Club
Qualifying team games during the months of September
- March
(81.8% sectional rated
50% red/50% black)
The GNT is a team knockout event, broken into 4
flights (Championship, A, B & C). The national
bridge championship is held at the summer North American Bridge
Championship (NABC) The event is restricted to those who
have qualified in their local ACBL district.
The US Bridge
Association conducted a GNT-of-4 championship from 1934 to 1937
before merger created the ACBL. The extended, grass-roots
tournament was re-established in 1973, when about 1500 teams
participated. Initial stages were contested in the 25
geographically defined ACBL districts. Champions of 8
zones were determined in a semifinal stage, who qualified for
the final stage at 1 of the NABC meets. By 1980 there were
6032 teams in the first stage. The zonal stage was
elimited in 1985; since then every District champion qualifies
for the final at the Summer NABC. In 1985, the event was
divided in 3 flights called A, B & C. The Championship
flight was added in 2001. Flight eligibility is restricted
by upper limits on career masterpoints
