2012 is a big year for our international teams. Not only are the European Championships (Dublin, June 12-24) taking place but there is an Olympiad to consider as well, although the August dates for that have not yet been confirmed.
The following Open team has been selected for the European Championships:
Tony Forrester/David Gold
Andrew Robson/Alexander Allfrey
Peter Crouch/Derek Patterson
Reserves: Tom Townsend/David Bakhshi NPC: Simon Cope Coach: Ben Green
The same team has been selected for the Olympiad, assuming this takes place in 2012.
The selectors were fortunate to have such a wealth of talent to choose from. Just a few of the pairs who could rightly consider themselves unfortunate not to have made the team are Jason & Justin Hackett, Jeffrey Allerton/Ian Pagan and Chris Jagger, Frances Hinden and Graham Osborne, Fredrik Bjornlund and Nicklas Sandqvist, Espen Erichsen and Norman Selway, and Martin Jones and Neil Rosen. No doubt they will curse the selectors and vow to work harder to make the cut next time.
So who are the players who will be representing the EBU on the international stage and hoping to achieve long overdue success in a major Open tournament?
Andrew Robson needs little introduction. As the proprietor of the Andrew Robson Bridge Club, the bridge correspondent of the Times, perhaps the most sought-after bridge teacher and lecturer in the UK and author of numerous excellent books, Robson may have become the best-known figure in English bridge. His partner, Alexander Allfrey, is less visible to the bridge-playing public, but has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the bridge world over the last two or three years and is the captain of the team that includes all the pairs who have been selected for the European Championships. This team won the 2011 Premier League in fine style, finishing ahead of most of the other contenders for international selection. Statistically, Allfrey/Robson were the second most successful pair in the Premier League, just behind their teammates, Forrester/Gold. The same team reached the final of the Gold Cup in 2011. In 2010 they won the Lederer Memorial Trophy and the Brighton Four Stars A Final.
One or two football fans have been surprised to hear that Peter Crouch has already been selected to play for England in the European Championships this summer. He certainly has a good touch for a (not so) big man. He and Derek Patterson were, statistically, the strongest pair in the first Camrose weekend of 2012 where they teamed up with Robson/Allfrey and Forrester/Gold. Crouch and Patterson’s years of hard work on their system has paid off with some spectacular results in recent years. Besides their successes with the Allfrey team, they won the 2009 Premier League with different teammates and they had the best Butler score in the 2010 Camrose, helping England to 1st place.
Tony Forrester is another England star who needs little introduction. He is the Telegraph bridge columnist and author of numerous books. He has played for England in more Camrose matches than anyone else alive and he enjoyed a long and successful partnership with Robson, with whom he won the European Teams Championship in 1991 and the Reisinger (a prestigious US “major”) in 1998 and 1999. He has won the Gold Cup on ten occasions. His current partner, David Gold, was not even born when Forrester first started dominating the English game. Gold is now a full time bridge professional, running the St John’s Wood Bridge Club. Forrester and Gold were, statistically, the top pair in the Premier League 2011. In partnership with David Bakhshi, Gold won the 2011 NEC Cup Open Teams in Japan and he has also achieved strong results in partnership with Tom Townsend. Bakhshi and Townsend will themselves be reserves for the European Championships, having travelled the world to play in major tournaments and develop their game.
With Simon Cope once again picking up the reins as NPC and Ben Green as coach, I think this squad will have every chance at the European Championships and the Olympiad which follows. They are used to playing together (and winning!) as a team and they have the stamina and talent to do well. I am sure all EBU members will wish them every success!
NICK SMITH (selector)
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Thursday, 1 December 2011
2012 European Championships
The Selection Committee have released a bulletin on selection for next year's European Championships.
Monday, 11 April 2011
2011 Premier League
Entries are invited for the 2011 Premier League from teams of four to six players, which should be sent to the Secretary of the Selection Committee, Mrs Sandra Claridge, Tel. 01844 208629, Email. claridge31@tiscali.co.uk.
Entry fee: £720 per team - payable to the English Bridge Union. Please contact Peter or Dawn on: Tel. 01296 317203/219 or Email: comps@ebu.co.uk
Closing date for entries: Tuesday 31st May 2011
Dates & venues: 24th & 25th September – Richmond Bridge Club, London
1st & 2nd October – Manchester Bridge Club
11th/13th November – West Midlands Bridge Club, Solihull
Reserve date: 4th/6th November
Please state, as appropriate, whether your proposed team will meet the necessary qualifications to stay within your 2010 division by right.
