Another busy bridge period ahead, with lots of competitions and coaching for players of all grades. Hopefully, you will find something of interest.
First up, this weekend we have the Tralee International Bridge Congress in the Rose Hotel, Tralee, and all are welcome. Pre-entry is required; for more information and to register, please visit the congress website at http://bit.ly/Tralee2024 or https://www.bridgewebs.com/ireland/. Then for Seniors (anyone born in or before 1960), we have the IBU Seniors Congress in the Cavan Crystal Hotel, midweek from 16-18 April. Entries are currently open on our website.
The final few national open-entry events of the season are as follows: the Lambert and Cooper Cups (pairs and teams respectively, confined to Area Masters and Intermediate As) will take place in Templeogue on 27 and 28 April respectively, in Templeogue. The Saturday will also see the annual JJ Murphy Trophy (national Novice championships) in the same venue; all novice players are guaranteed a warm welcome, and a suitably sympathetic Tournament Director to guide them through what for many of them will be their first “outside” competition. After that, the IBU Club Pairs (both Master and Intermediate grades) will be on Saturday 11 May, also in Templeogue. Again entries for all these competitions are open on our website. Finally, the 4Fun Teams will take place in Westmanstown on Saturday 25 May. Entries for this competition are co-ordinated regionally, so if you’d like to play, just contact your Regional Secretary. Each team must consist of a Novice, a Master, an Intermediate A, and an Intermediate B.
For female players, the international bodies continue to offer a number of online events. Next up is the WBF Women’s Spring Festival, from 8-14 April, online on BBO, with a variety of competitions. Tournaments are held every two hours to facilitate the global audience playing in different timezones, and there are awards and prizes sponsored by BBO and the WBF. Top prize for the overall winner is free entry to the National Women’s Pairs Championships in Buenos Aires in October. You’ll find full details here.
Expanding the offering to all genders, all CBAI members are invited to attend two free webinars being run by world-renowned player and coach, Krzystof Martens. Krzystof has worked as a coach with the Irish Open Team, and is a multiple world and international champion, both as player and coach. He is now planning a new venture into online coaching and is offering these two free sessions as a taster of his style. His reputation is that he makes his sessions great fun, so you’re sure to enjoy the sessions as well as a learning a lot from them. The two sessions are on “Innovative Dummy Play, 1 and 2” and will take place on April 25 and May 2 from 18:00 to 20:00 Irish time. You need to register here to sign up, and a recording of the session will be made available to participants after the event. A wonderful opportunity for anyone serious about their bridge to learn from a master of his craft.
Finally, two upcoming events in and around Dublin South. The Dublin South Region will hold the Kay Downes Trophy, for Novice and Beginner Pairs, in Milltown Golf Club on Wednesday 17 April at 19:30, and all Dublin South members in the novice or beginner category are welcome. There will be two separate competitions if numbers permit. You can enter via the Dublin South website, and for more information, please contact Mairéad Ní Oistín on (087) 6750393. And well-loved teacher Thomas MacCormac is offering another series of his popular “play and discuss” sessions in Kilmacud Crokes facility in Stillorgan on Thursday mornings between 11:00 and 14:00, starting on Thursday 18 April. You do not need a partner to attend, and the cost is €80 for five sessions, with tea/coffee included. To find out more, or to reserve a place, contact Thomas on (086) 3859953, or by email.
Thanks to all involved for their work in preparing and delivering these events – we hope that you will find something to interest you.