[jillybean]

More than 130 of Europe’s best bridge players, including 15 current or former world champions, will be descending on London over the weekend of January 16th/17th 2011 to compete in one of the most valuable head-to-head bridge tournaments ever staged in Europe, with an expected prize pool of more than £40,000 at stake.

The auction pairs, to be held at the TGRs bridge club in London’s West End, will pit leading professionals against top amateurs in a series of 72 deals over a two day period, with an expected first prize of around £15,000. Participants will bid to back the most likely winners, with the auction proceeds going into a pool to be shared amongst the backers of the top half a dozen pairs.

This year’s event follows the success of an inaugural event last year, in which the backer of the leading pair won £14,000 and the total prize pool exceeded £38,000. The winning players last year were two British professional bridge players, Nick Sandqvist and Andrew McIntosh. This year’s competition has attracted entries from more than a dozen countries, including Norway, Sweden, France Iceland and Poland.

Participants include many leading bridge professionals and writers, including the bridge correspondents of The Times, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times, and a number of well known amateur players, including Stuart Wheeler, the founder of the spread betting firm IG Index, playing with Patrick Lawrence QC, and the football agent Rune Hauge. The auction will be conducted by Ruth Zandberg, a professional auctioneer.

For more information, please contact Marilyn Malinowski, the manager of TGRs bridge club. Tel: +44 (0)20 7723 1617. Email: tgrsbridge@btconnect.com. Web: http://www.tgrsbridg...ion_Pairs.html.

http://www.tgrsbridge.com/index.html

[mgoetze]

Cool... the Cavendish for poor people!

Unfortunately, the money seems to be small enough that no two pros are playing with each other. At least I only found one partnership in the list of registrations where I recognized both names, and I'm pretty sure that one's a regular client-pro affair.

I wonder though: "Any systems licensed by the WBF may be played." Are there any systems which are not licensed by the WBF? Or is this an anything-goes event?

[paulg]

mgoetze, on 2011-January-13, 04:28, said:

Cool... the Cavendish for poor people!

Unfortunately, the money seems to be small enough that no two pros are playing with each other. At least I only found one partnership in the list of registrations where I recognized both names, and I'm pretty sure that one's a regular client-pro affair.

I wonder though: "Any systems licensed by the WBF may be played." Are there any systems which are not licensed by the WBF? Or is this an anything-goes event?

There are a number of pro-pro pairs that I recognise, but of course you never know if there is a sponsor in the background. I suspect that there is in all cases.

I expect that players will be able to play Brown Sticker Conventions but anyone suggesting a Yellow (HUM) system may be advised that it would be inappropriate.

I'm looking forward to the event. They seem to have a good field and I'm sure the English U20 pair of Brass/Roberts will have a terrific experience. I'm don't remember seeing this level of investment in the juniors when I was young, but on the other hand Andy Robson might have taken it all!

[the hog]

"I expect that players will be able to play Brown Sticker Conventions". The Cavendish for real, not "protected" bridge players.

[peachy]

The TGRs webpage says : All WBF sanctioned system permitted.
I don't know what "licensed system" would mean.
Looking at the WBF system policy, it appears to me (but maybe I am wrong) that TGRs would be a Category 3 event a) because it is not a teams event and b ) because it is not one of the events described under Category 1 and Category 2.

[pooltuna]

mgoetze, on 2011-January-13, 04:28, said:

Cool... the Cavendish for poor people!

Unfortunately, the money seems to be small enough that no two pros are playing with each other. At least I only found one partnership in the list of registrations where I recognized both names, and I'm pretty sure that one's a regular client-pro affair.

I wonder though: "Any systems licensed by the WBF may be played." Are there any systems which are not licensed by the WBF? Or is this an anything-goes event?

Adam Wildavsky-Michael Polowon is more like two pros than a pro and a client.

[mgoetze]

the hog, on 2011-January-14, 11:38, said:

"I expect that players will be able to play Brown Sticker Conventions". The Cavendish for real, not "protected" bridge players.

Right... after all in the Cavendish one is not even allowed to play Lebensohl. Or could you explain Lebensohl to an "average bridge player" in just 10 seconds?

[the hog]

mgoetze, on 2011-January-14, 14:58, said:

Right... after all in the Cavendish one is not even allowed to play Lebensohl. Or could you explain Lebensohl to an "average bridge player" in just 10 seconds?

Probably not.