Bridge NSW will again be hosting the Les Longhurst Teams of 3 at the Sydney Bridge Centre on Sunday 1 June.

This popular congress partners three players (each with less than 1000 masterpoints) with a leading Australian bridge player for six matches.

It’s a terrific opportunity for players to learn from their star captain.

Depending on entry numbers, Restricted and Novice divisions may be held.

The entry fee of $65 per player includes lunch and afternoon tea, plus a great range of prizes.

Register to play on MyABF.

Central West Festival was a huge success over the weekend with 328 players in attendance from across the country and New Zealand.

Orange Mayor, Tony Mileto, opened the event on Thursday morning. Experts Peter Gill, Paul Lavings, Ella Jacob, and Will Jenner-O’Shea analysed first round play for the Pairs competition on Thursday night, and then again for the Teams competition on Saturday night.

Expert panelists Ella Jacob and Will Jenner-O’Shea

While our very own John McIlrath hosted a workshop for bridge laws on Friday.

Pairs event hotly contested

In the Pairs event there was a great turnout across the divisions, with 68 Open, 32 Intermediate, 32 Restricted and 28 Novice pairs competing.

Congratulations to the following winners:

Teams have all the fun

In the Teams, there were 40 Open, 12 Intermediate, 16 Restricted and 12 Novice teams competing.

Congratulations to the following winners:

• Open winners: Sue Lusk, Pauline Gumby, Warren Lazer and Bruce Neill
• Intermediate winners: Deanna and John Stuart, Atul Hajela and Chris Tough
• Restricted winners: Melissa Ardern, Kathy Duke, Shannon Queree and Connie Szenczy
• Novice winners: Jen Woodhouse, Miriam and Peter Dayhew, and Greg Brackenreg

Intermediate Teams winners Deanna and John Stuart, Atul Hajela and Chris Tough

Save the date

Missed out on the fun this year?

Save the date for next year’s CWF – 9-12 April 2026.

After a record number of players for the Online Pairs League (OPL) Summer season, Bridge NSW has locked in Bridge Victoria’s participation for the Autumn season, which begins 7^th April. 

Bridge Victoria’s involvement will further expand the range of players in the Monday night competition. 

The league offers you the opportunity to advance your game by playing people at a similar level, something you might not be able to do at your local club. 

OPL is a light evening involving 12-board matches over eight weeks, with each match starting at 7:30pm and finishing before 9pm. The RealBridge platform used for match play is very similar to face to face play. 

If you and your partner register before 21^st March, you will be eligible for an early bird discount. Register to play on My ABF here: https://www.myabf.com.au/events/congress/view/2345

Free entry for OTL

Online Teams League (OTL) is our exciting new Monday league competition for teams that also begins 7^th April.

It is a more competitive format with 24-board matches over seven weeks, starting at 7pm and finishing by 10pm. Players can earn 50% more red masterpoints than a regular club red-point session.

If all team members are from the same club and the team completes the season, the club will be refunded their $560 entry fee. That means you can play for free! Only one club team can claim the full refund, however.

If your team is not all from the same club and you register before 21^st March, you can receive a $80 discount. Entry for youth teams is half price. 

Register for OTL here: https://www.myabf.com.au/events/congress/view/2403

In its final year, the Gold Coast Congress achieved attendance levels not seen since 2020, still the congress’ biggest year on record.

It was a fitting and fantastic finale, according to Congress Manager from the Queensland Bridge Association (QBA), Kim Ellaway. Kim and her team of over 80 volunteer staff were forced to cap entry numbers for some events, including the highly popular novice and restricted events.

“Past congress convenor Therese Tully introduced restricted, novice and intermediate events, and they have been extremely successful,” says Kim.

“Therese always believed in giving chocolates to the rookies and providing them with breaks between matches. Eight days is a lot of bridge and it showed. You could see the tiredness in people’s faces towards the end of the week.”

Smaller venue outside of GC likely

According to Kim, the 2025 congress was the last time people will experience it at the Convention Centre.

The Centre has been the only venue on the Gold Coast large enough to accommodate the congress. Last year, the QBA learned the venue would no longer be available at the time of year the congress is run.

Kim and her team canvassed the Carrara Sports Centre as a potential alternative. A survey of players found little interest, as there are no hotels in the area and players would have to travel 30 mins one way to get there.

