Teltscher Trophy Blog

The Senior Home Internationals for the Teltscher Trophy (previously known as the Senior Camrose) was first held in 2008. As with the Camrose and Lady Milne, the home nation – Scotland in this instance – provides the sixth team, playing as SBU. In the early days the event was generously sponsored by Bernard Teltscher, who presented the trophy in 2013. England and Scotland have both won the trophy four times, the Republic of Ireland twice, and Wales once.

The event is played over a single weekend with a double round robin of 14-board matches. It seems the Seniors are deemed too old to play the 16-board matches played in the Camrose and Lady Milne.

England is represented by the team of five that won the trials last December: David Mossop, Paul Hackett, Gunnar Hallberg, John Holland and Brian Senior. Norman Selway was added to the team – an excellent choice since he has won the event for the last two years. They invited me to be their Non-Playing Captain; I am not sure why, I think it might be out of pity, since my record is three third-place finishes.

The first problem will be for the those flying to Edinburgh; if any of them end up in Dusseldorf it will be the NPC’s fault.

The event is being held at the Holiday Inn, half-way between Edinburgh City centre and the airport, and right beside Edinburgh Zoo. A duck, the Giraffe Coup (ruffing a loser in the hand with the long trumps, with no benefit), and a Stripe-Tailed Ape (doubling the opponents short of a making slam, and escaping ‘like a Stripe-Tailed Ape’ should they redouble) are the only bridge-related animals I can think of at the moment. Any ideas?

I would like to thank Roger O'Shea and Pharon Finan¬cial Advisers for helping me to be here. It is the Pharon logo that you can see on the teams’ shirts.

You will be able to watch events unfold from the comfort of your home. The whole thing will be shown on BBO; starting at 19:30 on Friday evening, when England play Wales. England take on Northern Ireland at 21:40, followed by a cup of hot cocoa and in bed by midnight.

By Simone Cochemé