The Premier League will be used as the selection process for the 2012 Camrose Trophy to be held in England on 6th/8th January, and Scotland on 2nd/4th March, the winning team being offered a match. It should be noted that the England team will compete on at least a partially self-funding basis.
The relevant sections of the Premier League Conditions of Contest in regard to eligibility, are as follows:
2.2 Based on divisions of approximately 8 teams each, the winners and runners-up of the Second Division shall earn promotion to the First Division. If an ineligible team (see Section 4.3 below) finishes in the top two places in the Second Division, promotion will pass automatically to the next placed eligible team, save that there will be no promotion for 5th place or below. The bottom two teams in the First Division shall be relegated to the Second Division. Lower divisions, if any, will function similarly. The Committee reserve the right to alter the number of teams promoted or relegated in the event that the size of the league is fewer or greater than eight teams. Notification of any such alteration will be given in advance of the commencement of the league.
4.1 All players in the First Division must be members of the English Bridge Union in good standing, and qualify* to represent England under the current international regulations of the World Bridge Federation, the European Bridge League and Bridge Great Britain. *Players must be qualified by the time of the date of the first Camrose match.
4.3 Entries will be welcomed from teams containing players not qualifying to represent England as detailed in 4.1, but such teams will not be eligible to participate in the First Division. There will be no limit on the number of such players, but any team which contains one or more such players shall be ineligible for promotion to the First Division in the following season. This provision over-rides that contained in section 13.
10.1 To be a qualified player for the purposes of automatic Camrose selection or the title of Premier League or Division champion, the player must play at least 10 of the 21 stanzas (or 50%, rounded down in the case of a fraction, in the event that there are greater or fewer than 21 stanzas). There is no requirement that a player must play against every team. The same standard applies for the purpose of “Team Continuity” detailed below.
10.2 An individual player failing to fulfil the playing requirement in 10.1 does not disqualify his team-mates.
10.3 Selection for the Camrose series of Home Internationals will be made shortly after the conclusion of the final weekend of the League. Any pair of the team winning the First Division of the League who has met the playing requirements is guaranteed to be offered at least one Camrose match, with a player qualifying in two partnerships being required to nominate his preferred Camrose partnership. In this event the partnership not preferred has no such guarantee.
10.4 If the winning team contains two or three pairs who have all met the minimum playing requirements and who are available for both Camrose matches, these pairs will be selected together in the same team for at least one of the Camrose weekends. The remaining places (if any) in the England team for the two Camrose Trophy weekends will be selected from amongst the eligible pairs who have competed in the League and met the minimum playing requirements.
10.5 If a team of five wins the First Division then the Selection Committee reserve the right to add a sixth player to the team for the Camrose Trophy. The selection will be made in consultation with the winning team.
10.6 There are no playing requirements for the Champions Cup (when applicable).
13.1 Promotion and relegation will be two up/two down [this based on divisions of approximately 8 teams]. The First Division in 2011 is therefore the top six teams in the 2010 League, plus the top two teams in the 2010 Second Division (but see also sections 2.2 and 4.3).
13.2 To maintain team continuity, any of the following is sufficient. A player is qualified if he satisfied the playing requirements for the previous season, and satisfies all the general conditions of section 4.1.
Three qualified players from a team of four or five qualified players
Four qualified players from a team of six qualified players
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Philly Youngsters, Part Seven
So it wasn’t meant to be. For the second World Junior Championship in a row, the U20s had to settle for the silver medal.
Starting the day 35 down and with only the single stanza to play, it was important not to let even more swings go out the gate and make the task much more difficult. Early on, we gained a game swing when Dan and James caused them to miss theirs. It went straight back after a Polish pre-empt kept us out of ours. But as the stanza progressed, we seemed to be making gradual inroads into their lead.
The advancement juddered to a halt halfway through the set. A deal which had seemed to be more IMPs in suddenly became a game swing out as the old defensive bugbears raised their ugly heads once more. This was followed by another on the next board and the critical momentum and pressure that we had built up had fully ebbed away. There were some brief flashes of hope in the dying boards, but the Polish demonstrated greater accuracy in card play at the critical moments to run out deserved winners.
Both Michael Byrne and I would like to say how proud we are of the team, the effort they put in and the performance they produced. For Dan McIntosh and Tom Paske it was a second disappointment in a world final after Beijing. For Shivam Shah, Tom Rainforth, Graeme Robertson and James Paul, this was their first international medal and surely not their last.
