In order to keep the bridge public informed of appeal results in a timely fashion, the USBF publishes write-ups in the Daily Bulletins from its tournaments and we are also now posting those write-ups here. Every effort is made to ensure that these reports are accurate and complete. However revisions may be made and the USBF will make any changes if they occur.

We have reports from the following Appeals Committee decisions from USBF tournaments:

The USBF Systems regulations are set forth in the USBF General Conditions of Contest. The USBF is now using the ACBL Open+ Convention Chart for all USBF events.

System Summary Form

The System Summary Form is created online. To complete your System Summary Form, log in to the site (your username was originally set at first initial followed by last name, all lower case, no spaces. Your password was originally set at your ACBL number with the letter capitalized). Under the User Menu, click on "Create or Edit SSF" and then follow directions. The System Summary Form is to be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of the event in which you are playing.

The players in each event are responsible for reviewing the SSFs of other players for adequacy. If you have a complaint about a pair's SSF, you should This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will forward your complaint to the USBF Systems Committee for review. Note that players with SSFs for complex methods have their names in red on the Teams Entered list. The SSF Review Committee recommends that you review those SSFs particularly carefully before the event.

Before you complete the SSF, or if you haven't thought about it for a while, PLEASE read the Guidelines to Completion article that explains the purpose of the SSF and describes what you should include on the form.

There's also a sample System Summary Form to give you an idea of what's supposed to be included.

ACBL Convention Card

You are required to bring your ACBL convention card, as well as the System Summary Form to the table with you. Starting in 2013, we also require advance submission of ACBL Convention cards for review by your opponents and for reference by BBO Vugraph commentators and spectators. If you have created a convention card on Bridge Winners, please "share" it with Jan Martel, or send her a link to it. If you have an electronic version of your ACBL convention card please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Thank you for helping us with this.

The USBF Junior Program develops, selects, and supports players interested in representing the United States in the World Youth Bridge Team Championships (WYBTC):

• The USBF's Junior Online Training Program provides training to help develop any junior players eligible to represent the US in the WYBTC. It is coordinated by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• The USBF organizes the Junior US Bridge Championship (JUSBC) every two years to select Junior teams for the World Youth Bridge Team Championships in the following year.
• Once junior teams for the WYBTC are selected, the USBF prepares teams and coordinates all logistics involved with attending the tournament. Learn about recent Team USA performance at WYBTCs here.
• The USBF Junior Fund provides financial support for juniors to attend JUSBCs and WYBTCs and is supported by the ACBL and private donors.

Join and Support the USBF Junior Program

• For Juniors: Sign up for the Online Training Program and participate in the next JUSBC! 
• For Volunteers: We are always looking for volunteers to mentor juniors as part of the Online Training Program or in-person, on a regular or one-off basis. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested in volunteering. 
• For Donors: You can directly contribute to the USBF Junior Fund here.

USBF Junior Coordinator

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. is the USBF Junior Coordinator. Please let Joe know of your interest in the USBF Junior program or of any and all concerns you have about it.

USBF Junior Committee

The USBF Junior Committee is responsible for determining the direction of the USBF Junior Program, including all decisions related to developing, selecting, and supporting juniors.

2023 members of the Junior Committee

Joe Stokes, Chair
Lynn Baker
Dave Caprera
Alex Kolesnik
Jan Martel
McKenzie Myers
Michael Rosenberg

 United States Bridge Championships

The USBF holds tournaments to select United States International Teams. The Open USBC, which selects teams for Open World Championships, is held every year; the Open USBC held each even numbered year that is not divisible by four selects one team for the next year's Bermuda Bowl. The Women's USBC, which selects teams for Women's World Championships, is held in three out of four years; there is no Women's USBC in even numbered years that are not divisible by four. The Senior USBC, which selects teams for Senior World Championships, is held in three out of four years; there is no Senior USBC in even numbered years that are not divisible by four. The Mixed USBC, which selects teams for the Mixed World Championships, is heldin three out of four years. The Junior USBC, which selects teams for the World Junior Championships, is held in each odd numbered year, to select the teams for the following even numbered year.

This section of the website contains website articles about USBF tournaments that are over.

To get to the event you're interested in, just click on the menu item for the event. There you will find a little information about the event and links to daily bulletins; results pages with links to "web Vugraphs" for segments that were shown on Vugraph and hand records; and a list of teams entered. To get to those, just click on "Daily Bulletins" "Results" or "Teams Entered."

If you find any broken links, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Thanks.

NOTE: We are in the process of moving information to separate menu items for each event, so if the event in which you're interested isn't listed below, look at the submenus.

The 2020 JLall Online Tournament #1 (JLall1) is an online event open to all Active USBF members. An Active member is one who has paid USBF dues for 2020. All players must have paid 2020 dues on or before Nov. 1.

Major changes from USBF INV1 & INV2:

First, as you can see, this event and all future USBF Online Open Team events will be named in honor of Justin Lall, whose untimely death we all mourn.

Second, this event will move from BBO to RealBridge. You can read about RealBridge on the RealBridge website. The main advantage it has over BBO is that the video is integrated with the play, so we won’t have to deal with setting up chat rooms for screenmate chat. It will also have built-in delayed kibitzing.

Event Schedule and Format

• JLall1 will be held from November 6-9 and 13-16
• Play each day will start at 1:00 pm EST and end at about 10:00 pm EST.
• There will be no more than 32 teams, each with 4-6 players, all of whom are USBF Active members.
• The entry fee for the event is $300 per team.
• DIC for the event is Will Watson. Tournament Organizer is Jan Martel.
• The event format will be:

Round Robin Stage 1, Nov. 6th to 8th:
Everyone plays 3 days of a “split field” Round Robin with 10 board matches; there are two Round Robin groups, the Indians, named for Justin's heritage, and the Cowboys, named for his favorite football team. Teams were assigned to the two groups based on a "draft" by the top two teams (chosen by  a vote of all  teams). The top 5 teams in each group will qualify for the KO Round of 16. The bottom 6 teams in each group will be eliminated. The five teams in the middle of each group (“bubble teams”) will play in Stage 2 of the Round Robin.

Round Robin Stage 2, Nov. 9th:
Each bubble team plays a 10 board match against each bubble team from the other group, scored at VPs with carryover from the first 3 days. The top 6 teams qualify for the Round of 16. The bottom 4 teams are eliminated.

Knockouts, Nov. 13th-16th:
One match per day. 56 boards per match. If both of the finalists want a longer match (60 or 64 boards), we will have that. There will be a Captains' meeting on Nov. 11th to set the KO bracket.

• The matches will be played on RealBridge. During the bidding & play, each player will see & hear their screenmate - (N&E, S&W).
• There will be no real-time kibitzing allowed for any match. RealBridge has a way for kibitzers to watch a match after a delay. For the Round Robin, we will have the delay be until each match is over so kibitzing does not provide “state of the match” information. For the KO, each board will be shown when all tables have completed it. We will try to have some voice commentary, and perhaps may limit chat at the tables late in the event to approved commentators.
• This event will be “open notes” - players may consult their bidding notes, SSF, and convention card during the bidding. Other aids to memory (for example, lists of percentages, calculators, notes about carding) are not allowed. If a table is over the time allowed and one player spent time consulting notes, that player’s team will be initiall deemed at fault for the slow play.

How to Enter

• Entries are now closed. There are 32 teams in the event.
• Any player who has not paid 2020 USBF dues by Nov. 1 will not be allowed to play. Note that dues paid in October cover the remainder of 2020 and all of 2021.

• Teams could freely change their rosters until October 20th, when the division of teams into Round Robin groups started. After October 20th, a team may change its roster only because of unexpected occurrences and only if the change does not substantially strengthen or weaken the team. Roster changes are made by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If an added player or pair is not able to meet the deadlines for system filing, they may not play any unusual method unless it is played by another pair in the event.

System Regulations & Conditions of Contest

• Normal USBF System regulations apply to this event - each pair must complete a USBF System Summary form online and file an ACBL convention card no later than October 24th. To complete the SSF, log in and click on CREATE OR EDIT SSF under the User Menu. Follow instructions and you should be able to create a completely new SSF for this event or copy and edit a prior one. When you have finished filling out the SSF or making changes you must click on submit at the top or bottom of the page to save the changes - otherwise all of your hard work will be lost in cyberspace. To file the ACBL convention card, copy the URL for a BridgeWinners convention card, and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you have filed an SSF &/or convention card recently that is/are completely unchanged for this event, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will magically attach it to your partnership for this event. 
• This event is governed by the USBF General Conditions of Contest and Special Conditions of Contest for the event.

• ACBL Open+ Convention Chart applies to this event.

Ethics Statement

We’re not trying to provide security for this event, as we do when we sometimes have “real” events online. However, the provisions of the USBF General Conditions of Contest regarding ethical obligations and possible penalties still apply to this event. The USBF has appointed an Ethics Investigation Committee that will review any complaints about ethics violations. If the EIC concludes that a player or pair was acting unethically, they will report to the USBF COO, who may refer it to the USBF Recorder. Either the COO or Recorder may bring a Charge against the player to the Board of Directors, who may place a player on probation, suspend, or expel a player for cause.

Operator Instructions Before Play

Operator Instructions During Play

Long Operator Instructions

Even Longer Instructions - read when you're not an operator

NABC SPREADSHEETS:

Spreadsheet for GNT

Spreadsheet for Spingold

Spreadsheet for Soloway

Spreadsheet for Reisinger

Spreadsheet for Vanderbilt

USBC SPREADSHEETS:

Spreadsheet for Open

Spreadsheet for Mixed

Spreadsheet for Seniors

Spreadsheet for Women

Spreadsheet for U26

Spreadseheet for U21

Spreadsheet for U16

Spreadsheet for Rona

The 2020 Open USBC has been cancelled because the WBF will not hold a World Championship before summer of 2021.

Location & Dates

The 2020 Open USBC will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency, starting sometime. Room rate for the USBC is $136 per night, including internet; there is no early departure fee. You can make a reservation for any or all of the 2020 USBCs at our online reservation page, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and mentioning USBF. You may be able to find a lower AAA or Senior rate on the Hyatt website. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The cut-off date to make reservations at our rate is ???, but the online site will remain open after that and reservations will be accepted as long as the hotel has available rooms.

Entry Information

Entries are now open. To assure entry in the 2020 Open USBC, you must enter your team by June 1, 2020. Additional entries will be accepted until ??, but only if they do not change the dates of any stage of the event or cause the Round Robin to have a "bad" number of teams.

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $360 for each team, and session fees for the 2 day Round Robin of $600. In addition, each team will pay session fees for KO matches of $200 per session of play ($400 per day). $960 is collected at the time you enter the event: this is the event fee and Round Robin fee. The event fee and session fees are refundable if you withdraw from the event.

Format

There will be 4 or 5 stages, depending on the number of teams: if more than 14 total teams enter, the first stage will be a 2-day Round Robin among the non-bye teams to select the  teams that will play in the Round of 16;  if fewer than 15 total teams enter, the first stage will be a Round Robin to select 6 teams to join Nickell & Spector in the Quarter Final; the other stages will be 120 board Knockout matches, starting with the Round of 16 or Quarter Final and ending with the Finals;. 

Seeding

The bye teams will be seeded on the basis of their bye position and then their Positioning Points, the remaining teams on the basis of Seeding Points. Positioning Point Information through 2019, which is all there is this year is now posted. Individual Positioning Point Information and Seeding Point Information will be posted shortly after entries close.

Byes

NIckell & Spector have earned byes to the QuarterFinal & Fleisher has earned a Round of 16 bye.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form on or before April 21st. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card on or before April 21st. We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with Jan or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. the "print" URL from your BridgeWinners card or a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to Jan, and she will upload and link. If you sent Jan a convention card or link last year and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let her know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense fo the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of the USBC. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. She will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Relevant Dates

Monday, June 1st: Last day to enter for guaranteed entry.

4 weeks before start: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods.

Probably about 2 weeks before start: Last day to make hotel reservations and be assured of receiving our hotel rate. The hotel may honor the rate for later reservations, but is not required to do so.

2 weeks before start: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate.

A few days before start: Last day for roster changes without Credentials Committee approval.

Seeding, Setting the Bracket

After entries close and we have calculated seeding points for the non-bye teams, we will post seeding point information. The teams list will continue to be in Alphabetic order and team numbers for the Round Robin will be assigned in alphabetic order. After the Round Robin, the teams will be assigned bracket positions and the teams list will be in bracket number order.

