Your Local Club
State Wide Pairs

🖥️ Aug 26-Sep 16 (Over 4 Mondays) RealBridge
NSW State Open Teams Qualifying


CONGRESSES
👥 Feb 4 (Sun) Trumps Bridge Centre (F2F)
Summer Teams

🖥️ Feb 11 (Sun) North Shore Bridge Club (Online)
Online Swiss Pairs 

👥 Mar 3 (Sun) Trumps Bridge Centre (F2F)
Autumn Teams

👥 Mar 9-10 (Sat-Sun) Armidale Bridge Club (F2F)
Pairs

👥 Mar 9-10 (Sat-Sun) Wellington Bridge Club (F2F)
Aunnual Congress - Pairs and Teams

👥 Mar 10 (Sun) NSBC@Lindfield Bridge Club (F2F)
Pauline Evans Swiss Pairs 

👥 Mar 16-17 (Sat-Sun) Port Macquarie-Hastings Bridge Association (F2F)
March Congress Swiss Pairs and Teams

👥 Mar 17 (Sun) Parkes Bridge Club (F2F)
Agnes Hewett Teams Day

👥 Mar 23-24 (Sat-Sun) Central Coast Bridge Club (F2F)
Super Congress - Swiss Pairs and Teams

👥 Mar 29-31 (Fri-Sun) Trumps Bridge Centre (F2F)
Good Friday Pairs and Easter Sunday Teams

👥 Apr 1 (Mon) Sydney Bridge Centre (F2F)
Easter Monday Teams

👥 Apr 13-14 (Sat-Sun) Sapphire Coast Bridge Club (F2F)
Swiss Pairs and Teams

🖥️ Apr 21 (Sun) North Shore Bridge Club (Online)
Autumn Swiss Pairs

👥 Apr 27-28 (Sat-Sun) Ballina Bridge Club (F2F)
Swiss Pairs

👥 Apr 27-28 (Sat-Sun) Peninsula Bridge Club (F2F)
Swiss Pairs and Teams

👥 Apr 28 (Sun) Newcastle Bridge Club (F2F)
Novice / Restricted Swiss Teams

👥 May 4-5 (Sat-Sun) Bathurst and District Club (F2F)
Pairs and Teams

👥 May 4-5 (Sat-Sun) Coffs Harbour Bridge Club (F2F)
Teams

👥 May 19 (Sun) BNSW (F2F)
Autumn Swiss Pairs

👥 May 24-26 (Fri-Sun) Wagga Wagga Bridge Club (F2F)
Welcome Pairs, Swiss Pairs and Teams

👥 May 25-26 (Sat-Sun) Yamba Bridge Club (F2F)
Swiss Pairs

🖥️ Jun 1 (Sat) Grafton Bridge Club (Online)
Online Butler Swiss Pairs

👥 Jun 1-2 (Sat-Sun) Nambucca Valley Bridge Club (F2F)
Swiss Pairs

👥 Jun 2 (Sun) BNSW (F2F)
Teams of Three

👥 Jun 8-9 (Sat-Sun) Central Coast Bridge Club (F2F)
Novice and Restricted Congress - Swiss Pairs and Teams

👥 Jun 9 (Sun) Wollstonecraft Bridge Club (F2F)
Teams

👥 Jun 15-16 (Sat-Sun) Illawarra Bridge Association (F2F)
Chris Diment Memorial Congress - Pairs and Teams

👥 Jun 15-16 (Sat-Sun) Newcastle Bridge Club (F2F)
Swiss Pairs and Teams

🖥️ & 👥 Jun 22-30 (Sat-Sun) North Shore Bridge Club (Online & F2F)
Festival

👥 Jul 20-21 (Sat-Sun) Brisbane Water Bridge Club (Woy Woy) (F2F)
Super Congress - Swiss Pairs and Teams

🖥️ Jul 28 (Sun) North Shore Bridge Club (Online)
Winter Teams

👥 Aug 3-4 (Sat-Sun) Sydney Bridge Centre (F2F)
Xmas in Winter

👥 Aug 10-11(Sat-Sun) Grafton Bridge Club (F2F)
Butler Swiss Pairs

👥 Aug 11(Sun) Parkes Bridge Club (F2F)
Mini Congress Teams Day (Muriel Waddell Day)

👥 Aug 11(Sun) Trumps Bridge Centre (F2F)
Winter Teams

👥 Aug 24-25 (Sat-Sun) Tamworth Bridge Club (F2F)
50th Anniversary Swiss Pairs

👥 Aug 24-25 (Sat-Sun) Toronto Bridge Club (F2F)
Swiss Pairs and Teams

🖥️ Aug 25 (Sun) North Shore Bridge Club (Online)
Winter Swiss Pairs


NATIONAL EVENTS (F2F)
👥 Feb 17-24 (Sat-Sat) Gold Coast QLD
Gold Coast Congress

👥 Mar 14-17 (Thu-Sun) Hobart TAS
Tasmanian Festival of Bridge

👥 May 2-6 (Thu-Mon) Adelaide SA
Autumn Nationals

👥 May 3-6 (Fri-Mon) Mackay QLD
Barrier Reef Congress

👥 May 25-26 (Sat-Sun) Brisbane QLD
River City Gold Mixed Pairs

👥 Jun 6-10 (Thu-Mon) Melbourne VIC
Victor Champion Cup

👥 Jun 29-30 (Sat-Sun) Perth WA
Western Senior Pairs

👥 Jul 6-18 (Sat-Thu) Orange NSW
Australian National Championships

👥 Aug 13-18 (Tue-Sun) Coffs Harbour NSW
Coffs Coast Gold Congress

👥 Aug 24-25 (Sat-Sun) Perth WA
The Joan Prince Memorial Swan River Swiss Pairs

👥 Aug 28-Sep 1 (Wed-Sun) Darwin NT
Territory Gold Bridge Festival


OTHERS
👥 Mar 17 (Sun) Peninsula Bridge Club
Metro North Interclub Pairs

👥 Apr 13-14 (Sat-Sun) Sydney Bridge Centre
GNOT Direct Qualifying

🖥️ May 9-30 (Over 4 Thursdays) North Shore Bridge Club
GNOT Direct Qualifying
2024 ANC in Orange - 6-18 July
FEATURED ARTICLES
Congress Stories by
Rakesh Kumar
Just because it was Christmas didn't make it any easier to find the right lead or switch on defence! 

North Shore Online Festive Swiss Teams
Not giving gifts at Christmas time …
Directors Course

For Clubs
If you represent a club and would like to host a Directors Course, please contact BridgeNSW (caretaker NSWBA during the transition) for further details. 

For players
To better understand situations that arise when a director is called, Matthew McManus has explained several of them in detail, together with the reasons behind the rulings. His articles are written from the perspective of players - you may find them helpful in your quest to be a better congress player. Review his columns here >
CONGRESS PSYCHE REGISTER
The NSWBA has established 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
eCongress News is a monthly newsletter published by the State Body. It updates you with the latest congress info, interesting congress hands by guest contributors, as well as congress stories provided by congress organisers and players.

Subscribe now >
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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