Starting the day 35 down and with only the single stanza to play, it was important not to let even more swings go out the gate and make the task much more difficult. Early on, we gained a game swing when Dan and James caused them to miss theirs. It went straight back after a Polish pre-empt kept us out of ours. But as the stanza progressed, we seemed to be making gradual inroads into their lead.
The advancement juddered to a halt halfway through the set. A deal which had seemed to be more IMPs in suddenly became a game swing out as the old defensive bugbears raised their ugly heads once more. This was followed by another on the next board and the critical momentum and pressure that we had built up had fully ebbed away. There were some brief flashes of hope in the dying boards, but the Polish demonstrated greater accuracy in card play at the critical moments to run out deserved winners.
Both Michael Byrne and I would like to say how proud we are of the team, the effort they put in and the performance they produced. For Dan McIntosh and Tom Paske it was a second disappointment in a world final after Beijing. For Shivam Shah, Tom Rainforth, Graeme Robertson and James Paul, this was their first international medal and surely not their last.
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Philly Youngsters, Part Six
They certainly don't like to do things the easy way.
After yesterday's remarkable turnaround, the team faced 64 boards against the Polish. The first three stanzas to be played today, the other tomorrow (or today as you read this). Straightaway there were opportunities. A reckless slam try from one of the opponents looked to have scored an own goal, but Tom Paske made the completely natural lead - the only one to give it away. From there, things degenerated over the remainder of the first half of the match. More no play slams and games being let through the net in an ever increasing torrent of IMPs.
At 70 IMPs down with 32 to play, a line-up change was required and the new formation brought instant success. Over the course of the third set, the team halved the deficit to close play 35 down. Can lightning strike twice? Who knows, but psychologically the team is in the ascendancy, while the Poles have to sleep while mulling over the fact that it could have been all over already.
Do these English boys really know what defeat is?
Come and support them on BBO Vugraph at 3PM UK time for the final exciting stanza - well it will be if we complete the fightback.
After yesterday's remarkable turnaround, the team faced 64 boards against the Polish. The first three stanzas to be played today, the other tomorrow (or today as you read this). Straightaway there were opportunities. A reckless slam try from one of the opponents looked to have scored an own goal, but Tom Paske made the completely natural lead - the only one to give it away. From there, things degenerated over the remainder of the first half of the match. More no play slams and games being let through the net in an ever increasing torrent of IMPs.
At 70 IMPs down with 32 to play, a line-up change was required and the new formation brought instant success. Over the course of the third set, the team halved the deficit to close play 35 down. Can lightning strike twice? Who knows, but psychologically the team is in the ascendancy, while the Poles have to sleep while mulling over the fact that it could have been all over already.
Do these English boys really know what defeat is?
Come and support them on BBO Vugraph at 3PM UK time for the final exciting stanza - well it will be if we complete the fightback.
Friday, 15 October 2010
Philly Youngsters, Part Five
I think it is fair to say that today will be burned bright into the history of English Bridge.
The World Championship semi-final against the Netherlands. As soon as board 2, the action had started. Dan and James had a mix-up using their defensive methods against a short club and conceded a 1400 penalty. However, there had been issues of whether the 1C bid had been alerted properly on both sides of the screen. The resulting ruling went against the team, but captain MGB decided to appeal. The rest of the set was up and down. Despite a couple of other big swings out, we still led by three at the end of the stanza.
Immediately things went wrong at the start of set 2. A tricky discard problem caused a slam to be let through and the psychological tone was set. The Dutch couldn't get anything wrong and we couldn't get anything right. The result? 1-78. It is fair to say that things weren't the brightest in the England camp at that time.
We regrouped. There wasn't much to the set three boards but we eked a few IMPs back. Twelve of them. So prior to beginning the final set we were looking at the wrong end of a 62-IMP deficit and only 14 boards to do something about it.
This lot are made of stern stuff. They have a lot of experience of generating obscene quantities of IMPs in very short spaces of time in online matches. So they didn't ever stop believing that it was possible to come back. Quite the opposite. If they could get off to a sharp start then they knew that the pressure would start to tell. After all, the opponents could only lose it from here.
The first few boards in the Open Room didn't encourage much, indeed we lost a further game swing next door. But then James and Dan threw caution to the winds and rolled in a couple of light games. In the other room Graeme was allowed to make a cold-off 3N and the noose was definitely tightening. We also received the news that we had won our appeal that transferred a further 17IMPs into the account.