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the USBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

Available Documents

Special Conditions of Contest for the 2020 USBC in PDF format

Conditions of Play for the 2020 USBC in PDF format will be linked after entries have closed.

2020 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

Positioning Points, Individual Positioning Points and and Seeding Points in PDF format will be linked after entries close.

The 2020 Mixed USBC has been cancelled because the WBF will not hold a World Championship before summer of 2021.

Location & Dates

The 2020 Mixed USBC will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency, starting sometime. Room rate for the MUSBC is $136 per night, including internet; there is no early departure fee. You can make a reservation for any or all of the 2020 USBCs at our online reservation page, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and mentioning USBF. You may be able to find a lower AAA or Senior rate on the Hyatt website. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The cut-off date to make reservations at our rate is ???, but the online site will remain open after that and reservations will be accepted as long as the hotel has available rooms.

Eligibility

Each team must have at least 2 men and 2 women and may have no more than 3 players of either gender. Each pair at the table must consist of one man and one woman.

Entry Information

Entries are now open. To assure entry in the 2020 Mixed USBC, you must enter your team by June 1, 2020. Additional entries will be accepted until ???, but only if they do not change the dates of any stage of the event or cause the Round Robin to have a "bad" number of teams.

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $360 for each team. In addition, each team pays session fees of $600 for the 2-day Round Robin and additional session fees of $200 per session of play ($400 per day) for KO matches. $960 is collected at the time you enter the event: this is the event fee and session fees for the Round Robin. The event fee and session fees are refundable if you withdraw from the event.

Format

There will be 3 or 4 stages: if there are 9 or more teams entered, the first stage will be a 2-day Round Robin to select the 8 teams that will play in the Quarterfinal; if there are 5-8 teams entered, the first stage will be a Round Robin to select the 4 teams that will play in the SemiFinals; the other stages will be 120 board Knockout matches.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form two weeks before the event. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card two weeks before the event. We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with Jan or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. the "print" URL from your BridgeWinners card or a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to Jan, and she will upload and link. If you sent Jan a convention card or link last year and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let her know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense fo the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of the MUSBC. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. She will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Relevant Dates

4 weeks before the event: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods.

Probably about 2 weeks before the Open USBC starts: Last day to make hotel reservations and be assured of receiving our hotel rate. The hotel may honor the rate for later reservations, but is not required to do so.

Monday, June 1st: Final day to enter and guarantee that you can play in the MUSBC

2 weeks before the event: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate.

A few days before the event: Last day for roster changes without Credentials Committee approval.

Seeding, Setting the Bracket

The teams will be seeded for KO play after completion of the Round Robin. The Round Robin winner will be assigned bracket position 1 and entitled to choose their Quarterfinal opponent from the teams that finished 5-8 in the Round Robin. The second place team in the Round Robin will be assigned bracket position 2 and will be entitled to choose their Quarterfinal opponent from the remaining teams that finished 5-8. The teams that finished 3rd and 4th in the Round Robin may choose to make themselves available to be selected by the teams that finished 1st and 2nd. After the 1st and 2nd position Round Robin finishers have selected their opponents, the remaining teams will be ordered in Round Robin finish order, the top two teams will be randomly assigned bracket positions 3 & 4; the remaining 2 teams will be randomly assigned bracket positions 5 & 6. If the first KO stage is the SemiFinals, the Round Robin winner will be assigned bracket position 1 and be entitled to choose their SemiFinal opponent from the teams that finished 3rd and 4th in the Round Robin (the team that finished 2nd may make itself available to be chosen).

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the MUSBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

Available Documents

Special Conditions of Contest for the 2020 MUSBC in PDF format

Conditions of Play for the 2020 MUSBC in PDF format will be linked after entries have closed.

2020 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

The 2020 Senior USBC has been cancelled because the WBF will not hold a World Championship before summer of 2021.

Location & Dates

The 2020 Senior USBC (SUSBC) will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency, starting sometime. Room rate for the SUSBC is $136 per night, including internet; there is no early departure fee. You can make a reservation for any or all of the 2020 USBCs at our online reservation page, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and mentioning USBF. You may be able to find a lower AAA or Senior rate on the Hyatt website. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The cut-off date to make reservations at our rate is ??, but the online site will remain open after that and reservations will be accepted as long as the hotel has available rooms.

Entry Information

Entries are now open. To assure entry in the 2020 Senior USBC, you must enter your team by June 1, 2020. Additional entries will be accepted until ??, but only if they do not change the dates of any stage of the event or cause the Round Robin to have a "bad" number of teams.

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $360 for each team. In addition, each team pays session fees of $600 for the 2-day Round Robin and additional session fees of $200 per session of play ($400 per day) for KO matches. $960 is collected at the time you enter the event: this is the event fee and session fees for the Round Robin. The event fee and session fees are refundable if you withdraw from the event.

Eligibility

Each player on a Senior team for 2020 must be at least 62 years old by the end of 2020, so must have been born in 1958 or earlier. NOTE this date has not changed even though the 2020 World Bridge Games will be held in 2021.

Format

There will be 4 stages: if between 9 & 15 teams enter, the first stage will be a 2-day Round Robin to select the 8 teams that will play in the Quarterfinal; the other stages will be 120 board Knockout matches, starting with the Quarterfinal.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form two weeks before the event. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card two weeks before the event. We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with Jan or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. the "print" URL from your BridgeWinners card or a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to Jan, and she will upload and link.. If you sent Jan a convention card or link last year and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let her know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense fo the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of the SUSBC (April 28th). Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. She will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Relevant Dates

Friday, April 24th: Last day to make hotel reservations and be assured of receiving our hotel rate. The hotel may honor the rate for later reservations, but is not required to do so.

Four weeks before the event: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods.

Monday, June 1st: Final day to enter and guarantee that you can play in the SUSBC

Two weeks before the event: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate.

A few days before the event: Last day for roster changes without Credentials Committee approval.

Seeding, Setting the Bracket

The teams will be seeded for KO play after completion of the Round Robin. The teams will be ranked based on a combination of ACBL seeding points and Round Robin finish (exactly how is still to be determined). The highest ranked team will be assigned bracket position 1; the second highest ranked team will be assigned bracket position 2. The remaining teams will be shuffled in pairs.

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the SUSBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

Available Documents

Special Conditions of Contest for the 2020 SUSBC in PDF format

Conditions of Play for the 2020 SUSBC in PDF format will be linked after entries have closed.

2020 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

The 2020 Beth Palmer Women's USBC has been cancelled because the WBF will not hold a World Championship before summer of 2021.

Location & Dates

The 2020 Beth Palmer Women's USBC (WUSBC) will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency, starting sometime and  ending 4 days later (3 or 4 teams) or 6 days later (more than 4 teams). Room rate for the WUSBC is $136 per night, including internet; there is no early departure fee. You can make a reservation for any or all of the 2020 USBCs at our online reservation page, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and mentioning USBF. You may be able to find a lower AAA or Senior rate on the Hyatt website. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The cut-off date to make reservations at our rate is ???, but the online site will remain open after that and reservations will be accepted as long as the hotel has available rooms.

Entry Information

Entries are now open. To assure entry in the 2020 Beth Palmer Women's USBC, you must enter your team by June 1, 2020. Additional entries will be accepted until about a week before the event, but only if they do not change the dates of any stage of the event or cause the Round Robin to have a "bad" number of teams.

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $360 for each team. In addition, each team pays session fees of $600 for the 2-day Round Robin and additional session fees of $200 per session of play ($400 per day) for KO matches. $960 is collected at the time you enter the event: this is the event fee and session fees for the Round Robin. The event fee and session fees are refundable if you withdraw from the event. If the BPWUSBC starts with a KO stage (there are fewer than 5 teams entered), additional session fees of $200 will be collected before the start of play.

Format

If there are 3 or 4 teams entered, the BPWUSBC will have a 2-day Semifinal stage followed by a 2-day Final match. If 5 or more teams enter, there will be 3 stages: the first stage will be a 2-day Round Robin to select the 4 teams that will play in the Semifinal; the other stages will be 120 board Semifinal & Final matches.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form two weeks before the event. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card two weeks before the event. We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with Jan or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. the "print" URL from your BridgeWinners card or a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to Jan, and she will upload and link. If you sent Jan a convention card or link last year and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let her know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense fo the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of the WUSBC (April 30th). Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. She will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Relevant Dates

Probably 2 weeks before the Open starts: Last day to make hotel reservations and be assured of receiving our hotel rate. The hotel may honor the rate for later reservations, but is not required to do so.

4 weeks before the event: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods.

Monday, June 1st: Final day to enter and guarantee that you can play in the WUSBC

Two weeks before the event: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate.

A few days before the event: Last day for roster changes without Credentials Committee approval.

Seeding, Setting the Bracket

The teams will be assigned bracket positions for KO play. If 4 or fewer teams enter, the teams will be randomly assigned bracket positions. If 5 or more teams enter, the winner of the Round Robin will be assigned bracket position 1 and will select their opponent for the Semifinals from the teams that finished 3rd and 4th in the Round Robin (the team that finished 2nd in the Round Robin may make itself available to be chosen). The two remaining teams will be assigned bracket positions 2 & 3.

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the WUSBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

Available Documents

Supplementary Conditions of Contest for the 2020 BPWUSBC in PDF format

Conditions of Play for the 2020 WUSBC in PDF format will be linked after entries have closed.

2020 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

The 2020 U31 JUSBC will select the USA U31 teams for the 2020 World Youth Bridge Team Championships, to be held in Salsomaggiore, Italy from July 31 to August 9, 2020. The teams will be responsible for their own expenses for the 2020 WYBTC.

Location & Dates

At a special meeting on March 5th, the USBF Board decided to hold the U31 USBC on BBO instead of face to face. The event will take place in April, with exact dates and format to be determined by the USBF Junior Committee.

Entry Information

Entries are now closed. Exactly 3 teams have entered. All teams that qualify for the WYBTC will be encouraged but not required to add players if necessary to have 6 players for that event, and to add an NPC.

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $360 for each team. The event fee is normally non-refundable after entries have closed.

Format

Each of he 3 teams will play a match against each other team. IMP scores will be converted to VPs and the top 2 teams will qualify. More detais will be posted as soon as they are known.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form 2 weeks before their first match. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and they will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card on BBO at least 2 weeks before their first match

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense fo the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of the U31 JUSBC. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. He will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the U31 JUSBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested, where we will post scorecards and records of play for all of the matches after they are played. No kibitzers will be allowed during play.

Available Documents

Draft of Special Conditions of Contest for the 2020 U31 JUSBC in PDF format

Conditions of Play for the 2020 U31 JUSBC in PDF format will be linked after entries have closed.

Draft of 2020 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

The 2020 USBF Invitational 1 is an online practice event for teams entered in the 2020 Open USBC. There are no rewards for doing well in the event, but we hope it will be fun for everyone. The "1" is so if this works well we can hold more Invitationals.

Location & Dates

The 2020 USBF Invitational 1 will be held online on BBO, starting on Saturday, May 30th and  ending on Wednesday, June 3rd.

Entry Information

Entries are now Closed. There are 12 teams entered. Click here for the list of teams entered.

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $200 for each team. There are no additional entry fees.

Format

There will be 4 stages: a 2 day Round Robin on Saturday & Sunday and one day Quarterfinal, Semifinal and Final KO matches on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday.

There are 12 teams in the event. The two teams who earned byes to the 2020 Open USBC (Nickell and Spector) have a bye to the Quarterfinal. The top 6 teams in the Round Robin will qualify for the Quarterfinal. 

For the Quarterfinal, Nickell will be assigned bracket position 1, Spector will be assigned bracket position 2, the Round Robin winner will be assigned bracket position 3 and have the right to choose its Quarterfinal opponent from the teams that finished 4th through 6th in the Round Robin. The teams that finished second & third may make themselves available to be chosen. If they were not chosen by the Round Robin winner, the 2nd and 3rd place Round Robin teams will be randomly assigned bracket positions 4 and 5, and the remaining Round Robin teams will be randomly assigned bracket positions 7 & 8.

The event will be "open notes" - players may consult their notes during the bidding. If a table is over the allotted time for a Round Robin match or KO segment and one of the players has spent a significant amount of time consulting his or her notes, that player's team will be deemed at fault for the table being late.

Undo's may be requested for misclicks. The request must be made before the partner of the player who is asking for an undo has acted. The opponents must allow the undo.

