Posted 21st December

This is my final blog for 2009 and want to take this opportunity of thanking all who have encouraged me in the writing of this blog (by reading it!)


I played in the Cape Festival over the last weekend and needless to say it was an exceptionally well-run and well-organized tournament directed by Andre Truter and Jan Van Dijken and my congratulations to the committee headed by Kitty Cruise and Pat Truter. The format of having a Pro-am, Master pairs, Swiss teams and Pairs certainly catered to the entire bridge community of Cape Town.



Changes to the Masterpoint Scheme Structure-

After much consultation and running many simulations, with Ann Sturrock, our masterpoints registrar, (who is the architect of our computerized masterpoint programme), the structure has been changed to bring the awards for multiple team events in line with those for pairs events.

See the masterpoint scheme on the SABF website for further details. The changes are in red.

Performance Index (P.I.) : In order to place more weight on current form, we have introduced a performance index made up as follows:
The TOTAL red points plus 25% blue points earned over a 5 year cycle = the Performance Index. The P.I. will now place some value in blue points earned and will be an indication of a player’s current form.
This will in no way affect a players current masterpoint status and will feature alongside the masterpoints earned on the masterpoint schedule.

In closing I wish to thank everyone for the encouragment and support I have received over the past months and would like to wish you and your family

Season Greetings and a healthy, happy and safe 2010

Blog 14 / 3-December

The great news from San Diego, California (USA Nationals) is that Craig Gower and Alon Apteker playing in the Board-A-Match teams event finished 2nd out of a field of 60 teams. They are currrently lying 57th in the big-field pairs event. We can be so very proud of our South African players.


A reminder that the close of entries for the commonwealth games trials is the 15th December. Only when we have all the entries can we decide on the format.


The biggest money tournament ever held in South Africa is to take place at Sun City on the weekend of the 15th-17th January 2010. The prize money sponsored by Sun City totals R100,000 which will be spread over the field. Entries close on 15th December.


I had the pleasure of playing in the Intercape Tournament over the last weekend.
It was so great to play in a teams event so ably organized by Jenny Myburgh. My congratulations to all.

I was made aware that this tournament was the brainchild of Morris Joffe and in the early days this event was known as the Intercity Tournament.

It is with deep regret that we note the passing of Morris who dedicated so much of his time to bridge. He was regarded as ‘the father’ of modern bridge in Cape Town and captained the South African Team 8 times. He also represent S.A. in Maccabi and a winner of many national/district titles. Our condolences to Jeanette and his whole family.

Warm regards,
Helen

Trials / Conventions Control

Blog 13 posted on 22nd November

After my last entry I was thrilled to hear from so many interested parties regarding our trials format. Remember you have until the 30th November to share your views and after that all comments will be collated and a further meeting with the original team to draft the final document and then this will be discussed in committee and we will have our new trials format!!!!! Sounds easy doesn’t it. Huh!

In the meantime we will be holding trials for the Commonwealth Games on the first weekend in February. Probably from Thursday the 4th until Sunday the 7th. The Commonwealth Games will be held in New Delhi from the 3rd to the 14th October 2010 and at the same time the World Pairs will be held in Philadelphia USA from the 1st – 16th October 2010.

We have been invited to send one team to New Delhi and the SABF have offered to pay the entry fee, but the rest of the cost will have to be borne by the team. Needless to say the format will only be decided once we have received all the entries. It will be held in Johannesburg unless a particular province has the majority of entries. Entries will close on the 15th December 2009 to facilitate us making the necessary arrangements timeously.


Regarding our convention controls, I have been in touch with the newly appointed chief tournament director of the African Bridge Federation and I’m attaching his reply, so please be patient whilst we await changes in our Convention controls.

"Thank you for your e-mail and for your congratulations as CD for the "African Zone BF". I shall come back to you with my opinion in relation to the South African regulations and Conventions and will do my best to help you. As for ABF, we shall be working together in our NBO's on having a well defined regulations and conventions in agreement with the WBF regulations and the international laws of bridge 2007,and to be consistent with the rest of the world.
With best regards.

Magdy”

Dr. Magdy Shohdy Mesdary
Cairo,Egypt.

Have a good week and a happy Eid to our Muslim friends for the 27th November,

Regards Helen

TRIALS. 10th November

Hi all,

After a fairly unsuccessful year at the zonals held in Egypt, it was felt that we needed to look at our trials format. As a result a 'trials committee' was formed under the chairmanship of Carol Grunder. They were tasked with finding a format that would produce the best possible teams to represent S.A at the Bermuda Bowl and Venice Cup as well as the Mind Sport Games(Previously known as the Olymics) and the Commonwealth Games. In fact a four year plan is what we had in mind.

