Leicestershire Contract Bridge Association

 

RULES FOR THE GIMSON TROPHY - 2008 FULL

Tournament Organiser: Robert Northage, 5 Harrington Close, Quorn LE12 8AZ. T 01509 412 189 Mob 0796 701 3228 email rnorthage@btinternet.com

1.  All competitors must be members of the LCBA.

2 a) The competition is for pairs

 b) No pair may take part in more than one Round 1 qualifying heat.

 c) No player who has played with one partner may later play in another Round 1 heat with any other partner save in exceptional circumstances, and then only with the written consent of the Tournament Organiser

 d) No substitutes are permitted, save in exceptional circumstances. The Tournament Organiser may allow a proposed substitution only if (A) it meets the conditions 2 (d) (i) to (v) and (e), (B) no dual member is the substitute or substituted for; and (C) he is satisfied that his consent would not be unduly damaging to other players.

  i) One player only in a partnership may be substituted for, and he in one only of the first two rounds.

  ii) A partner playing in Round 1 may be designated as the substitute prior to the semi-finals; his replacement in the semi-finals becoming the substantive partner.

  iii) Otherwise a player introduced in the semi-finals is the substitute and may not play thereafter.

  iv) The membership status of all competitors will be checked prior to the semi-finals, and only paid up members will be admitted to these or to the final. A member qualifying from Round 1, but unable to play in the semi-finals with his Round 1 partner as this person has not paid his membership dues may introduce a designated partner as per (ii) above.

  v) No substitutions are permitted in the final.

 e) No person having already played in one pair, whether as substantive partner or substitute, may subsequently play in either the semi-finals or the final as a substantive partner or substitute in another pair.

3. a) Each player must provide a completed EBU 20/20A/20B style convention card that is to be made available to opponents. Pairs not having completed such cards should be furnished with LCBA Simple System (Standard English) Cards and required to play in accordance with these until personal EBU cards are completed. WBF style cards may not be used.

 b)  Pairs with properly completed (2 paged) EBU 20 style convention cards, may employ EBU Level 2 (and 3) Permitted Agreements, as detailed in Section 11 of the 2006 Orange Book, incorporating amendments as per the LCBA 2007-08 Yearbook. However pairs wishing to include any Agreements only permitted at Level 4, again as detailed in Section 11 of he 2006 Orange Book incorporating amendments as per the LCBA 2007-08 Yearbook, must complete full (4 paged) EBU 20A or 20B style convention cards.

4. a) Any pair either wishing to appeal, or reserve the right to later appeal, against a decision of the Tournament Director or Scorer should inform the TD and the other pair of this and ensure that all relevant details of the hand and decision etc are recorded on a witnessed statement before leaving the venue.
Whether the actual appeal is immediate, or made later after reflection or consultation, it must be made in writing to the Tournament Organiser, to be received within seven days of the event.

 b) If a psychic bid is reported to the TD, he shall, on request, record the details of the board on which it occurred, and report them to the Tournament Organiser for the attention of the Laws and Ethics Subcommittee of the LCBA. The TD also has discretion to record and similarly report any departure from the system that he considers should be brought to its attention.

5.   All results shall be treated as provisional until confirmed by the Tournament Organiser after receipt of the records specified in the rules and the determination of any appeal.

6. a) The winners of the competition will hold the Gimson Trophy for one year.

 b) The leading four pairs with prime Leicestershire allegiance will qualify to represent the county in the Corwen Trophy. (other pairs scoring over 50% in the final rank as reserves)

 c) The winning pair and runners-up will be invited to represent Leicestershire in a Midlands League match.

 d) Monetary prizes of £70, £50, £30 & £20 will be awarded to the first four pairs in the Final. If none of these are won by non-expert pairs then a further prize of £20 will be awarded to the highest placed such pair, subject to the pair having qualified to proceed beyond the first round.
The definitions of non-expert players/pairs are kept on files held by the Tournament Secretary, LCBA Qualified Tournament Directors and the General Secretary; are published in the LCBA Yearbook and on the LCBA Website.

7.   The LCBA will award local Master Points on the Regional Scale in the qualifying rounds and Green Points in the final.

8. a) Pairs MUST notify the Tournament Organiser if they wish to withdraw from the competition at any stage.

 b) If just one of the pair is available for either of the first two rounds he may apply to the Tournament Organiser for permission to make a substitution in accordance with Rule 2.