Time Schedule

Saturday and Sunday will start at 2:00 pm EDT and end no later than 10:00 pm. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will start at 4:00pm EDT and end at about 11:40 pm. Click here for the full schedule.

system forms

Each pair submitted a System Summary Form and an ACBL convention card on or before May 20th. The SSFs and convention cards are linked to the plaeyrs' names on the Teams Entered list and there are also links from each team's profile page, which can be accessed by clicking on the team name on the Teams Entered list.

Relevant Dates

Friday, May 15th: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods.

Wednesday, May 20th: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card.

Thursday, May 28th: Last day for roster changes.

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the Invitational. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

Daily Bulletin

Click here for links to Daily Bulletins. If you get a 404 error it means that the bulletin hasn't yet beein posted.

Available Documents

Special Conditions of Contest for the 2020 USBF Invitational in PDF format

2020 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

Advance Email to Players

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

Page updated 5/23/2020

The second USBF JLall Online Teams event (JLall2) will be held from February 12-15 and Feb. 26-Mar.1 on RealBridge. It will be very similar to JLall1, with a few minor changes suggested by the players in JLall1.

Jlall2 is open to all Active USBF members. An Active member is one who has paid USBF dues. All players must have paid 2021 dues on or before Feb. 1.

Event Schedule and Format - NOTE DATE CHANGE

• JLall2 will be held from February 12-15 and Feb. 26-March 1.
• Play each day will start at 1:00 pm EST and end no later than 9:30 pm EST. Time per board will remain 7-1/2 minutes, but we will have longer breaks, based on  answers to the JLall1 Exit Poll.
• There will be no more than 32 teams, each with 4-6 players, all of whom are USBF Active members.
• The entry fee for the event is $300 per team.
• DIC for the event is McKenzie Myers. Tournament Organizer is Jan Martel. Software guru is Al Hollander.
• The event format will be:

Round Robin Stage 1, Feb. 12-14:
Everyone plays 3 days of a “split field” Round Robin with 10 board matches; there are two Round Robin groups, to be named later (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Teams will be assigned to the two groups based on a "draft" by the top two teams (chosen by  a vote of all  teams). The top 5 teams in each group will qualify for the KO Round of 16. The bottom 6 teams in each group will be eliminated. The five teams in the middle of each group (“bubble teams”) will play in Stage 2 of the Round Robin.

Round Robin Stage 2, Feb. 15th (Presidents' Day):
Each bubble team plays a 10 board match against each bubble team from the other group, scored at VPs with carryover from the first 3 days. The top 6 teams qualify for the Round of 16. The bottom 4 teams are eliminated.

Knockouts, Feb. 26-Mar. 1:
• One match per day. 56 boards per match. If both of the finalists want a longer match (60 or 64 boards), we will have that.
• There will be a Captains' meeting on Feb. 16th to set the KO bracket. The precise method of setting the bracket will be set forth in the Special Conditions of Contest. Summary: the top 4 teams from Round Robin Stage 1 will select their opponents for the Round of 16 from the bottom 8 qualifiers. The remaining qualifiers will be shuffled in groups to fill the bracket.

• The matches will be played on RealBridge. During the bidding & play, each player will see & hear their screenmate - (N&E, S&W). Before and after each match, teammates will be seated at one table, and we are trying to find a way to allow the players who were sitting out to join you, with audio (players who sat out can see & hear their teammates and be heard but not seen).
• There will be no real-time kibitzing allowed for any match. Kibitzers will be able to watch after a delay. For the Round Robin, the delay will be until each match is over so kibitzing does not provide “state of the match” information. For the first half of each KO match, each board will be shown when all tables have completed it. For the second half of each KO match, kibitzing will start one hour after play starts. We will try to have some voice commentary, and perhaps may limit chat at the tables late in the event to approved commentators.

• RealBridge will archive bidding, play & score information for the event. We will also post scores on this website.
• We will take a vote of all teams entered in the event to determine whether to continue to have “open notes,” which means players may consult their bidding notes, SSF, and convention card during the bidding. Other aids to memory (for example, lists of percentages, calculators, notes about carding) are not allowed.

How to Enter

• Entries are now open. Entries will close on the earlier of January 15th or when 32 teams (and 2 alternates) have entered. You must be logged in to this website to enter. After you have logged in, click on "Enter 2021 JLall2" under the User Menu and complete the entry form.

• Your entry is not complete until you have 4 players. You cannot "save" a place in the event by entering a team with fewer than 4 players.
• Any player who has not paid 2021 USBF dues by Feb. 1 will not be allowed to play. 

• Teams can freely change their rosters until January 29th, when the division of teams into Round Robin groups will start. After January 29th, a team may change its roster only because of unexpected occurrences and only if the change does not substantially strengthen or weaken the team. Roster changes are made by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If an added player or pair is not able to meet the deadlines for system filing, they may not play any unusual method unless it is played by another pair in the event.

System Regulations & Conditions of Contest

• Normal USBF System regulations apply to this event - each pair must complete a USBF System Summary form online and file an ACBL convention card no later than January 29th. To complete the SSF, log in and click on CREATE OR EDIT SSF under the User Menu. Follow instructions and you should be able to create a completely new SSF for this event or copy and edit a prior one. When you have finished filling out the SSF or making changes you must click on submit at the top or bottom of the page to save the changes - otherwise all of your hard work will be lost in cyberspace. To file the ACBL convention card, copy the URL for a BridgeWinners convention card, and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you have filed an SSF &/or convention card recently that is/are completely unchanged for this event, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will magically attach it to your partnership for this event. 
• This event is governed by the USBF General Conditions of Contest and Special Conditions of Contest for the event.

• ACBL Open+ Convention Chart applies to this event.

Ethics Statement

We’re not trying to provide security for this event, as we do at USBCs. However, the provisions of the USBF General Conditions of Contest regarding ethical obligations and possible penalties still apply to this event. The USBF has appointed an Ethics Investigation Committee that will review any complaints about ethics violations. If the EIC concludes that a player or pair was acting unethically, they will report to the USBF COO, who may refer it to the USBF Recorder. Either the COO or Recorder may bring a Charge against the player to the Board of Directors, who may place a player on probation, suspend, or expel a player for cause.

Hotel Reservation link is now Available

The 2021 Open USBC will select the 2 USBF teams for the 2021 Bermuda Bowl, to be held in Salsomaggiore, Italy from March 27 through April 9, 2022.

Location & Dates

Entries have now closed, and there are 21 teams in the 2021 Open USBC. We will not accept any additional entries, but will refund the entry fee for one team that withdraws, since reducing from 21 teams to 20 would improve the format.

The stages before the Quarterfinal of the 2021 Open USBC will be held on RealBridge. Online play will be September 13th-15th and September 17th-19th.

The face to face stages of the 2021 Open USBC will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency, from October 5-12. The room rate for the USBC is $124 + tax per night, including internet; there is no early departure fee. You can make a reservation for any or all of the 2021 USBCs at our online reservation page, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and asking for the UBFF code. You may be able to find a lower special or AAA or Senior rate on the Hyatt website. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The hotel has extended the cut off date for reservations to Friday, Oct. 8th. After Oct. 8th, our link will no longer work; you will have to make resrvations on the hotel's regular reservation page. Reservations will be accepted at our rate as long as the hotel has available rooms, but you will have to call the hotel and ask for the UBFF rate. It will be easier for everyone if you reserve using our online reservation page before Oct. 8th.

Eligibility for subsequent events

A player may enter the Open USBC and any other USBC for which s/he is eligible, and may play in the online stage(s) of more than one event. A player whose team qualifies for the Bermuda Bowl is not eligible to play in the face-to-face stages of any other USBC.

Entry Information

Entries are now closed

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $500 for each team, and session fees for the face-to-face stages of $400 per day. All of the teams have paid the $500 event fee, which is now non-refundable except if one team wishes to withdraw. Any team that is eliminated after playing only 2 or 3 days online will receive a credit of $200 for a future 2022 JLall event; any team that is eliminated after playing only 4 days online will receive a credit of $100 for a future 2022 JLall event.

Format

The online format with 21 teams will be 2 complete Round Robins.

Round Robin 1 will have 21 scheduled matches of 7 boards each to qualify 12  teams for Round Robin 2. Each team will have one sit out during Round Robin 1. 

Round Robin 2 will have 11 matches, each played as 2 7 board halves, to qualify 8 teams for the face to face USA1 Quarterfinal. The IMP scores in each half of each match will be converted to Victory Points and the VPs added together to obtain the team's score for Round Robin 2. The matches will be played in the same order for the first half and the second  half, so one half of each match is played in the first half of the day and one half of each match is played in the second half of the day.

Carryover: There will be no carryover from Round Robin 1 to Round Robin 2, except that if 2 teams are tied for eighth place, the result of the Round Robin 1 match between the 2 teams will be used to break the tie. If the teams are still tied, the team that earned more Victory Points in Round Robin 1 will qualify.

Roster Change between Round Robin and KO: Teams that qualify for the KO stages may change their rosters so long as at least 4 players who met the Round Robin play requirements are still on the team, any additional players have been added to improve the team's performance at the table, and no added player competed on a different team in the online stages of the event.

The face-to-face USA1 stages will be 2-day, 120-board KO matches.

The face-to-face USA2 stages will be: a 2-day, 120-board KO R16 in which the 4 losing USA1 Quarterfinalists will play, followed by a 1-day, 60-board KO Quarterfinal, in which the 2 USA1 Quarterfinal losers will play the 2 USA2 Round of 16 winners; a 1-day 60-board KO Semifinal in which the USA2 Quarterfinal winners will play, and a 2-day 120-board Final between the USA1 Final loser and the USA2 Semifinal winner.

Play Requirements: Each player must play 10 matches in Round Robin 1 and at least one segment against each other team in Round Robin 2 in order to qualify for the KO stages (a player who does not meet the play requirements can be added back to the team as long as the requirements for roster changes are met. Each player must play 50% of the boards in every KO match in order to be eligible to continue on the team. See General Conditions of Contest Section XII for how to count boards and potential waiver of this requirement.

Closed Notes: Players may not consult their notes at any time during play, unless they are dummy.

Withdrawal: A player or team may withdraw at any time.

Setting the KO Bracket

The KO bracket will be based on ACBL seeding points, excluding points awarded for online play, plus added seeding points for performance in each stage of the Round Robin.

Byes

There will be no byes.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form 2 weeks before play starts. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and they will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card 2 weeks before play starts. We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with us or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. the "print" URL from your BridgeWinners card or a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to us, and we will link it to your SSF. If you sent us a convention card or link for a prior event and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let us know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense for the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of the USBC. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, send it by email to us and we will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. We will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Relevant Dates

July 24: Last day to enter for guaranteed entry.

August 16: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods.

Sept. 21: Last day to make hotel reservations and be assured of receiving our hotel rate. The hotel may honor the rate for later reservations, but is not required to do so.

August 30: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate..

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the USBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

If WBF Cancels

If the WBF cancels the 2021 Bermuda Bowl (BB) before the online stages of the Open USBC start, the Open USBC will be canceled and entry fees will be refunded. If the WBF cancels the 2021 BB after the online stage has been played but at least a week before the Quarterfinal is scheduled to start, the USA1 stages will be played online, there will be no USA2 stages, and there will be no reward for doing well. If the WBF cancels the BB within one week of the Quarterfinal or after the event has been played, the face-to-face stages will be played, the USA1 & USA2 winners will  each receive a bye for the 2022 Open USBC such that they start play one stage later than  they would otherwise, except that there will be no byes to the Finals.

Available Documents

Calendar of Face to Face Dates

Special Conditions of Contest for the 2021 USBC in PDF format. Your comments are welcome, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Conditions of Play for the 2021 USBC in PDF format will be posted after entries have closed.

2020 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

The 2021 Senior USBC will select the 2 USBF teams for the 2021 D'Orsi Senior Bowl in Salsomaggiore, Italy from March 27 through April 9, 2022.

Location & Dates - 

The Round Robin if needed of the 2021 Senior USBC will be held on RealBridge. Play start son Friday, Oct. 1st. If there are 9-12 teams, the online stage will be a 2-day complete Round Robin to select 8 teams. With 13 or more teams, the online stage will probably be a 3-day complete Round Robin.

The face to face stages of the 2021 Senior USBC will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency, October 23-30. The room rate for the USBC is $124 + tax per night, including internet; there is no early departure fee. You can make a reservation for any or all of the 2021 USBCs at our online reservation page, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and asking for the UBFF code. You may be able to find a lower special or AAA or Senior rate on the Hyatt website. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The hotel has extended the cut off date for reservations to Friday, Oct. 8th. After Oct. 8th, our link will no longer work; you will have to make resrvations on the hotel's regular reservation page. Reservations will be accepted at our rate as long as the hotel has available rooms, but you will have to call the hotel and ask for the UBFF rate. It will be easier for everyone if you reserve using our online reservation page before Oct. 8th.

