The two Brits leading the field both make it onto the roll of honour for the July competition, Brian with 79/80 and Dave with 78/80. They extend their advantage over the chasing pack marginally, although there are some high scores from others in the Top 10 too.
Brian Spears, is a retired pharmacist from West Sussex, England. “I am an avid reader of all things bridge, who loves nothing more than talking bridge with a good friend who was a leading light in computer bridge programming, especially as it’s always over a beer!” says Brian. “No notable achievements, but a desire to continue to learn burns brightly. It’s always a monthly joy to read the expert analysis of the bidding panel hands!!”
The chasing pack are still hanging in there. Stephen scores 75/80 this month, whilst Alexander records a 77/80 that moves him up into a tie for the last place on the podium. Right behind them are Kevin (77/80) and Paul (74/80) representing the American challenge. Gurudev Shyamsunder, the leading Indian competitor, moves up into sixth place. You need an even 500/560 to make it into the Top 10.
The leading Canadian, Michael van Gulik, drops one place, to 12th, but it’s all very close. Just 3 points separate 8th place and 15th.
Despite the tough set this month, the number of players with an average score of 70/80 or higher rose from 17 to 18. There are now nine competitors from USA in the Top 25. There are also three from India and three from the UK (two English and one Welsh). Illustrating the true international nature of this competition, the Top 25 currently contains players from 14 countries.
The annual score is the total of the best 9 monthly scores over the year.
