Bridge Near the Crossroads: Memphis Spring NABC
By Alex J. Coyne © 2019 Great Bridge Links
Memphis is known for the birthplace of blues and the location of the famed crossroads – but it’s also known for hosting the North American Bridge Championship for the year 2019, which took place between the 21st to the 31st of March. It’s one of the largest bridge events of year, and was packed full of excellent plays (and the who’s-who of bridge!).
The Play
The ACBL Headquarters is currently based in Mississippi, just a stone’s throw and little over an hour’s drive from the famed crossroads in Clarkesdale – and not too far at all from Memphis. This year, the play took place at the Memphis Cook Convention Centre in Memphis, TN; the perfect spot for blues, nightlife and bridge.
If you missed the event, the full schedule and Daily Bulletins are available on the ACBL’s website – and results for individual tournaments (and planning for your next ones) can be found at BridgeScanner.
You can also take a look at the Tennessee Bridge Association’s website for more information on the event itself, and some local games if you’re passing through the great state of bridge, blues and rock.
Aces & Knaves in Memphis
The world premiere for the long-awaited bridge documentary Aces & Knaves also took place at the event in Memphis, attended by some of the greatest names in bridge – many of which are featured in the documentary.
The film explores bridge like it’s never been seen before, and it’s something that every single bridge player should watch (and screen to anyone they would like to introduce to the game!).
Filmmaker and bridge player Jackie Paré had this to say about the premiere at the Orpheum Theatre, and was kind enough to send us the great image of Aces & Knaves in up in lights – thanks!
“The ACES & KNAVES premiere vastly exceeded my expectations. The house was packed, the venue was beautiful, and many of the bridge champions featured in the film were in the audience. The ACBL Bulletin called it ‘A gem! …humorous, frank, and personal!’ I couldn’t have asked for more.”
More information about Aces & Knaves is available at IMDb, or you can find them on Facebook.
The NABC Robot Individual
For people who can’t attend the tournament in person, there’s also the NABC Robot Individual played through Bridge Base Online, with free practice tournaments leading up to the actual event itself.
No spoilers! Results for the 2019 Robot Individual held over three days can be found at BBO by clicking here.
Next NABC Events
Preparing for one of the next great NABC events? According to the official ACBL schedule, the next NABC events taking place are…
- July 18 to 26, 2019 in Las Vegas
- Note: Las Vegas will also be the location of the 2019 Youth NABC
- November 28 to December 8, 2019 in San Francisco
- March 19 to 29, 2020 in Columbus, Ohio and
- July 16 to 26, 2020 in Montreal