Eligibility

Each player in the 2021 Senior USBC must have been born in 1959 or earlier, must be eligible to represent the US in the D'Orsi Senior Bowl, and must have submitted proof of vaccination against CoVid19.

Entering more than one event

A player may enter the 2021 Senior USBC and also as many other 2021 USBCs as the player is eligible for. If a player enters more than one event, the player must inform the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than September 23rd which World Championship event s/he will enter if s/he qualifies for more than one. A player who qualifies for the Bermuda Bowl is not eligible to compete in the face-to-face stages of any other USBC.

Entry Information

Entries are now closed. There are 10 teams entered, and no additional teams will be accepted.

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $500 for each team, and session fees for the face-to-face stages of $400 per day. $500 is due at the time you enter the event and is refundable only if you withdraw before August 21. To pay it, log into this site and click on "Pay Entry Fee" under the User Menu. Any team that is eliminated after playing only 2 or 3 days online will receive a credit of $200 for a future 2022 JLall event; any team that is eliminated after playing only 4 days online will receive a credit of $100 for a future 2022 JLall event.

Format

The online format will be a 2 day complete Round Robin with 10 board matches on Friday & Saturday, October 1st & 2nd to qualify 8 teams for the face to face Quarterfinal. Click here for complete schedule.

Roster Change between Round Robin and KO: Teams that qualify for the KO stages may change their rosters so long as at least 4 players who met the Round Robin play requirements are still on the team, any additional players have been added to improve the team's performance at the table, and no added player competed on a different team in the online stages of the event.

The face-to-face USA1 stages will be 2-day, 120-board KO matches.

The face-to-face USA2 stages will be: a 2-day, 120-board KO R16 in which the 4 losing USA1 Quarterfinalists will play, followed by a 1-day, 60-board KO Quarterfinal, in which the 2 USA1 Quarterfinal losers will play the 2 USA2 Round of 16 winners; a 1-day 60-board KO Semifinal in which the USA2 Quarterfinal winners will play, and a 2-day 120-board Final between the USA1 Final loser and the USA2 Semifinal winner.

Play Requirements: Each player must play 5 matches in the Round Robin to qualify for the KO (a player who doesn't meet the play requirement can be added back to the team so long as the Roster Change requirements are met) and each player must play 50% of the boards in every KO match in order to be eligible to continue on the team. See General Conditions of Contest Section XII for how to count boards and potential waiver of this requirement.

Closed Notes: Players may not consult their notes at any time during play, unless they are dummy.

Withdrawal: A player or team may withdraw at any time.

Setting the KO Bracket

The KO bracket will be based on ACBL seeding points plus seeding points from the Round Robin: 7 for first, 5 for second, 3 for third, 2 for fourth and 1 for fifth.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form 2 weeks before play starts. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and they will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card 2 weeks before play starts. We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with us or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. the "print" URL from your BridgeWinners card or a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to us, and we will link it to your SSF. If you sent us a convention card or link for a prior event and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let us know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense for the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of the Senior USBC. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, send it by email to us and we will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. We will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Relevant Dates

August 21: Last day to enter for guaranteed entry.

Sept. 3: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods.

Sept. 21: Last day to make hotel reservations and be assured of receiving our hotel rate. The hotel may honor the rate for later reservations, but is not required to do so.

Sept. 17: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate..

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the USBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

If WBF Cancels

If the WBF cancels the 2021 Senior Bowl (SB) before the online stages of the Senior USBC start, the Senior USBC will be canceled and entry fees will be refunded. If the WBF cancels the 2021 SB after the online stage has been played but more than 1 week before the Quarterfinal is scheduled to be held, the USA1 stages will be played online, there will be no USA2 stages, and there will be no reward for doing well. If the WBF cancels the SB later than 1 week before the scheduled start of the Quarterfinal, the face-to-face stages will be played, the USA1 & USA2 winners will  each receive a bye for the 2023 Senior USBC such that they start play one stage later than  they would otherwise, except that there will be no byes to the Finals.

Available Documents

Draft Special Conditions of Contest for the 2021 USBC in PDF format.

Conditions of Play for the 2021 USBC in PDF format.

2020 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

FINAL CONDITIONS OF CONTEST LINKED BELOW

The 2021 Beth Palmer Women's USBC will select the 2 USBF teams for the 2021 Venice Cup, in Salsomaggiore, Italy from March 27 through April 9, 2022.

Location & Dates

The 2021 Beth Palmer Women's USBC will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency, from October 9-14. The room rate for the USBC is $124 + tax per night, including internet; there is no early departure fee. You can make a reservation for any or all of the 2021 USBCs at our online reservation page, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and asking for the UBFF code. You may be able to find a lower special or AAA or Senior rate on the Hyatt website. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The hotel has extended the cut off date for reservations to Friday, Oct. 8th. After Oct. 8th, our link will no longer work; you will have to make resrvations on the hotel's regular reservation page. Reservations will be accepted at our rate as long as the hotel has available rooms, but you will have to call the hotel and ask for the UBFF rate. It will be easier for everyone if you reserve using our online reservation page before Oct. 8th.

Entering more than one event

A player may enter the 2021 Beth Palmer Women's USBC and also as many other 2021 USBCs as she is eligible for. If a player enters more than one event, the player must inform the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than September 24 which World Championship event she will enter if she qualifies for more than one. A player who qualifies for the Bermuda Bowl is not eligible to compete in the face-to-face stages of any other USBC.

Entry Information

Entries are now closed and no additional teams will be accepted because they would cause the event to start on a different date.

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $500 for each team, and session fees for the face-to-face stages of $400 per day. $500 is due at the time you enter the event and is refundable only if you withdraw before September 9. To pay it, log into this site and click on "Pay Entry Fee" under the User Menu.

Format

All of the 2021 Beth Palmer Women's USBC will be held face to face.

The KO USA1 stages will be 2-day, 120-board Semifinal and Final KO matches.

The KO USA2 stages will be a 2-day, 120-board KO Semifinal in which the USA1 Semifinal losers will play, and a 2-day 120-board Final between the USA1 Final loser and the USA2 Semifinal winner.

Withdrawal: A player or team may withdraw at any time.

Play Requirements: Each player must play 50% of the boards in a KO match.

Closed Notes: Players may not consult their notes at any time during play, unless they are dummy.

LoveBridge  tablets: All play will be on LoveBridge tablets, with either 2 or 4 players in a room.

Setting the KO Bracket

The KO bracket will be based on random draw.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form on or before Sept. 25th. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card by Sept. 25th. We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with us or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. the "print" URL from your BridgeWinners card or a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to us, and we will link it to your SSF. If you sent us a convention card or link for a prior event and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let us know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense for the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense by Sept. 11th. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, send it by email to us and we will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. We will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Relevant Dates

Sept. 9: Last day to enter for guaranteed entry.

Sept 11: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods.

Sept. 21: Last day to make hotel reservations and be assured of receiving our hotel rate. The hotel may honor the rate for later reservations, but is not required to do so.

Sept 25: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate..

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the Beth Palmer Women's USBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

If WBF Cancels

If the WBF cancels the 2021 VC more than 1 week before the scheduled date for the USA1 Semifinal, the USA1 stages will be played online, there will be no USA2 stages, and there will be no reward for doing well. If the WBF cancels the VC within 1 week of the scheduled date for the USA1 Semifinal, the event will be played and the USA1 & USA2 winners will  each receive a bye for the 2023 Beth Palmer Women's USBC such that they start play one stage later than  they would otherwise, except that there will be no byes to the Finals..

Available Documents

Special Conditions of Contest for the 2021 Beth Palmer Women's USBC in PDF format.

Conditions of Play for the 2021 Beth Palmer Women's USBC in PDF format will be posted after entries have closed.

2020 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

FINAL Conditions of Contest linked below

The 2021 Mixed USBC will select the 2 USBF teams for the 2021 World Mixed Teams, in Salsomaggiore, Italy from March 27 through April 9, 2022.

Location & Dates

The Round Robin of the 2021 Mixed USBC will be held on RealBridge. Starting date for the Round Robin is September 24 or 25, 2021. If there are 9-12 teams, the online stage will be a 2-day complete Round Robin on Sept. 25 & 26 to select 8 teams. With 13 or more teams, the online stage will probably be a 3-day complete Round Robin on Sept. 24-26.

The face to face stages of the 2021 Mixed USBC will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency, October 15-22. The room rate for the USBC is $124 + tax per night, including internet; there is no early departure fee. You can make a reservation for any or all of the 2021 USBCs at our online reservation page, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and asking for the UBFF code. You may be able to find a lower special or AAA or Senior rate on the Hyatt website. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The hotel has extended the cut off date for reservations to Friday, Oct. 8th. After Oct. 8th, our link will no longer work; you will have to make resrvations on the hotel's regular reservation page. Reservations will be accepted at our rate as long as the hotel has available rooms, but you will have to call the hotel and ask for the UBFF rate. It will be easier for everyone if you reserve using our online reservation page before Oct. 8th.

Entering more than one event

A player may enter the 2021 Mixed USBC and also as many other 2021 USBCs as the player is eligible for. If a player enters more than one event, the player must inform the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than September 23rd which World Championship event s/he will enter if s/he qualifies for more than one. A player who qualifies for the Bermuda Bowl is not eligible to compete in the face-to-face stages of any other USBC.

Entry Information

Entries have now closed. There are 12 teams entered and no more will be accepted.

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $500 for each team, and session fees for the face-to-face stages of $400 per day if we are using tablets for play, or $500 per day if we are using cards. $500 is due at the time you enter the event and is  refundable only if you withdraw before August 7. To pay it, log into this site and click on "Pay Entry Fee" under the User Menu. Any team that is eliminated after playing only 2 or 3 days online will receive a credit of $200 for a future 2022 JLall event; any team that is eliminated after playing only 4 days online will receive a credit of $100 for a future 2022 JLall event.

Format

With 12 teams, there will be a 2-day complete Round Robin on Sept. 25 & 26 to qualify 8 teams for the Quarterfinal. There will be 5 matches on Saturday, Sept. 25 and 6 matches on Sunday, Sept. 26. Each match will be 9 boards long. Here's the exact schedule.

Roster Change between Round Robin and KO: Teams that qualify for the KO stages may change their rosters so long as at least 4 players who met the Round Robin play requirements are still on the team, any additional players have been added to improve the team's performance at the table, and no added player competed on a different team in the online stages of the event.

The face-to-face USA1 stages will be 2-day, 120-board KO matches.

The face-to-face USA2 stages will be: a 2-day, 120-board KO R16 in which the 4 losing USA1 Quarterfinalists will play, followed by a 1-day, 60-board KO Quarterfinal, in which the 2 USA1 Quarterfinal losers will play the 2 USA2 Round of 16 winners; a 1-day 60-board KO Semifinal in which the USA2 Quarterfinal winners will play, and a 2-day 120-board Final between the USA1 Final loser and the USA2 Semifinal winner.

Play Requirements: Each player must play 5 matches in the Round Robin to qualify for the KO (a player who doesn't meet the play requirement can be added back to the team so long as the Roster Change requirements are met) and each player must play 50% of the boards in every KO match in order to be eligible to continue on the team. See General Conditions of Contest Section XII for how to count boards and potential waiver of this requirement.

Closed Notes: Players may not consult their notes at any time during play, unless they are dummy.

Withdrawal: A player or team may withdraw at any time.

Setting the KO Bracket

The KO bracket will be based on ACBL seeding points and additional team seeding points assigned for Round Robin finish (7 for first, 5 for second, 3 for third, 2 for fourth, 1 for fifth).

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form 2 weeks before the start of play. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and they will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card 2 weeks before the start of play. We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with us or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. the "print" URL from your BridgeWinners card or a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to us, and we will link it to your SSF. If you sent us a convention card or link for a prior event and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let us know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense for the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of the USBC. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, send it by email to us and we will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. We will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Relevant Dates

August 7: Last day to enter for guaranteed entry.

August 27: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods.

Sept. 21: Last day to make hotel reservations and be assured of receiving our hotel rate. The hotel may honor the rate for later reservations, but is not required to do so.

Sept. 10: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate..

