ORLANDO-FALL NABC 2016-NOV. 24-DEC. 4
Results/Daily Bulletins Facebook
November 29
8th European Open Bridge Championships
For more information, visit www.eurobridge.org
Volante de Montecatini 2017
Over the past couple of years, European Bridge League President Yves Aubrey has become a semiregular visitor to the U.S., mostly to cities where NABCs are organized.
He was in Orlando for about five days with several goals in mind. First, he wanted to make contact with ACBL executives in person to continue improving relations between the two largest bridge organizations in the world. Between them, the ACBL and EBL represent more than 85% of the world’s tournament players.
Aubrey also discussed possible joint efforts regarding cheating, an issue that has touched both organizations over the past couple of years. “The EBL is very pragmatic,” Aubrey said. “We are trying to be involved with the fight against cheating.” Then there is the invitation he extended to bridge players throughout the U.S. – to attend the 8th Open European Championships scheduled for June 10-24 in Montecatini, Italy. The city of 21,095 is about 28 miles from Pisa and 31 miles from Firenze (Florence). Players interested in attending the tournament would fly into either of those cities. Aubrey said there will be shuttles from the airports to Montecatini.
The city is located in Tuscany, where the weather is mild during the summer, featuring high temperatures in the mid-70s. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, traditions, history, artistic legacy and its influence on high culture. It is regarded as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and has been home to many figures influential in the history of art and science, and contains well-known museums such as the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace.
Aubrey said the EBL will arrange special rates in many hotels of Montecatini Terme available through a travel agency (Ranieri Tour Operator at Luciana@ ranieritouroperator.com). He said all the hotels are within easy walking distance of the two tournament venues: the Palazzo dei Congresso and Teatro Verdi. “You can go everywhere on foot,” he said.
The tournament schedule features Mixed Teams, Mixed Pairs for the first four days, followed by Open, Women’s and Senior pairs and teams for the rest of the tournament. In the two-day events, players who do not make the first cut will have games available to them.
The tournament is open to any player who is a member in good standing of his own bridge federation. Once the long events begin, pairs who don’t make the cut in one event can drop into a concurrent event – for example, from the Open Teams to the Open Pairs.
Aubrey said bridge play will end each day between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. All events will be limited to 50 deals per day. The EBL president said the tournament is continuation of the inaugural open championship in 2003, when the first was organized in Menton, France. U.S. players won two events at that tournament and have done well at others. “There are many Americans who are now European champions,” Aubrey said. The championships take place in oddnumbered years. For more information, visit www.eurobridge.org