ROUND ONE:

9. a) Clubs wishing to hold a qualifying heat must notify the Tournament Organiser by 7 January 2008, giving at least four weeks notice with details of the proposed date, time and venue of the heat, and stating the maximum number of tables that can be accommodated. Seven dates 11 - 14 inc., 25, 26 & 28 February 2008 are reserved for such heats. Clubs may however elect to host a heat on any other day in February 2008 on which there is no scheduled LCBA event. Full results of club heats must reach the Tournament Organiser within four days of the heat and in any event by 1 March 2008.

 b) Entries must be made directly to clubs holding qualifying heats

 c)  Clubs will normally restrict entry to heats to pairs of LCBA members of whom at least one is also a member of the club until 14 days before the heat. From that point, until 7 days before the heat, subject to the maximum not having been reached, clubs will accept entries from pairs of LCBA members not belonging to the club on the same basis as those that do belong to the club. Visiting pairs giving less than 7 days notice will not normally be accepted.

 d) The minimum number of competing pairs in any club heat is six; excluding any without standing. (see 10 b). Any smaller entry should be advised to enter a later club heat.

 e) Table fees, other than the LCBA entry fee of £1.00 per head, are at the discretion of the club.

10. a) The following common movements are recommended for Round 1 heats.

with 3 to 7 tables, a full Howell

with 7 complete tables or more, a simple Mitchell

Alternative movements may only be played with the prior consent of the Tournament Organiser.

 b) A club may choose to provide a standby pair, or permit a pair of unexpected visitors, to complete a table and play "without standing". Boards played by such pairs shall not be scored, and all other pairs must be made aware of this in advance and advised that they may take a sit-out rather than play the pair without standing. The tournament organiser will consider any application by one who has played without standing to play later with a different partner (see 2c) in the light of evidence of compliance with rule 10.b).

c) Clubs are strongly advised (i) not to admit any non or lapsed LCBA member, unless convinced of the intention of either that person to (re-) join the LCBA, or to be replaced (see 2 d iv) should the pair otherwise qualify for the next round; (ii) nor to admit more than one pair playing without standing as this will reduce the number of scorable boards played by bona fide entrants.

 d) Pairs must not be seeded

 e) All pairs must play at least 20 boards (i.e. excluding any sit-out, or played against a pair without standing)

11. a) The Master recapitulation sheets showing the individual board match-pointing, and the travellers, which must show the original match-pointing unless calculated by computer, together with the official table slips and the heat entry fees must all be sent to the Tournament Organiser as soon as possible, meeting the deadline stipulated in Rule 9(a). Any club using other than a standard Mitchell movement, or one of the standard 'Manning' Howell movements must include a copy of the table movement cards.

 b) The table slips should show the seat orientation, the surname and a forename of all participating players.

 c)  Clubs should not issue Master Points for Round 1; see rule 7.

12. a) All eligible pairs (see rules 1 and 2) finishing both within the top half of the bona fide entry in each field in each heat and obtaining 50% or more of the available Match Points will automatically qualify to play in the designated semi-final. Clubs should not attempt to resolve any tie; the LCBA will if necessary split it in accordance with EBU procedures.
(Bona fide entrants are eligible pairs that propose to play in the semi final, having where necessary completed membership requirements by then.)

 b) However additionally, to ensure if possible that a minimum of 26 pairs contest each semi-final, eligible pairs either meeting only one of the criteria in a) or finishing exactly midway or tying for the middle position in a field may be admitted to the semi-finals; such pairs being ranked in accordance with their Round 1 Match Point percentage.

 c) Reserves will be ranked in accordance with standard EBU procedures, and called if required in order to achieve semi-finals of 13 full tables.

SEMI-FINALS; FINAL:

13.  The schedule of dates, venues and playing charges for these is:
Semi-finals: Southern Wednesday 19 March 2008; Countesthorpe Conservative Club; £3 per head
Northern Thursday 20 March 2008; Bradgate Bridge Club; £3 per head.
Final: Sunday 13 April; Loughborough Grammar School; £7 per head, inclusive of full tea between sessions.

14. a) The Northern (Southern) semi-final is the one designated for heats held by Clubs at venues North (South) of the Leicester Clock Tower.

 b) All automatic qualifiers from club heats will be allocated to the designated semi final.

 c) Additional pairs admitted under 12 b) may be allocated to either semi final, by lot if necessary, to achieve a balance of total numbers.

15. a) In each semi final pairs will be placed without seeding into two fields by, subject to mobility requirements, the drawing of lots.

 b) Six pairs from each field in each semi final will then qualify for the all play all final.

 c) Reserves will be ranked in accordance with standard EBU procedures, and called if required in order to maintain a final of a minimum of 11 full tables.