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the USBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

If WBF Cancels

If the WBF cancels the 2021 Mixed Team Championship (MTC) before the online stages of the Mixed USBC start, the MIxed USBC will be canceled and entry fees will be refunded. If the WBF cancels the 2021 MTC after the online stage has been played but one week or more before the face-to-face stage is scheduled to start, the USA1 stages will be played online, there will be no USA2 stages, and there will be no reward for doing well. If the WBF cancels the MTC within one week of the scheduled start of face-to-face play, the face-to-face stages will be played, the USA1 & USA2 winners will each receive a bye for the 2023 Mixed USBC such that they start play one stage later than  they would otherwise, except that there will be no byes to the Finals.

Available Documents

Special Conditions of Contest for the 2021 Mixed USBC in PDF format. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Conditions of Play for the 2021 Mixed USBC in PDF format.

2020 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

The 2020 USBF Invitational 2 Tournament (USBF INV2) is an online event open to all Active USBF members. An Active member is one who has paid USBF dues for 2020 and is either a US citizen or a permanent resident whose application to be a resident member has been accepted by the USBF. All players must have paid 2020 dues on or before Aug. 1.

Event Schedule and Format

• USBF INV2 will be held from August 8-10 and 14-16.
• Play each day will start at 1:00 pm EDT and end at about 9:00 pm EDT.
• There will be 16 teams, each with 4-6 players, all of whom are USBF Active members.
• The entry fee for the event is $300 per team.
• DIC for the event is Will Watson. Tournament Organizer is Jan Martel.
• The first weekend will be a complete Round Robin. Each match will be 11 boards long.
• The second weekend will be Quarterfinal, Semifinal & Final KO stages, with seeding based on Round Robin performance. The Quarterfinal and Semifial matches will be 56 boards long, played in 4 14 board segments, the Final match will be 60 boards long, played in 4 15 board segments. This foran was based on a poll of the teams entered. Each player on a team must play at least 2 segments.
• The matches will be played on BBO. There will be no real-time kibitzing allowed for any match. We hope that by August BBO will have developed a way for kibitzers to watch a match with a 30 minute delay. If not, we will show 2 or 3 Round Robin matches each round and at least 4 of the KO matches each day on Vugraph with a 30 minute delay.
• This event will be “open notes” - players may consult their bidding notes during the bidding. Other aids to memory (for example, lists of percentages, calculators, notes about carding) are not allowed. If a table is over the time allowed and one player spent time consulting notes, that player’s team will be held to be at fault for the slow play.
• Screen mates will be required to participate in a chat session. The USBF will set up Zoom “breakout rooms” for this and assign screen mates to appropriate rooms, but if both screen mates prefer to use some other video conferencing device (facetime, Google hangouts, Skype, anything else that works), they may do so. Video is optional for these sessions.

How to Enter

• 16 teams have entered, so Entries are now closed. Two teams are on the waiting list.
• Any player who has not paid 2020 USBF dues by Aug. 1 will not be allowed to play.

• Teams may change their roster until August 6th. Roster changes are made by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If an added player or pair is not able to meet the deadlines for system filing, they may not play any unusual method that is not being played by another pair in the event.

System Regulations & Conditions of Contest

• Normal USBF System regulations apply to this event - you must complete a USBF System Summary form online file an ACBL convention card no later than July 25th. To complete the SSF, log in and click on CREATE OR EDIT SSF under the User Menu. Follow instructions and you should be able to create a completely new SSF for this event or copy and edit a prior one. If you have filed an SSF recently and it is completely unchanged for this event, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will magically attach it to your partnership for this event. To file the ACBL convention card, either share it with Jan on BridgeWinners or email Jan or Al a link to it or a PDF of it. If you have filed an SSF &/or convention card recently that is/are completely unchanged for this event, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will magically attach it to your partnership for this event. 
• This event is governed by the USBF General Conditions of Contest and Special Conditions of Contest for the event. Special Conditions of Contest will be posted soon.

• ACBL Open+ Convention Chart applies to this event.

Ethics Statement

We’re not trying to provide security for this event, as we do when we sometimes have “real” events online. However, the provisions of the USBF General Conditions of Contest regarding ethical obligations and possible penalties still apply to this event. The USBF has appointed an Ethics Investigation Committee that will review any complaints about ethics violations. If the EIC concludes that a player or pair was acting unethically, they will report to the USBF Board of Directors, who may place a player on probation, suspend, or expel a player for cause.

The fourth USBF JLall Online Teams event (JLall4) will be held from June 11-14 and 18-21 on RealBridge. It will be very similar to JLall3.

Jlall4 is open to all Active USBF members. An Active member is one who has paid USBF dues. All players must have paid 2021 dues on or before June 1.

Event Schedule and Format

• JLall4 will be held from June 11-14 and 18-21.
• Play each day will start at 12:30 pm EDT and end at 9:00 pm EDT. We are starting earlier and have added some time to the breaks based on player requests.
• There will be no more than 32 teams, each with 4-6 players.
• The entry fee for the event is $300 per team.
• DIC for the event is McKenzie Myers. Tournament Organizer is Jan Martel. Software guru is Al Hollander. Vugraph Organizer is Chris Wiegand, who will again organize voice commentary for the KO stages. RealBridge may also have some new kibitzing enhancements in place by June.
• The event format will be:

Round Robin Stage 1, June 11-13:
Everyone plays 3 days of a “split field” Round Robin with 10 board matches; there are two Round Robin groups, to be named by the winners of JLall3. Teams will be assigned to the two groups based on a "draft" by the top two teams (chosen by  a vote of all  teams). The top 5 teams in each group will qualify for the KO Round of 16. The five teams ranked 6-10 in each group (“bubble teams”) will play in Stage 2 of the Round Robin. The remaining teams in each group will be eliminated. 

Round Robin Stage 2, June14th:
Each bubble team plays a 10 board match against each bubble team from the other group, scored at VPs with carryover from the first 3 days. The top 6 teams qualify for the Round of 16. The bottom 4 teams are eliminated.

Knockouts, June 18-21:
• One match per day. 56 boards per match. If both of the finalists want a longer match (60 or 64 boards), we will have that.
• There will be a short Captains' meeting on June 15th to set the KO bracket. The precise method of setting the bracket is set forth in the Special Conditions of Contest. Summary: the top 4 teams from Round Robin Stage 1 will select their opponents for the Round of 16 from the bottom 8 qualifiers. The remaining qualifiers will be shuffled in groups to fill the bracket.

• The matches will be played on RealBridge. During the bidding & play, each player will see & hear their screenmate - (N&E, S&W). Before and after each match, teammates will be seated at one table, and RealBridge is working on a way to allow the players who were sitting out to join you (players who sat out will be able to see & hear their teammates and be heard but not seen).
• There will be no real-time online kibitzing allowed for any match. Kibitzers will be able to watch after a delay. For the Round Robin, the delay will be until each match is over so kibitzing does not provide “state of the match” information. For the first half of each KO match, kibitzing will start half an hour after play starts, and each board will be shown no sooner than when all tables have finished playing it. For the second half of each KO match, kibitzing will start at the end of the segment. We will try to have voice commentary, and perhaps may limit chat at the tables late in the event to approved commentators.

• RealBridge will archive bidding, play & score information for the event. We will also post scores on this website.
• Players may consult their bidding notes, SSF, and convention card during the bidding only. Other aids to memory (for example, lists of percentages, calculators, notes about carding) are not allowed.

• Play Requirements for teams that qualify after the first 3 days of play: if there are 32 teams (15 matches) each player must have played 7 of the 15 matches.

• Play Requirements for teams that qualify after the fourth day of play: each player must have played 50% of the boards played over all 4 days, rounded down if there are an odd number of boards.

How to Enter

• Entries are now open. Entries will close on the earlier of May 21 or when 32 teams and 2 alternates have entered. You must be logged in to this website to enter. After you have logged in, click on "Enter 2021 JLall4" under the User Menu and complete the entry form. After you enter there will be a link to pay the entry fee. You can pay the entry fee by credit card later by logging in to this site and clicking on "Pay Entry Fee" under the User Menu.

• Your entry is not complete until you have 4 players. You cannot "save" a place in the event by entering a team with fewer than 4 players.

• Any player who has not paid 2021 USBF dues by June 1 will not be allowed to play. 

• Teams can freely change their rosters until May 27th, when the division of teams into Round Robin groups will start. After May 27th, a team may change its roster only if the change does not substantially strengthen or weaken the team. Roster changes are made by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If an added player or pair is not able to meet the deadlines for system filing, they may not play any unusual method unless it is played by another pair in the event.

System Regulations & Conditions of Contest

• Normal USBF System regulations apply to this event - each pair must complete a USBF System Summary Form online and file an ACBL convention card no later than May 28th. To complete the SSF, log in and click on CREATE OR EDIT SSF under the User Menu. Follow instructions and you should be able to create a completely new SSF for this event or copy and edit a prior one. When you have finished filling out the SSF or making changes you must click on submit at the top or bottom of the page to save the changes - otherwise all of your hard work will be lost in cyberspace. To file the ACBL convention card, copy the URL for a BridgeWinners convention card, and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you have filed an SSF &/or convention card recently that is/are completely unchanged for this event, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will magically move it forward to this event. 
• This event is governed by the USBF General Conditions of Contest and Special Conditions of Contest for the event. .

• ACBL Open+ Convention Chart applies to this event.

Ethics Statement

The provisions of the USBF General Conditions of Contest regarding ethical obligations and possible penalties apply to this event. The USBF has appointed an Ethics Investigation Committee that will review any complaints about ethics violations. If the EIC concludes that a player or pair was acting unethically, they will report to the USBF COO, who may refer it to the USBF Recorder. Either the COO or Recorder may bring a Charge against the player to the Board of Directors, who may place a player on probation, suspend, or expel a player for cause.

The fifth USBF JLall Online Teams event (JLall5) will be held from January 14-17 and 21-24 on RealBridge. It will be very similar to the 2021 JLall events.

Jlall5 is open to all Active USBF members. An Active member is one who has paid USBF dues. All players must have paid 2022 dues on or before January 10, 2022.

Event Schedule and Format

Although entries closed on December 24th, with 29 teams entered, we accepted 3 more entries to have 32 teams and a better Round Robin format.

•JLall5 will be held from January 14-17 and 21-24.
• Play each day will start at noon EST and end at about 8:30 pm EST. We are starting earlier based on player requests.
• There will be no more than 32 teams, each with 4-6 players.
• The entry fee for the event is $400 per team.
• DIC for the event is McKenzie Myers. Tournament Organizer is Jan Martel. Software guru is Al Hollander. Vugraph Organizer is Chris Wiegand, who will again organize voice commentary for the KO stages. RealBridge may also have some new kibitzing enhancements in place by January.
• The event format will be:

Round Robin Stage 1, January 14-16:
Everyone plays 3 days of a “split field” Round Robin with 10 board matches; there are two Round Robin groups, named by the winners of JLall4 in honor of Justin's sister Jessica: Mayor JLall (Jessica is running for Mayor of Los Angeles), and CEO JLall (Jessica is currently a CEO). Teams will be assigned to the two groups based on a "draft" by the top two teams (chosen by  a vote of all  teams).

If there are 29 teams in the event, one group will have 14 teams and the other group will have 15 teams. The teams in the 14 team group will play 13 matches, 4 on 1/14 and 1/15, 5 on 1/16. The teams in the 15 team group will each play 14 matches and will have one sit out round. Those teams will play 5 matches a day, except when they have their sit out. The top 5 teams in each group will qualify for the KO Round of 16. The five teams ranked 6-10 in each group (“bubble teams”) will play in Stage 2 of the Round Robin. The remaining teams in each group will be eliminated. 

Round Robin Stage 2, January 17th:
Each bubble team plays a 10 board match against each bubble team from the other group, scored at VPs with carryover from the first 3 days. The top 6 teams qualify for the Round of 16. The bottom 4 teams are eliminated.

Knockouts, January 21-24:
• One match per day. 56 boards per match.
• There will be a short Captains' meeting on January 18th to set the KO bracket. The precise method of setting the bracket is set forth in the Special Conditions of Contest. Summary: the top 4 teams from Round Robin Stage 1 will select their opponents for the Round of 16 from the bottom 8 qualifiers. The remaining qualifiers will be shuffled in groups to fill the bracket.

• The matches will be played on RealBridge. During the bidding & play, each player will see & hear their screenmate - (N&E, S&W). Before and after each match, teammates will be seated at one table, and RealBridge is working on a way to allow the players who were sitting out to join you (players who sat out will be able to see & hear their teammates and be heard but not seen).
• There will be no real-time online kibitzing allowed for any match. Kibitzers will be able to watch after a delay. For the Round Robin, the delay will be until each match is over so kibitzing does not provide “state of the match” information. For the first half of each KO match, kibitzing will start half an hour after play starts, and each board will be shown no sooner than when all tables have finished playing it. For the second half of each KO match, kibitzing will start at the end of the segment. We will try to have voice commentary, and perhaps may limit chat at the tables late in the event to approved commentators.