When asked about Brisbane options, Kim is lukewarm on the idea of moving the congress to the city. She says surveys in the past have shown limited appetite, but she remains open to the idea.

“We are looking for an alternative for 2027, but it is very likely it won’t be the Gold Coast,” Kim says.

“Whatever the GC congress does in the future, it will have to be much smaller,” Kim says.

The ABF is currently exploring other options with the Convention Centre. Kim says the ABF will be surveying people soon for input and feedback. Keep an eye out for that.

Farewell to over 60 years of history

The congress has been held at the Gold Coast since 1962. Back then, it was at the Chevron Hotel before it closed for renovations in the 1989 and the Congress moved to the ANA Hotel.

As the congress continued to expand in size and reputation in Australia and internationally, the QBA sought more space and added the Gold Coast International Hotel to the venue list. Open teams would play across both hotels in the qualifying rounds before coming together at the ANA Hotel for the finals.

But the setup would only work for so long. In 2006, the QBA found themselves looking for more space in response to growing player demand. An emotional decision was made move to the Gold Coast Convention Centre.

Events for novices, intermediates and rookies were added between 2008-13, and events for 0-50 MPs and 0-500 MPs joined the events list a few years later.

New Gold Point event

Where one window closes, another opens. The Central West Festival, which launched in 2024, is a new and exciting National Gold Point event. Held over the back of the Great Dividing Range in Orange in April, it is a very different experience from the sandy beaches of the Gold Coast, but by all reports a very enjoyable one.

CWF 2025 is already booked out, but players can join a waiting list here (look for Jenny King’s contact details above the program table).

Head to the Online Pairs League page to view Derrick’s analysis of play from week 3 of the Summer season.

Bridge NSW just launched the Online Teams League, a competitive Monday night event for the sharpest bridge players in NSW and across Australia.

The first seven-week event (the Autumn season) is being held from 7 April to 26 May. Similar to the Online Pairs League, four seasons are held throughout the year.

Starting at 7pm Monday, competitors play a 24-board match on RealBridge in two 12-board half-matches. Teams can be 4-8 players and generous substitution regulations apply.

It is a state event, and that means red masterpoints are on offer. For the best of the best, an annual championship event will be held towards the end of year.

Divisional play

The OTL is certain to attract representative players and winners of major championships. It is great opportunity for players to develop their in-tournament game.

Teams will be ranked into eight divisions, providing each team with competition of a similar level. After each season, a team can get promoted or relegated to another division.

Players and teams can use RealBridge to compare their matches to other teams in the same division, or teams in a division higher or lower than them.

Cost and more information

The entry fee is $560 per team (4-8 players) with an $80 early-bird discount on offer for registrations before 4 April 2025. A 50% discount for Youth players is also on offer. Get in early and register now:

Supplementary regulations will soon be available on the Bridge NSW OTL page. Head there to see the dates for each season this year.

Register

Monday nights are the night to get your serious bridge game on! Register to play here:

https://www.myabf.com.au/events/congress/view/2403

Not playing at a high level? Monday nights are also the night for the Bridge NSW Online Pairs League, the perfect league for developing your game to an OTL level.

The chance to represent New South Wales only comes around once a year, and that chance is approaching fast.

Qualifying for the NSW Open Interstate Team Selection (ITS) is happening on 22-23 February online. It is open to any player who is up for pitting their skills against the best players in the state. Played on online platform, RealBridge, it is a fun and competitive event you can participate in without having to travel.

If you just want a good weekend of competitive bridge, you can play as “non-contending”, meaning you do not have to commit to anything further than the weekend of play.

For those aiming for the State team, the finals are in person on 8-9 March at the Sydney Bridge Centre. The top three pairs from the finals will go on to represent NSW at the Australian National Championships (ANC) in Brisbane from 6-17 July.

To sign up for the qualifiers, head to the My ABF page for the Open ITS qualifying round.

Women’s team

Not so keen on the Opens but back yourself in the Women’s division? The Women’s ITS is taking place over three days on 28-30 March.

It is also online with RealBridge, but unlike the Open ITS, there is no qualifying round unless more than 18 pairs enter.

Should there be more than 18 pairs, qualifying will take place on the Friday and the finals on Saturday and Sunday. Pairs who don’t make the finals will be refunded their entry fee.