The critical deal came four from home. The Dutch East came in over a 15-17NT and in a competitive sequence his partner made what he thought was a lead-directing double. His partner took him seriously and 'saved' over our 4H game. This resulted in a 1700 blowout and the decisive 15 IMP swing. Both pairs came out to score up thinking they maybe hadn't done quite enough. As the scores totted up, suddenly the impossible became reality. We had won the semi final.
Credit to the Dutch, they had played superbly in a memorable match. We are sorry it had to be them, because we know them well. Their coaches Marten and Monique are genuinely really nice people who have their teams play the game the right way. We hope they can win the Bronze tomorrow as some consolation.
Anyway, we are just trying to wind down now to get some sleep before tomorrow. Poland await in the final.
The World Championship semi-final against the Netherlands. As soon as board 2, the action had started. Dan and James had a mix-up using their defensive methods against a short club and conceded a 1400 penalty. However, there had been issues of whether the 1C bid had been alerted properly on both sides of the screen. The resulting ruling went against the team, but captain MGB decided to appeal. The rest of the set was up and down. Despite a couple of other big swings out, we still led by three at the end of the stanza.
Immediately things went wrong at the start of set 2. A tricky discard problem caused a slam to be let through and the psychological tone was set. The Dutch couldn't get anything wrong and we couldn't get anything right. The result? 1-78. It is fair to say that things weren't the brightest in the England camp at that time.
We regrouped. There wasn't much to the set three boards but we eked a few IMPs back. Twelve of them. So prior to beginning the final set we were looking at the wrong end of a 62-IMP deficit and only 14 boards to do something about it.
This lot are made of stern stuff. They have a lot of experience of generating obscene quantities of IMPs in very short spaces of time in online matches. So they didn't ever stop believing that it was possible to come back. Quite the opposite. If they could get off to a sharp start then they knew that the pressure would start to tell. After all, the opponents could only lose it from here.
The first few boards in the Open Room didn't encourage much, indeed we lost a further game swing next door. But then James and Dan threw caution to the winds and rolled in a couple of light games. In the other room Graeme was allowed to make a cold-off 3N and the noose was definitely tightening. We also received the news that we had won our appeal that transferred a further 17IMPs into the account.
The critical deal came four from home. The Dutch East came in over a 15-17NT and in a competitive sequence his partner made what he thought was a lead-directing double. His partner took him seriously and 'saved' over our 4H game. This resulted in a 1700 blowout and the decisive 15 IMP swing. Both pairs came out to score up thinking they maybe hadn't done quite enough. As the scores totted up, suddenly the impossible became reality. We had won the semi final.
Credit to the Dutch, they had played superbly in a memorable match. We are sorry it had to be them, because we know them well. Their coaches Marten and Monique are genuinely really nice people who have their teams play the game the right way. We hope they can win the Bronze tomorrow as some consolation.
Anyway, we are just trying to wind down now to get some sleep before tomorrow. Poland await in the final.
Thursday, 14 October 2010
Philly Youngsters, Part Four
World Championship KOs are places of extreme emotions.
We finished off the Round-Robin with two more wins - 20-10 against Germany and 18-12 against Poland. With first place wrapped up we exercised our rights by selecting Hungary for the quarter-finals and the winner of Sweden-Netherlands for the semi. Despite not being at our best, we prevailed in a scrappy match by 57 IMPs.
Who would we end up playing? At half time, Sweden were up by 20, but the Dutch came storming back to win by over 30 leaving several of the very young Swedish team in tears.
For every winner there is a loser.
Tomorrow we try to make sure that at least for another day it won't be us.
We finished off the Round-Robin with two more wins - 20-10 against Germany and 18-12 against Poland. With first place wrapped up we exercised our rights by selecting Hungary for the quarter-finals and the winner of Sweden-Netherlands for the semi. Despite not being at our best, we prevailed in a scrappy match by 57 IMPs.
Who would we end up playing? At half time, Sweden were up by 20, but the Dutch came storming back to win by over 30 leaving several of the very young Swedish team in tears.
For every winner there is a loser.
Tomorrow we try to make sure that at least for another day it won't be us.