• RealBridge will archive bidding, play & score information for the event. We will also post scores on this website.
• Players may consult their bidding notes, SSF, and convention card during the bidding only. Other aids to memory (for example, lists of percentages, calculators, notes about carding) are not allowed.

• Play Requirements for teams that qualify after the first 3 days of play: if there are 32 teams (15 matches) each player must have played 7 of the 15 matches.

• Play Requirements for teams that qualify after the fourth day of play: each player must have played 50% of the boards played over all 4 days, rounded down if there are an odd number of boards.

How to Enter

There were 29 teams entered when entries closed on 12/24. Entries  will remain open until January 3, 2022 or when there are a total of 30 or 32 teams entered. The first team to enter before 1/3 will be accepted; the second team to enter will be accepted only if a third team enters. You must be logged in to this website to enter. After you have logged in, click on "Enter 2022 JLall5" under the User Menu and complete the entry form. Your entry will not be complete until you pay the entry fee. You can pay the entry fee by credit card by logging in to this site and clicking on "Pay Entry Fee" under the User Menu.

• Your entry is not complete until you have 4 players. You cannot "save" a place in the event by entering a team with fewer than 4 players.

• Any player who has not paid 2022 USBF dues by January 10 will not be allowed to play. 

• Teams can freely change their rosters until January 7th, when the division of teams into Round Robin groups will start. After January 7th, a team may change its roster only if the change does not substantially strengthen or weaken the team. Roster changes are made by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If an added player or pair is not able to meet the deadlines for system filing, they may not play any unusual method unless it is played by another pair in the event.

System Regulations & Conditions of Contest

• Normal USBF System regulations apply to this event - each pair must complete a USBF System Summary Form online and file an ACBL convention card no later than Dec 31st. To complete the SSF, log in and click on CREATE OR EDIT SSF under the User Menu. Follow instructions and you should be able to create a completely new SSF for this event or copy and edit a prior one. When you have finished filling out the SSF or making changes you must click on submit at the top or bottom of the page to save the changes - otherwise all of your hard work will be lost in cyberspace. To file the ACBL convention card, copy the URL for a BridgeWinners convention card, and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you have filed an SSF &/or convention card recently that is/are completely unchanged for this event, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will magically move it forward to this event. 
• This event is governed by the 2022 USBF General Conditions of Contest and Special Conditions of Contest for the event.

• ACBL Open+ Convention Chart applies to this event.

Ethics Statement

The provisions of the USBF General Conditions of Contest regarding ethical obligations and possible penalties apply to this event. The USBF has appointed an Ethics Investigation Committee that will review any complaints about ethics violations. If the EIC concludes that a player or pair was acting unethically, they will report to the USBF COO, who may refer it to the USBF Recorder. Either the COO or Recorder may bring a Charge against the player to the Board of Directors, who may place a player on probation, suspend, or expel a player for cause.

The 2022 Open USBC will select USA1 for the 2023 Bermuda Bowl, to be held August 18-Sept. 2, 2023, in Marrakech, Morocco.

Location & Dates

There are now 16 teams entered, so there will be no online stage of the 2022 Open USBC.

The face to face stages of the 2022 Open USBC will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency, from May 16th-23rd. The room rate for the USBC is $134 + tax per night, including internet; there is no early departure fee. You can make a reservation for the 2022 Open USBC at https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/CHIRW/G-BFUS, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and asking for the G-BFUS code. You may be able to find a lower special or AAA or Senior rate on the Hyatt website. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The final day to guarantee a reservation is May 1. Reservations will be accepted at our rate as long as the hotel has available rooms, but you will have to call the hotel and ask for the UBFF rate. It will be easier for everyone if you reserve using our online reservation page before May 1. Reservations can be canceled with no charge with 48 hours notice, and there is no charge for early departure as long as you let the hotel know the day before you are leaving.

Entry Information

Entries are now closed and there are 16 teams in the 2022 Open USBC

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $500 for each team, and session fees for the face-to-face stages of $400 per day. The event entry fee is due by March 22, 2022 and is non-refundable except if a team withdraws and that makes the format better. Entry fees can be paid online by logging into this website and clicking on "Pay Entry Fees" under the User Menu.

Format

The face-to-face stages will be 2-day, 120-board KO matches.

Play Requirements: Each player must play 50% of the boards in every KO match in order to be eligible to continue on the team. See General Conditions of Contest Section XII for how to count boards and potential waiver of this requirement.

Closed Notes: Players may not consult their notes at any time during play, unless they are dummy.

Withdrawal: A player or team may withdraw at any time.

A player who has tested positive for Covid-19 will be allowed to continue to play, but will play from a separate room. Both the Covid-positive player and his or her screenmate will be recorded on video during play.

Setting the KO Bracket

The KO bracket will be set on May 8, based on ACBL seeding points, excluding points awarded for online play and points earned on a team with a player or players who have been convicted of unethical conduct, plus added seeding points for performance in the Round Robin.

Byes

There will be no byes.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form no later than May 2nd. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and they will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card by May 2nd. We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with us or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. the "print" URL from your BridgeWinners card or a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to us, and we will link it to your SSF. If you sent us a convention card or link for a prior event and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let us know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense for the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of the USBC. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, send it by email to us and we will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. We will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

You can make minor changes to your SSF after May 2nd only by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. He will make the change if it is minor. If there is any question about whether the change can be made later than April 13th, the USBF Conventions Committee will decide.

Changes to your BridgeWinners convention card will be automatically reflected on what is linked to your SSF. You may make convention card changes until May 10th, when your SSF and convention card will be linked to your partnership on the LoveBridge system. After May 10th, you can make minor changes to your conveniton card only by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so she can change what is linked to LoveBridge.

Relevant Dates

March 22: Last day to enter for guaranteed entry.

April 18: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods.

May 2: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate.

May 1: Last day to make hotel reservations and be assured of receiving our hotel rate. The hotel may honor the rate for later reservations, but is not required to do so.

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the USBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

Available Documents

Final Special Conditions of Contest for the 2022 USBC in PDF format.

Conditions of Play for the 2022 USBC in PDF format will be posted after entries have closed.

2022 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

The first Junior JLall event will be held on Dec. 28 and January 22 or 23 on RealBridge. It will be similar to regularJLall events, with a Round Robin to qualify teams for KO, but with shorter stages for both - with 3 teams entered, the Round Robin will be 1 day long and will qualify two teams for the Finals.

The Junior JLall is open to all members of the USBF Junior Training Program.

Event Schedule and Format

• Junior JLall will be held on Dec. 28 and January 22 or 23 (based on the finalists' preference).
• Play on 12/28 will start at 12:30 EST and will end at 8:20.

• KO play will start at noon EST and end at about 8:30 pm.
• There is no entry fee for the event.
• DIC for the event is McKenzie Myers. Tournament Organizer is Jan Martel. Software guru is Al Hollander. RealBridge may  have some new kibitzing enhancements in place by January.
• The event format will be:

Round Robin, December 28: A complete Round Robin played in two halves; each player must play every other team. Each team will play 20 boards against each other team. There will be 6 rounds scheduled; if there are 3 teams, each team will have 2 sit out rounds.

The top 2 teams qualify for the Finals. Other teams are elminated

Knockout Final, January 22 or 23:
• One match. 56 boards per match.

• The matches will be played on RealBridge. During the bidding & play, each player will see & hear their screenmate - (N&E, S&W). Before and after each match, teammates will be seated at one table, and RealBridge is working on a way to allow the players who were sitting out to join you (players who sat out will be able to see & hear their teammates and be heard but not seen).
• There will be no real-time online kibitzing allowed for any match. Kibitzers will be able to watch after a delay. For the Round Robin, the delay will be until each match is over so kibitzing does not provide “state of the match” information. For the first half of the KO match, kibitzing will start half an hour after play starts, and each board will be shown no sooner than when all tables have finished playing it. For the second half of the KO match, kibitzing will start at the end of the segment. We will try to have voice commentary for the KO match.

• RealBridge will archive bidding, play & score information for the event. We will also post scores on this website.
• Players may consult their bidding notes, SSF, and convention card during the bidding only. Other aids to memory (for example, lists of percentages, calculators, notes about carding) are not allowed.

• Play Requirements: Each player must play half of the Round Robin matches, rounded down if there are an odd number of matches, to be eligible for the KO Final.

How to Enter

Entries are now closed and there are 3 teams entered. Because a 4th team would significantly improve the Round Robin, we will accept one more team if it enters by 12/24. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to enter as the 4th team.

Teams can freely change their rosters until December 24th. Roster changes are made by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If an added player or pair is not able to meet the deadlines for system filing, they may not play any unusual method unless it is played by another pair in the event.

System Regulations & Conditions of Contest

• Normal USBF System regulations apply to this event - each pair must complete a USBF System Summary Form online and file an ACBL convention card no later than Dec 14th. To complete the SSF, log in and click on CREATE OR EDIT SSF under the User Menu. Follow instructions and you should be able to create a completely new SSF for this event or copy and edit a prior one. When you have finished filling out the SSF or making changes you must click on submit at the top or bottom of the page to save the changes - otherwise all of your hard work will be lost in cyberspace. To file the ACBL convention card, copy the URL for a BridgeWinners convention card, and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you have filed an SSF &/or convention card recently that is/are completely unchanged for this event, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will magically move it forward to this event. 
• This event is governed by the 2022 USBF General Conditions of Contest and Special Conditions of Contest for the event.

• ACBL Open+ Convention Chart applies to this event.

Ethics Statement

The provisions of the USBF General Conditions of Contest regarding ethical obligations and possible penalties apply to this event. The USBF has appointed an Ethics Investigation Committee that will review any complaints about ethics violations. If the EIC concludes that a player or pair was acting unethically, they will report to the USBF COO, who may refer it to the USBF Recorder. Either the COO or Recorder may bring a Charge against the player to the Board of Directors, who may place a player on probation, suspend, or expel a player for cause.

The Polish Bridge Union and Canadian Bridge Federation are sponsoring a second online Senior tournament January 24-February 11, 2022 (no play on weekends). The USBF is eligible to enter 4 teams. More information about the Second Transatlantic Senior Teams for the Julian Klukowski Trophy is below after information about the USBF Qualification event.

USBF Selection Procedure: Transatlantic Senior Qualification (TASR)

Only 4 teams entered this event, so it is not necessary and has been canceled.

What we know about the event TO which we are sENDing teams

Invitation Letter

We received the formal invitation letter, which has some additional details.

Participants

All WBF NBOs in Europe, Africa, North America, South America and the Caribbean have been invited to send teams. Each NBO can enter one or two teams, the USBF can enter four teams.

Each team can have any number of players. Each player must have been born before 1960. Eligible players can be added to a team at any time during the event.

Schedule:  

January 24-February 2nd: Swiss, 1 20-board match per day every day except Saturday and Sunday, starting at 2:00 pm EST.

February 3rd - 11th, KO: Each match is 4 12-board halves, played over 2 days. 16 teams will qualify for the KO.

Also, February 3-11, Swiss continues to determine 3rd place - KO losing teams drop in after each round of the KO.

Details, Entry Deadline, & Entry Fee

Draft Conditions of Contest will be posted as soon as they are available.

Play will be online, probably on BBO & will be open notes.

TDs will be from Poland; all will speak English and at least one will speak Spanish

The  invitation letter does not know when entries or team rosters are due.

The entry fee is $300 per team.

The sixth USBF JLall Online Teams event (JLall6) will be held from June 18-19 and 25-26 on RealBridge. It will be  similar to earlier JLall events.

Jlall6 is open to all Active USBF members. An Active member is one who has paid USBF dues. All players must have paid 2022 dues on or before June 1, 2022.

Event Schedule and Format

•JLall6 will be held June 18-19 and 25-26.
• Play each day will start at noon EDT and end at about 9:00 pm EDT.
• The entry fee for the event is $400 per team.
• DIC for the event is McKenzie Myers. Tournament Organizer is Jan Martel. Software guru is Al Hollander. Vugraph Organizer is Chris Wiegand, who will again organize voice commentary for the KO stages. RealBridge may also have some new kibitzing enhancements in place by June.
• The event format will be:

Round Robin Stage 1, June 18-19

Each team plays 8 boards against each other team on each day. Each 8 board match is converted from IMPs to Victory Points using the USBF 8 Board VP Scale. Each team's score is the sum of its Victory Points for the 2 days. Each player must play against each other team.