The proposal in this PDF file is for eveyone's consideration. I look forward to all your thoughts and comments but the closing date for such interaction is the 30th November 2009 as trials for the Commonwealth games would have to be run at the beginning of February so time is of the essence.

Please take this opportunity of voicing your concerns or suggestions.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Helen
helenk@telkomsa.net

3rd November

Blog 12

The interclub has come and gone, but what a wonderful tournament.
Seeing everyone from all over the country was great. Hopefully we’ll see more teams entering next year.
Bloemfontein was one of the best venues we’ve had in a long time and very central for all who drove down.
I hope you all enjoyed watching the Inter-Provincial on BBO and my grateful thanks to Carol Grunder for undertaking this project.

AT the Bi annual A.G.M I began my report with the following:
‘I have thought long and hard about what the SABF means to all our members and I’m not sure I have any of the answers.’
Well, after being with everyone and listening to all everyone had to say, I believe I do have the answer!!!

We are here to serve our members! It is not only about masterpoints and international competition, but the running of our clubs successfully.
In order to encourage clubs to affiliate, we can offer so much, such as: teaching programmes, arbitration in times of need, and general administration. We have a wealth of experience amongst our bridge players who have offered to assist.
We want our players to all be part of one big family!
After the meeting, I felt that for once in many a long year we are all working together towards a common goal.

After such a successful interclub, we propose starting a BBO interclub league from Thursday the 14th January 2010. It will be a weekly competition, comprising 24 board matches starting at 19.30 in the evening.

The format will be that any affiliated club will enter a team, (If the club has more than 30 tables - 2 teams may enter) the composition will not matter as long as the club undertakes to field the team on a weekly basis. We will be inviting Zimbabwe and Botswana to join us and in fact I have a Skype conference scheduled for Monday and will ask the other African states if they would like to join. We’ll be truly international!

Please indicate your willingness to be part of this tourney and get encourage your clubs to enter with Carol Grunder at grunder.carol@gmail.com.

Warm wishes
Helen

19 October

The latest news regarding Interclub is that we have 26 teams playing in this event. Our numbers are down from last year when we had 30 teams, but it enables us to play a round-robin of 25 rounds of 8 board matches.

The schedule is as follows:

• Thursday 14.00 – 17.30 3 matches; 19.30 - 23.00 3 matches
• Friday 09.00 – 12.30 3 matches; 14.00 – 17.30 3 matches; 19.30 - 23.00 3 matches
• Saturday 09.00 – 12.30 3 matches; 14.00 – 18.40 4 matches
• Sunday 09.00 – 12.30 3 matches; 12.45 Lunch and prizegiving

The Bi-annual SABF A.G.M. will take place immediately after the end of the session on Saturday evening.

This programme means that we will have a long and hard tournament, but I am sure a lot of good bridge and hopefully also a lot of fun for all.

See you there,

Helen

#10 - 13 October

Greeting all,

I have had a most exciting week trying to get an answer to a question that has puzzled many players: "Can one open a 1nt with a semi-balanced hand? (including a singleton)" Lots of replies were received from a broad spectrum of local players, mainly from those with International experience.

I have also written to David Stevenson (Senior TD in the U.K.) and asked him to peruse our Rules and Regulations that are posted on our web site. He has agreed to do so, but has asked for a little time. He did however state that countries can play any rules they wish and the WBF rules and regulations are for international competitions in particular, but many countries have adopted the WBF standard.

We realize that to change the rules will take time as we have to get a body of players together, that have experienced international and local tournaments, to recommend the changes, but in the meanwhile, with the Inter-provincial and Interclub taking place at the end of this month the SABF have decided to allow the opening of 1NT with semi-balanced hands which may include a singleton. If it becomes part of your system it has to be alerted and a full explanation given. Furthermore, your convention card must state that your 1NT opening/overcall can be semi-balanced and can hold a singleton.

As the Interprovincials will be played using screens, Peter Jackson (TD of the event) has requested that you have a written statement stating ‘can have a singleton’ to be flashed by players on both sides of the screen.


I visited Bloemfontein during the past week and I can tell you that the venue is great - airy, lots of light and there is a great pub - and lunches can be ordered on the premises.

The inter-provincials will be broadcast LIVE on BBO VUgraph, so you can have ringside seats to watch your province battle it out.

InterProvincials Schedule (with hospitality half-time breaks):

• 1st match: Tuesday 14.00 ending 18.15
• 2nd match: 19.30 ending 23.45
• 3rd match: Wednesday 10.00 ending 14.15
• 4th match: 15.30 ending 19.45
• 5th match: Thursday 08.30 ending 12.45

These times will be strictly adhered to.

We still have place for teams to enter the Interclub and the closing date is the 16th October.
We presently have 26 teams which will enable us to have a 9- or 10-board round robin.


Look forward to seeing you there,

Helen