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The Summer NABC will definitely be a BIG DEAL this year. The ACBL's flagship tournament will be transformed into an eleven-day celebration of the game that we all love, face-to-face bridge. The organizers of this event have been working tirelessly for more than two years in an effort to produce the best tournament ever, the one that revitalizes the game. They would definitely like you to come to play in Providence, RI, July 14-24. Please consider this your personal invitation.
To appreciate the many facets of this event I urge you to take a look at ProvNABC.org, the outstanding website designed and maintained by the local bridge community. You can count on its completeness, accuracy, and timeliness. It covers every aspect of the tournament, including the ACBL's schedule for all eleven days.
First and foremost, there will be lots of bridge. Hundreds of experts from North America and around the globe will assemble in Providence to vie for the NABC+ titles that are at stake. The rest of us are probably more interested in the ones that are just NABC events. Here is a list:
| Event | Flights | Starting Date | Days | NABC+? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand National Teams | 4 | Wednesday, July 13 | 5 | Top flight |
| Life Master Pairs | 3 | Friday, July 15 | 3 | Top flight |
| Wagar Women's Pairs | 1 | Monday, July 18 | 2 | Yes |
| Spingold Knockout | 3 | Monday, July 18 | 7,5,5 | Top flight |
| Truscott/USPC Senior Swiss | 1 | Tuesday, July 19 | 2 | Yes |
| Wernher Open Pairs | 1 | Wednesday, July 20 | 2 | Yes |
| Freeman Mixed Board-a-Match Teams | 1 | Wednesday, July 20 | 2 | Yes |
| Roth Open Swiss Teams | 1 | Friday, July 22 | 3 | Yes |
| Bean Red-Ribbon Pairs | 1 | Friday, July 22 | 2 | No |
| 0-10,000 Mixed Swiss | 1 | Saturday, July 23 | 2 | No |
The playing areas are spacious and comfortable. All reside in the Rhode Island Convention Center (shown at the left), which was the same facility that received rave reviews from players in the NABC that was held in Providence in 2014.
Of course, no one is required to play in any of the high-pressure events listed above. The schedule for the regional events is very diverse. Both team games and pairs games are offered every day.
Three-Flighted games—pairs or Swiss—are scheduled on the following days:
- Saturday, July 16 (pairs)
- Sunday, July 17 (Swiss)
- Tuesday, July 19 (pairs)
- Thursday, July 21 (pairs)
- Saturday July 23 (pairs)
My personal favorite regional events are the nine days of Bracketed Round Robin team games. The field is divided into small groups called “brackets”. Each bracket contains eight or so four-person teams with similar totals of masterpoints. Each team plays only the teams in its bracket, and the high-finishers in each bracket are awarded gold points.
Don't worry about finding teammates or, for that matter, partners. Lots of people will be looking. The tournament staff will move mountains to match you up with others in the same situation. You can read about how to take advantage of their dedication and expertise here.
The schedule includes far fewer evening contests than were commonly offered in days of yore. If you are disappointed by this, you should take heart in the fact that Providence is a very vibrant place, especially in the summer. The arts community is extremely active, and the restaurants are exceptional. The weather in Providence at this time of year has been described as "perfect". There is always something going on downtown; you may appreciate having your evenings off. If not, you can play in a Side Series or Zip Knockout.
If you need a day off, Newport, Cape Cod, Boston, and many other attractions are within easy driving distance.
If you can, you should definitely plan to attend Providence's signature event, the WaterFire display. It will occur on the first Saturday evening, July 16. It is really something to see.
This would also be a great time to consider a sponsorship. I can think of no better way to honor someone whom you have admired. Both sponsorships and memorials are available at many different levels. Detailed information has been provided at https://provnabc.org/en/sponsorships/.
I hope to see you in Providence in July.
Mike Wavada
District 25 Webmaster and Communications Chairman