The top 4 teams will qualify for KO play, the bottom 4 teams will be eliminated.

Knockouts, June 25-26
• One match per day. 56 boards per match.
• There will be a short Captains' meeting on June 21st to set the KO bracket. The Round Robin winner will select their opponent from the teams that finished 3rd and 4th in the Round Robin. The second place team may choose to be available to be selected. The other two teams will play.

Playing Conditions and Rules

• The matches will be played on RealBridge. During the bidding & play, each player will see & hear their screenmate - (N&E, S&W). Before and after each match, teammates will be seated at one table, and RealBridge is working on a way to allow the players who were sitting out to join you (players who sat out will be able to see & hear their teammates and be heard but not seen).
• There will be no real-time online kibitzing allowed for any match. Kibitzers will be able to watch after a delay. For the Round Robin, the delay will be until each match is over so kibitzing does not provide “state of the match” information. For the KO matches, kibitzing will start half an hour after play starts, and each board will be shown no sooner than when all tables have finished playing it. We will try to have voice commentary for the KO matches.

• RealBridge will archive bidding, play & score information for the event. We will also post scores on this website.
• Players may consult their bidding notes, SSF, and convention card during the bidding only. Other aids to memory (for example, lists of percentages, calculators, notes about carding) are not allowed.

• Play Requirements for teams that qualify after the Round Robin: each player must have played 4 matches.

How to Enter

Entries are now closed. There are 8 teams entered.

• Any player who has not paid 2022 USBF dues by June 1 will not be allowed to play. 

• Teams can freely change their rosters until June 12th. Roster changes are made by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If an added player or pair is not able to meet the deadlines for system filing, they may not play any unusual method unless it is played by another pair in the event.

System Regulations & Conditions of Contest

• Normal USBF System regulations apply to this event, but with a later than normal deadline - each pair must complete a USBF System Summary Form online and file an ACBL convention card no later than June 7th. To complete the SSF, log in and click on CREATE OR EDIT SSF under the User Menu. Follow instructions and you should be able to create a completely new SSF for this event or copy and edit a prior one. When you have finished filling out the SSF or making changes you must click on submit at the top or bottom of the page to save the changes - otherwise all of your hard work will be lost in cyberspace. To file the ACBL convention card, copy the URL for a BridgeWinners convention card, and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you have filed a convention card recently that is completely unchanged for this event, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will magically move it forward to this event. 
• This event is governed by the 2022 USBF General Conditions of Contest and Special Conditions of Contest for the event, which will be posted soon.

• ACBL Open+ Convention Chart applies to this event.

Ethics Statement

The provisions of the USBF General Conditions of Contest regarding ethical obligations and possible penalties apply to this event. The USBF has appointed an Ethics Investigation Committee that will review any complaints about ethics violations. If the EIC concludes that a player or pair was acting unethically, they will report to the USBF COO, who may refer it to the USBF Recorder. Either the COO or Recorder may bring a Charge against the player to the Board of Directors, who may place a player on probation, suspend, or expel a player for cause.

The 2023 USBCs will select teams for 2023 World Championships, scheduled for August 20-Sept. 2, 2023, at the Palais des Congres in Marrakech, Morocco. The WBF has provided this information about accomodations and the schedule of play.

The Open USBC will select USA2 (USA1 is SPECTOR who won the 2022 Open USBC). The Mixed, Senior, and Women's USBCs will each select 2 teams.

Some new INFORMATION available - in red

The Conditions of Contest posted below are now Final.
Conditions of Play, which are an extract from the Conditions of Contest based on the actual number of teams are now available. These are for your convenience and do not over-ride the full Special Conditions of Contest or the General Conditions of Contest. Open, Mixed, Senior, Women.
We now have seeding points available. Here are the Open Seeding Points by team. Please check your team's information and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you see anything you think is wrong. Thanks. We have now done the shuffle. Here are the bracket and the seeding point spreadsheet with teams sorted on the second page.

Here are the Mixed Seeding Points before the Round Robin points are added and the teams are shuffled. Page 1 has seeding points per team, page 2 has the teams sorted by seeding points.

Here are the Senior Seeding Points CORRECTED!!! before the Round Robin points are added and the teams are shuffled. Page 1 has seeding points per team, page 2 has the teams sorted by seeding points.

We also have PPs and IPPs - if you think you should have IPPs, please check to make sure they're correct and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you see a problem. Thank you.
Tournament schedule (all of the events in one schedule) is now posted. If all of the teams in an event prefer to start an hour later on the first day, we will do so, and everything will just be an hour later - we'll be polling team captains a week or two before play starts on this.

Information with entries closed

The Open USBC has 14 teams. All Open play will be face to face, starting May 1 with the Round of 16 and ending May 8th. The top-seeded Nickell team and the second seeded Lebowitz team will have byes in the Round of 16. Based on a vote of the teams, play on May 1 will start at 11:00 CDT.

The Mixed USBC had 10 teams entered when entries closed on March 22nd, and entries are now closed. All 10 of the teams preferred to have the entire event played face to face, and the format has been changed to allow that. The first Mixed stage will be a face to face 10-team Round Robin. The top 4 teams will qualify for the USA1 Semifinal; the 5th through 8th teams will qualify for USA2 Stage 1; the 9th and 10th teams will be eliminated. USA1 will continue with 2 day Semifinal and Final matches. USA2 will continue with 2 day Stage 1 matches, 1-1/2 day Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches, and a 2 day Final.

The Senior USBC had 9 teams entered when entries closed on March 28th, and entries are now closed. The teams have decided to hold all play face to face. If there are 9 teams in the event when it starts, the first 2 days will be a Round Robin. The top 4 teams will qualify for the USA1 Semifinal; teams that finish 5th to 8th will qualify for USA2 Stage 1, and the remaining team will be eliminated. USA1 will continue with 2 day Semifinal and Final matches. USA2 will continue with 2 day Stage 1 matches, 1-1/2 day Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches, and a 2 day Final.

The Women's USBC had 4 teams entered when entries closed on March 28th, and entries are now closed. The teams will play 2 days of USA1 Semifinal  KO (random draw), 2 days of USA1 Final and USA2 Semifinal, and 2 days of USA2 Final

Overall Schedule:

Entry fees are the same for all events: There is a $500 event entry fee plus session fees of $200 per session ($400 per day) for face to face play. The initial entry fee is due by the entry closing date. Session fees will be collected on site.

Hotel Information: The face-to-face stages of the 2023 USBCs will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency. Room rate for the USBCs is $136 per night, including internet. You can make a reservation for any or all of the 2023 USBCs at our online reservation page, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and mentioning USBF or maybe CHIRG-USB1. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The cut-off date to make reservations at our rate is April 16, 2023, but the online site will remain open after that and reservations will be accepted as long as the hotel has available rooms.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form two weeks before play begins. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card two weeks before play begins We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with Al or email a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to him, and he will upload and link. If you sent Al a convention card or link last year and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let him know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

Due dates for SSFs and convention cards are:

Open: April 17
Mixed: April 26
Senior: May 5
Women: May 6

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense to the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of play. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. He will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Open USBC Byes

Two teams (Nickell and Lebowitz) had enough PPs for a bye to the Round of 16, and will be seeded 1 and 2 based on their PPs.

Conditions of Contest

All 4 events will be governed by the USBF General Conditions of Contest.
In addition, each of the events has Special Conditions of contest: Open, Mixed, Senior, Women's
Conditions of Play, which are an extract from the Conditions of Contest based on the actual number of teams are now available. These are for your convenience and do not ever over-ride the Special Conditions of Contest or the General Conditions of Contest. Open, Mixed, Senior, Women.

 

The 2023 Open USBC will select the USA2 Open team for the Bermuda Bowl at the 2023 World Championships, scheduled for August 20-Sept. 2, 2023, at the Palais des Congres in Marrakech, Morocco. 

Location & Dates

The face-to-face stage of the 2023 Open USBC will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency, starting on Monday, May 1st and  ending on Monday, May 8th. Room rate for the USBC is $136 per night, including internet. You can make a reservation for any or all of the 2023 USBCs at our online reservation page, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and mentioning USBF or maybe CHIRG-USB1. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The cut-off date to make reservations at our rate is April 16, 2023, but the online site will remain open after that and reservations will be accepted as long as the hotel has available rooms.

If more than 16 teams enter the 2023 Open USBC, there will be an online qualification stage to reduce to 16 teams, in the March 28-April 1 timeframe (how many days will be required will depend on the number of teams entered). The online stage will be on RealBridge, and some teams may have byes to face to face stages.

Entry Information

Entries are now open. To assure entry in the 2023 Open USBC, you must enter your team by March 21, 2023. Additional entries will be accepted after March 21 if fewer than 16 teams (counting any team with a bye to the Quarterfinal as two, and any team with a bye to the Semifinal as 4) are entered.

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $500 for each team. In addition, each team pays session fees of $200 per session of play ($400 per day) for KO matches. The $500 event fee is due by March 21st, and is normally non-refundable after entries have closed. To pay the initial entry fee online, log in to the this site, then click on "Pay entry fee" under the User menu and then on Pay 2023 USBC Entry Fee. On the Square page that will take you to, select "Open" and then fill in your name and address and credit card information. I haven't (yet) figured out how to have you enter your team name, so if you're paying for a team of which you're not the captain, please also email me to let me know which one. To pay KO session fees, click on "Pay Session Fee" under the User Menu and then select Open USBC.

Format

There will be 5 stages: the first stage, if needed, will be an online Round Robin among the non-bye teams to select the  teams that will play in the Round of 16; the other stages will be 120 board Knockout matches, starting with the Round of 16 on Monday, May 1st and Tuesday, May 2nd and ending with the Finals on Sunday, May 7th and Monday, May 8th. 

Seeding

The bye teams will be seeded on the basis of their bye position and then their Positioning Points, the remaining teams on the basis of Seeding Points. Positioning Point Information through the 2022 Reisinger is now posted and will be updated after the Soloway & Reisinger and again after the Vanderbilt. Individual Positioning Point Information and Seeding Point Information will be posted shortly after entries close.

Byes

After the Reisinger, the Nickell team (Nickell-Katz, Greco-Hampson, Levin-Weinstein) has 74 Positioning Points, and the Lebowitz team (Lebowitz-A. Grossack, Z Grossack-M Rosenberg) has 48 Positioning Points, with 48 required for the first 3 byes to the Round of 16. Bramley (Woolsey, Hamman, Weichsel) has 23 PPs, Hurd (Bathurst, Kranyak-Demuy) has 21 PPs, but isn't eligible this year, having won last year, and Rosenthal (Silverstein, Dwyer-Huang, Ginossar-Willenken) and Fleisher (Martel, Bramley-Woolsey, Grue-Moss) have 19 PPs each. No team can earn a Semifinal bye. Nickell could earn a Quarterfinal bye by making the Vanderbilt Final. A Kolesnik or Parrish could earn a Quarterfinal bye by winning the Vanderbilt.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form on or before March 14th if there is an online stage, or on or before April 17th if not. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card on or before April 21st. We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with Al or email a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to him, and she will upload and link. If you sent Al a convention card or link last year and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let him know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense to the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of the USBC. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. He will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Relevant Dates

Tuesday, February 28th: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods if there is an online stage.

Monday, April 3rd: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods if there is not an online stage or if your team has a bye to the face to face stages.

Friday, April 16th: Last day to make hotel reservations and be assured of receiving our hotel rate. The hotel may honor the rate for later reservations, but is not required to do so.

Tuesday, March 14th: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card if there is an online stage. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate.

Monday, April 17th: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card if there is not an online stage or if your team has a bye to the face to face stages. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate.

Sunday, March 26th: Last day for roster changes without Credentials Committee approval if there is an online stage.

Friday, April 28th: Last day for roster changes without Credentials Committee approval if there is not an online stage or if your team has a bye to the face to face stages.

Seeding, Setting the Bracket

After entries close and we have calculated seeding points for the non-bye teams, we will post seeding point information. The teams list will continue to be in Alphabetic order and team numbers for the online Round Robin will be assigned in alphabetic order. After the Round Robin, the teams will be assigned bracket positions and the teams list will be in bracket number order.

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the Open USBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

Available Documents

Draft 3 of Special Conditions of Contest for the 2023 Open USBC in PDF format (only change from Draft 2 is highlighted in yellow).

Conditions of Play for the 2023 Open USBC in PDF format will be linked after entries have closed.

