by Neil Robinson

Just over an hour drive north of Chiang Mai is one of my favourite resorts, the Chiang Dao Nest. The site is beautiful, in a charming valley shaded by tall trees and with a mountain rising up so sharply that it looks almost within touching distance. The cabins are cozy (in the sense of nurturing and nest-like, rather than estate agents' jargon for cramped). Possibly most surprising to those unfamiliar with the Nest is that you will be served gourmet Western cooking (I definitely recommend the lamb tagine I ate for dinner).

On top of all this, the outdoor restaurant is an excellent location for a few hands of bridge. To this end, the Bridge Club of Chiang Mai held their inaugural Chiang Dao tournament there earlier this month. For variety there were three quite different events spread over two days, a duplicate pairs tournament, a light hearted Chicago tournament featuring some really wild bidding and an individual event. Particular credit goes to Chris Hedges for organizing the trip, John Bucher for all his work on movement cards and scoring, and Penny Ellis for handling the finances. Based on the reaction of participants, we are already planning the next such trip.

Kob Cavin and Martin Bagnall won the pairs, closely followed by Marjolaine Dionne and Pascal Tanquay. The individual was won by Neil Robinson, just tipping Kob Cavin on the last board. Tim Dickey was third and Chris Hedges came in fourth. The hottest competition however was for the booby prize in the individual. The result was a draw between Ruth Willmon and Pascal Tanquay—quite a contrast for Pascal between the two days, after nearly winning the pairs. Congratulations to all.