Get your registrations in early on My ABF.

Senior’s team

Are you born before 1^st January 1962? The Senior’s team may be the pathway for you to find yourself wearing the light blue jacket at the ANC in Brisbane in July.

The Senior’s ITS is an online event over three days from 25-27 April.

The format is similar to the women’s. There is no qualifying round unless more than 18 pairs enter, in which case qualifying will occur on the Friday and the finals on Saturday and Sunday. If you don’t make the finals, you will be refunded your entry fee.

To register, head to the relevant My ABF page.

Youth team

The Youth ITS event takes place in person at the Sydney Bridge Centre on Sunday 27th April.

To register. head to the My ABF page.

The Online Pairs League (OPL) Summer event kicked off Monday night with a record level of registrations (70 pairs).

The OPL offers players the chance to play against someone of a similar level and advance their playing skills over eights weeks online using RealBridge. There is one 12-board match per week.

Bridge author and owner of the Trumps Bridge Centre, Derrick Browne, is providing weekly analysis of play for the full eight weeks of the Summer season.

On Monday night, Division 3 caught his attention as it had the most players achieving the 6H slam. You can read his thoughts on this and upcoming action from future rounds on the Online Pairs League page.

If you have any questions or comments about Derrick’s analysis, you can submit your comments on the Bridge NSW Facebook page.

The nation’s largest summer bridge event got underway yesterday at the Canberra Rex Hotel with players from across Australia participating in a range of events until the festival’s close on 19^th January.

Winners have already been announced for the under 20 masterpoints, under 100 masterpoints and red masterpoints events, including Margaret Cusack and Rhonda Kong from Ballina Bridge Club (pictured on the homepage).

Today is the second of three competitive days for the highly anticipated national Seniors’ team, Women’s team and Life Masters team trials.

Other highlights of this year’s festival include a four-day under 20 masterpoints development and play program, a club development day, and the prestigious National Open Teams event.

The popular and highly competitive TBIB Open Swiss Pairs Championship starts Monday 13^th January, while the three-day South West Pacific Open Teams event kicks off Friday 17^th January. There are also pairs and teams events for under 300, 500, 750 and 1,000 masterpoints.

If you’re tempted to join in the fun, most events accept entrants up until the day before the event. You can join on the My ABF platform.

You can also review results as they happen on the Bridge Australia website.

In a major coup for players in the Summer season of the Online Pairs League, prolific bridge author and expert, Derrick Browne, will share his weekly thoughts on play for the full eight weeks, helping players to advance their bridge skills.

The OPL Summer 2025 season runs from 20 January to 17 March on Monday nights from 7:30pm. Derrick will provide an analysis of interesting play every Tuesday, which will be published on the Bridge NSW website and the Bridge NSW Facebook page.

Learn from a master

A renowned mentor of bridge players and owner of the Trumps Bridge Centre, Derrick will offer expert analysis players in the OPL can learn from.

OPL is a great way for developing players to compete against people of a similar skill level and boost their playing confidence.

Players are allotted into divisions where they play online using the RealBridge platform, which is very similar to face to face (F2F) play. The platform records players’ hands so players can review them in the days following with Derrick’s input in mind.

Or perhaps a local and experienced club mentor might partner with you in the OPL or offer to review your hands after each Monday? A great way to learn from those with more knowledge.

Absent one week or need a partner?

It is only one game per week, and players should finish by 9pm. But if you cannot make it, OPL allows you to call in a substitute player for up to three of the eight games.

Ideally, the substitute player should be of a similar or lower skill level, but the organisers are flexible. If you don’t have a partner, we can attempt to find one for you. Email us in advance and we will do our best.

Discounts on offer

The entry fee is $50, $40 for players with 100-300 masterpoints, and $25 for players with less than 100 masterpoints and youth players (under 25 years).

You can get 50% off your entry fee if you refer someone who hasn’t played OPL before or hasn’t played for at least one year. Just tell us in advance who your friend is.

Register now

Register before 17^th January to join the OPL Summer league. You can register on the My ABF platform.

Four NSW players swept the Australian Mixed Teams playoffs in Canberra this week and will go on to represent Australia in 2025.