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Philly Youngsters, Part Three
Consolidation was the name of the game today. And the boys duly delivered. After a tough opening match against Israel which they drew 15-15, we had a number of other contending teams to play. USA1 were up next having climbed through the field to second place. Despite a slam swing out, they didn't really have a sniff and a 20-10 victory propelled them back into the qualifying maelstrom. The dangerous Norwegians followed and tight play in both rooms limited them to a single partscore swing out and gave us another solid 22-8. The final match of the day was against the Chinese Taipei team who by now were well out of things. Again, ruthless play saw them through with a 25-4 victory.
These results leave them 26VPs clear of Israel in 2nd and 52VPs clear of the ninth placed team. Winning the Round-Robin is a huge advantage since it bestows the right to pick opponents in the QF and then which QF supplies the semi opponents, although we were informed in the Captain's meeting that there will not be any carry over.
So, time to keep calm and finish the job tomorrow against Germany and the perenially dangerous Poles. Then, hopefully see how things lie and negotiate a 40-board QF.
Now the team feels its collective stomachs rumbling. More updates tomorrow.
These results leave them 26VPs clear of Israel in 2nd and 52VPs clear of the ninth placed team. Winning the Round-Robin is a huge advantage since it bestows the right to pick opponents in the QF and then which QF supplies the semi opponents, although we were informed in the Captain's meeting that there will not be any carry over.
So, time to keep calm and finish the job tomorrow against Germany and the perenially dangerous Poles. Then, hopefully see how things lie and negotiate a 40-board QF.
Now the team feels its collective stomachs rumbling. More updates tomorrow.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Philly Youngsters, Part Two
So fortunes can change. First up were USA2, who we turned over 20-10. Although it has to be said they were handicapped in that half of their team was even shorter than Shivam and could barely see over the table to see their cards. Emboldened by this, the team promptly nosedived to the Canadians 13-17. The field kept beating itself up though, so despite this reverse we were still well in contact. Knowing that a couple of big wins would see us go screaming skywards, they set right to it. The Hungarians were lasered 24-6, the French were fried 25-4 (simultaneously dropping them out of the QF spots) and the Aussies barbecued 25-4 as opponents were tilted out left, right, centre and pretty much every way imaginable. The end result? England U21s leading the RR qualifying after 9/15 rounds by 11VPs from the Germans.
Chickens, however, have most definitely not been counted. The remainder of the matches are mostly against teams who are currently in qualifying positions, so the boys will need to keep it tight to retain their spot at the head of the field. Much hard work remains to earn the right to pick QF opponents.
Now we are packing the kiddies off to bed nice and early to get their much needed snooze. I think tonight's story is the one about the big bad wolf who liked to splinter with singleton honours.
Chickens, however, have most definitely not been counted. The remainder of the matches are mostly against teams who are currently in qualifying positions, so the boys will need to keep it tight to retain their spot at the head of the field. Much hard work remains to earn the right to pick QF opponents.
Now we are packing the kiddies off to bed nice and early to get their much needed snooze. I think tonight's story is the one about the big bad wolf who liked to splinter with singleton honours.
Monday, 11 October 2010
Philly Youngsters, Part One
Afternoon all, the coach here. Now we are settled in and play has started, it is time to reflect on a disappointing start to the event. Despite turning up bright, breezy and prepared (and with some insider advice from visiting Swedish pro Mr Hallberg) we were turned over by his countrymen 11-19 after a couple of iffy scores. Things were rapidly righted against the Dutch with a 24-6 pasting that saw the team move into something nearer top gear. However, as in many other sports, the half-time break came at the wrong time for the team and the rhythm was broken. Two more losses in the afternoon to Uruguay (13-17) and a tough Chinese team (10-20) have dropped us to ninth, one spot out of the qualifiying places.
Despite these results, the team know that things are very much in their own hands and they have much more in reserve to give than the others. The field is still tightly bunched and the short ten board round-robin matches do throw up some freak results. One or two bits of bad luck or bad play and it can be difficult to catch it back on even the weak teams.
Still, I have now devised part one of my coaching masterplan. I have located somewhere where we can get our morning cup of tea in. Can't really function until we have got a good brew into the system. That is the first thing, for part two, where can I get hold of some Weetabix...
Despite these results, the team know that things are very much in their own hands and they have much more in reserve to give than the others. The field is still tightly bunched and the short ten board round-robin matches do throw up some freak results. One or two bits of bad luck or bad play and it can be difficult to catch it back on even the weak teams.
Still, I have now devised part one of my coaching masterplan. I have located somewhere where we can get our morning cup of tea in. Can't really function until we have got a good brew into the system. That is the first thing, for part two, where can I get hold of some Weetabix...
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