Draft 4 of 2023 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

Positioning Points after the 2022 Reisinger, Individual Positioning Points and and Seeding Points in PDF format will be linked after entries close.

PCF

The 2023 Mixed USBC will select the 2 USBF Mixed teams for the Wuhan Cup at the 2023 World Championships, scheduled for August 20-Sept. 2, 2023, at the Palais des Congres in Marrakech, Morocco. 

Location & Dates - NOTE CHANGED END DATE

The face-to-face stage of the 2023 Mixed USBC will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency, starting on Wednesday, May 10th and  ending on Thurssday, May 18th. Room rate for the USBC is $136 per night, including internet. You can make a reservation for any or all of the 2023 USBCs at our online reservation page, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and mentioning USBF or maybe CHIRG-USB1. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The cut-off date to make reservations at our rate is April 16, 2023, but the online site will remain open after that and reservations will be accepted as long as the hotel has available rooms.

If more than 8 teams enter the 2023 Mixed USBC, there will be an online qualification stage to reduce to 8 teams, April 4-6. If the Open USBC doesn't need an online stage, and all of the Mixed players would prefer earlier dates, the Mixed online stage will be moved to sometime between March 28 & April 1. The online stage will be on RealBridge.

Entry Information

Entries are now open. To assure entry in the 2023 Mixed USBC, you must enter your team by March 22, 2023. Additional entries will be accepted after March 22nd only if it improves the format of the event. Each team must have 2 or 3 men and 2 or 3 women. No player who has qualified for the Bermuda Bowl may play in the Mixed USBC.

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $500 for each team, which is due when entries close. In addition, each team pays session fees of $200 per session of play ($400 per day) for KO matches. The $500 event fee is due by March 22nd, and is normally non-refundable after entries have closed.

Format

There will be 7 stages: the first stage, if needed, will be an online Round Robin to select the  teams that will play in the USA1 Quarterfinal; the other stages will be Knockout matches, starting with the USA1 Quarterfinal on Wednesday, May 10th and Thursday, May 11th and ending with the USA2 Final on Wednesday, May 17th and Thursday, May 18th. The USA2 Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches will be 90 boards long (1-1/2 days). All other matches will be 120 boards played over 2 days.

Seeding

The teams will be seeded based on ACBL seeding points plus additional seeding points for Round Robin finish if there is an online stage.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form on or before March 21st if there is an online stage, or on or before April 26th if not. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card on or before March 21st or April 26th. We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with Al or email a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to him, and he will upload and link. If you sent Al a convention card or link last year and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let him know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense to the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of the USBC. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. He will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Relevant Dates

Tuesday, March 7th: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods if there is an online stage.

Wednesday, April 12th: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods if there is not an online stage.

Friday, April 16th: Last day to make hotel reservations and be assured of receiving our hotel rate. The hotel may honor the rate for later reservations, but is not required to do so.

Tuesday, March 21st: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card if there is an online stage. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the Conventions Committee and rejected if not adequate.

Wednesday, April 26th: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card if there is not an online stage. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the Conventions Committee and rejected if not adequate.

Sunday, April 2nd: Last day for roster changes without Credentials Committee approval if there is an online stage.

Sunday, May 7th: Last day for roster changes without Credentials Committee approval if there is not an online stage.

Seeding, Setting the Bracket

After entries close and we have calculated seeding points for the teams, we will post seeding point information. The teams list will continue to be in Alphabetic order and team numbers for the online Round Robin will be assigned in alphabetic order. After the Round Robin, the teams will be assigned bracket positions and the teams list will be in bracket number order.

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the Mixed USBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

Available Documents

Draft of Special Conditions of Contest for the 2023 Mixed USBC in PDF format

Conditions of Play for the 2023 Mixed USBC in PDF format will be linked after entries have closed.

Draft 4 of 2023 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

The 2023 Senior USBC will select the 2 USBF Senior teams for the d'Orsi Trophy at the 2023 World Championships, scheduled for August 20-Sept. 2, 2023, at the Palais des Congres in Marrakech, Morocco. 

Location & Dates - NOTE CHANGED STARTING AND ENDING DATES

The face-to-face stage of the 2023 Senior USBC will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency, starting on Friday, May 19th and  ending on Saturday, May 27th. Room rate for the USBC is $136 per night, including internet. You can make a reservation for any or all of the 2023 USBCs at our online reservation page, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and mentioning USBF or maybe CHIRG-USB1. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The cut-off date to make reservations at our rate is April 16, 2023, but the online site will remain open after that and reservations will be accepted as long as the hotel has available rooms.

If more than 8 teams enter the 2023 Senior USBC, there will be an online qualification stage to reduce to 8 teams, April 11-13. If the Open USBC or Mixed USBC doesn't need an online stage, and all of the Senior players would prefer earlier dates, the Senior online stage will be moved one or two weeks earlier. The online stage will be on RealBridge.

Entry Information

Entries are now open. To assure entry in the 2023 Senior USBC, you must enter your team by March 28, 2023. Additional entries will be accepted after March 28th if it improves the format of the event. Each player in the event must have been born no later than 1960. No player who has qualified for the Open or Mixed World Championships may play in the face to face stages of the Senior USBC.

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $500 for each team, due when entries close. In addition, each team pays session fees of $200 per session of play ($400 per day) for KO matches. The $500 event fee is due by March 22nd, and is normally non-refundable after entries have closed.

Format

There will be 7 stages: the first stage, if needed, will be an online Round Robin to select the  teams that will play in the USA1 Quarterfinal; the other stages will be Knockout matches, starting with the USA1 Quarterfinal on Friday, May 19th and Saturday, May 20th and ending with the USA2 Final on Friday, May 26th and Saturday, May 27th. The USA2 Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches will be 90 boards long (1-1/2 days). All other matches will be 120 boards played over 2 days.

Seeding

The teams will be seeded based on ACBL seeding points plus additional seeding points for Round Robin finish if there is an online stage.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form on or before March 28th if there is an online stage, or on or before May 5th if not. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card on or before March 28th or May 4th. We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with Al or email a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to him, and he will upload and link. If you sent Al a convention card or link in a previous year and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let him know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense to the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of the USBC. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. He will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Relevant Dates

Tuesday, March 14th: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods if there is an online stage.

Thursday, April 20th: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods if there is not an online stage.

Friday, April 16th: Last day to make hotel reservations and be assured of receiving our hotel rate. The hotel may honor the rate for later reservations, but is not required to do so.

Tuesday, March 28th: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card if there is an online stage. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate.

Thursday, May 4th: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card if there is not an online stage. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate.

Sunday, April 9th: Last day for roster changes without Credentials Committee approval if there is an online stage.

Monday, May 15th: Last day for roster changes without Credentials Committee approval if there is not an online stage.

Seeding, Setting the Bracket

After entries close and we have calculated seeding points for the teams, we will post seeding point information. The teams list will continue to be in Alphabetic order and team numbers for the online Round Robin will be assigned in alphabetic order. After the Round Robin, the teams will be assigned bracket positions and the teams list will be in bracket number order.

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the Senior USBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

Available Documents

Draft of Special Conditions of Contest for the 2023 Senior USBC in PDF format

Conditions of Play for the 2023 Senior USBC in PDF format will be linked after entries have closed.

Draft 4 of 2023 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

The 2023 Beth Palmer Women's USBC will select the 2 USBF Women's teams for the Venice Cup at the 2023 World Championships, scheduled for August 20-Sept. 2, 2023, at the Palais des Congres in Marrakech, Morocco. 

Location & Dates

The face-to-face stage of the 2023 Beth Palmer Women's USBC will be held at the Schaumburg, IL Hyatt Regency, starting on Saturday, May 20th and  ending on Thursday, May 25th. Room rate for the USBC is $136 per night, including internet. You can make a reservation for any or all of the 2023 USBCs at our online reservation page, or by calling Hyatt at 877-803-7534 and mentioning USBF or maybe CHIRG-USB1. If you have any problems with hotel reservations, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will try to straighten things out. The cut-off date to make reservations at our rate is April 16, 2023, but the online site will remain open after that and reservations will be accepted as long as the hotel has available rooms.

If more than 4 teams enter the 2023 Beth Palmer Women's USBC, there will be an online qualification stage to reduce to 4 teams, April 11-13. If the Open or Mixed doesn't need an online stage, and all of the players in the Women's would prefer an earlier online stage, it can be moved to sometime between March 28 & April 1. The online stage will be on RealBridge.

Entry Information

Entries are now open. To assure entry in the 2023 Beth Palmer Women's USBC, you must enter your team by March 28, 2023. Additional entries will be accepted after March 28 if it improves the format of the event. No player who has qualified for the Open, Mixed, or Senior World Championship may play int he face to face stages of the Beth Palmer Women's USBC.

Entry Fees

There will be an event entry fee of $500 for each team, due when entries close. In addition, each team pays session fees of $200 per session of play ($400 per day) for KO matches. The $500 event fee is due by March 22nd, and is normally non-refundable after entries have closed.

Format

There will be 4 stages: the first stage, if needed, will be an online Round Robin to select the  teams that will play in the USA1 Semifinal; the other stages will be 120 Board Knockout matches, starting with the USA1 Semifinal on Saturday, May 20th and Sunday, May 21st and ending with the USA2 Final on Wednesday, May 24th and Thursday, May 25th.

Seeding

If there is a Round Robin, the Round Robin winner will select their Semifinal opponent. If not, the Semifinal will be set by random draw.

system forms

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form on or before March 28th if there is an online stage, or on or before May 6th if not. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will try to help.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card on or before March 28th or May 6th. We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with Al or email a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to him, and he will upload and link. If you sent Al a convention card or link last year and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let him know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the new Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense to the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of the USBC. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. He will also send it to the USBF Conventions Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Relevant Dates

Tuesday, March 14th: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods if there is an online stage.

Saturday, April 22nd: Final day to submit Recommended Defenses for any paragraph 3 or 7 methods if there is not an online stage.

Friday, April 16th: Last day to make hotel reservations and be assured of receiving our hotel rate. The hotel may honor the rate for later reservations, but is not required to do so.

Tuesday, March 28th: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card if there is an online stage. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate.

Saturday, May 6th: Final day to submit System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card if there is not an online stage. Penalty for late submission is loss of seating rights in one segment of a KO match (starting with the first match the team plays) per day that either the SSF or Convention Card is late. SSFs will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the ITTC and rejected if not adequate.

Saturday, April 8th: Last day for roster changes without Credentials Committee approval if there is an online stage.

Thursday, May 4th: Last day for roster changes without Credentials Committee approval if there is not an online stage.

Results

When the event has started, you will be able to click here to get to the results page for the Women's USBC. Once there, you can click on the stage of the event in which you are interested.

Available Documents

Draft of Special Conditions of Contest for the 2023 Women's USBC in PDF format

Conditions of Play for the 2023 Women's USBC in PDF format will be linked after entries have closed.

Draft 4 of 2023 General Conditions of Contest in PDF format.

ACBL Convention Charts in PDF Format; the Open+ Chart will apply for USBF events.

This event is for teams that want to represent the USBF in the U31 category at the 2023 World Youth Bridge Team Championships in Veldhoven, Netherlands, July 31 to Aug. 7. The USBF is entitled to enter 2 teams in this event, and will not be paying expenses (except the entry fee) for either team. To be eligible to enter the event, a team must:

1. Have 6 players, at least 4 of whom will not attain their 31st birthday in 2023, and the other 2 of whom may be one year older.

2. Have a Non-playing Captain.

3. Pay their own expenses for the event.

If more than 2 teams wish to enter the 2023 U31 event, the USBF will hold an online qualifying event to select the top 2. The dates for the qualifying event will be in April, and will be selected by the players. The format will depend on the number of teams entered, but will most likely be a Round Robin.

To enter the qualification event, go to https://usbf.org/2023-u31-qualification/enter-2023-u31-qualification and complete the entry form. Note that all of the players on your team must plan to go to the WYBTC; if a player drops off of a qualified team, the USBF Board will review their reasons and decide whether the team should still be allowed to go. Entries will close on March 31st.

With only 5 teams entered on the closing date, this event has been cancelled

The 8th JLall online tournament will be June 22-25.

Entries are now open. To enter, log in to this website and click here.

Entries will close June 1; if there are an odd number of teams entered we will accept one more team.

The Format will depend on the number of teams entered, but will probably be 2 days of Round Robin play to qualify 4 or 8 teams for 1 day KO matches.

Entry fee is $400 for the first 2 days of play and $200 a day for additional days.