Liz Sylvester, Peter Gill, Arlene Dalley and Michael Courtney – all New South Wales players – came from behind in the eighth and final stanza to beat the Lazer team by 4.9 IMPs.

On paper the Lazer team, which included all time greats of the game Warren Lazer and Pauline Gumby – were most likely to take out the trophy. Other team members included Giselle Mundell and Andrew Peake – who are both having breakout performances in 2024 with national rankings of 22^nd and 26^th for the year – as well as Christy Geromboux (163^rd for 2024) and Sebastian Yuen.

However, the Slyvester team triumphed with its own superstars of the game, with Peter Gill an Emerald Grand ranked 3^rd on the all time list just behind Warren Lazer, and Michael Courtney and Arlene Dalley both chalking up serious masterpoints in 2024 to reach rankings of 11th and 43rd respectively.

The four NSW-based Sylvester players have booked their seats at the 2025 World National Teams Championship in Herning, Denmark on 20-31 August.

We wish them the best of luck! We will report on their efforts here on the Bridge NSW website and on our Facebook page.

The second annual State Youth Champs Team event took place in Sydney over the weekend, with participants ranging in age from 10 to 29.

The teams event on the Sunday saw the winning team reach 69 VPs with an average age of 15. Seven newcomers joined the teams day, bringing the total newcomers across the weekend to fifteen.

A pairs event was held on the Saturday with five new players joining and two of them achieving a remarkable second place. You can view the full results here.

Bridge NSW Executive Officer, David Havyatt, slotted in last minute as director and was effortlessly reliable, as always.

All participants who didn’t secure a win were awarded book vouchers or a handcrafted crochet item made by one of the players’ mothers.

The NSW State Youth Champs were held at the Sydney Bridge Centre in Surry Hills. The SBC will be the location for next year’s championships in December.

https://nsw.bridgeaustralia.org/resultslistbm.asp…

Eighteen teams contested the State Novice and Restricted Teams hosted by the Illawarra Bridge Association on 9-10 November. Wth an odd number of entries in each field it was played as one round robin of 17 six board matches. One benefit of having the event played as one field is that a Novice Team can win the Restricted Championship.

The team of Ngaire Meehan, Bevan Clouston, Cath Gregory and Lucy Cowen (pictured with organiser Jillian MacRae) from Illawarra did just that. Bevan and Cath came to the club’s beginner class early this year. We hope to hear more from this team in future events.

State Mixed Pairs Winners – Sherlock Shao and Catherine Zhang

State Mixed Pairs Best Country Pair – Alan Bustany and Di Coats

State Mixed Pairs Runners Up – Jeanette Reitzer and Terry Brown

State Mixed Pairs 3rd – Michael Courtney and Joan Butts

Autumn Swiss Pairs Winners – George Fleischer and Lorna Ichilcik

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2024 Seniors ITS Winners – Peter Buchen, Bruce Neill, Joan Butts, Pauline Gumby, Michael Courtney and Warren Lazer

Subject to ratification the team to represent NSW at the ANC Seniors Teams in Orange in July will be:

Joan Butts – Michael Courtney
Peter Buchen – Bruce Neill
Pauline Gumby – Warren Lazer

View results

2024 Women’s ITS Winners – Marcia Scudder, Judy Mott, Sybil Hurwitz, Monica Ginsberg, Ella Jacob and Louise Leibowitz

Subject to ratification the team to represent NSW at the ANC Women’s Teams in Orange in July will be:

Sybil Hurwitz, Monica Ginsberg
Marcia Scudder – Judy Mott
Louise Leibowitz – Ella Jacob

View results

2024 Youth ITS Team – Sherry Wang, Shannon Ooi, Yiwei Qi, Adrian Le, Duncan Lai and Aadhi Hariharan

Subject to ratification the team to represent NSW at the ANC Youth Teams in Orange in July will be:

Yiwei Qi – Adrian Le
Sherry Wang – Shannon Ooi
Duncan Lai – Aadhi Hariharan

View results

2024 Open ITS Winners – (L to R) Liam Milne, Dagmar Neumann, Maurits van der Vlugt, Tony Nunn, James Coutts and Paul Dalley

Subject to ratification, the team to represent NSW at the ANC Teams in Orange in July will be:

Dagmar Neumann – Maurits van der Vlugt
Tony Nunn – Paul Dalley
Liam Milne – James Coutts