♣ ♥ September 2015 Diary Update ♦ ♠
Limpsfield Royal British Legion Poppy Bridge Tea
This year the Poppy Bridge tea afternoon will be on Monday 5th October at the Limpsfield Royal British Legion. I’m sorry to be giving you this news rather late – at the time of writing there are only about 4 tables remaining. Please contact Wynne if you would like to be included.
Wednesday morning lessons
Wynne is still keeping our brains active with her lessons on a Wednesday morning at the Limpsfield RBL. 09:30 – 11:50. Something for all levels in a friendly group but complete beginners are generally better seeking out a beginners class first. I am attaching the current lesson schedule which was a little out of synch and is probably likely to change a bit more – Wynne, I hope I have adjusted it suitably for the time being. If you’d like to come along, please try to let Wynne in advance, so that she can come prepared with sufficient hand-outs and practice hands.
Wynne has booked our Christmas Lunch after the morning lesson on Wednesday 16th December. Please book-in with Wynne if you would like to attend.
Bridge at Crockham Hill
Numbers for the main ‘Blue’ section have been very good and there are regularly 10, 11 or 12 tables. We have had a short period of running the ‘Red’ section – a beginners duplicate section. The current Red group are concentrating on Tony and Wynne’s BACH – Bridge, Amicable, Courteous, Harmonious definition but have added the word ‘fun’! As it’s often a struggle to find enough participants to make up a minimum of 2 tables, we are currently trying a ‘once a month’ approach. The next session will be on MONDAY 12th October (not Tuesday as per the website). If we stick with the 2nd Monday of the month idea, that will bring us nicely to Monday 14th December when the club is planning to be holding the Christmas Party so that even the Blue section can have fun!
Please let me know if you would like to play in our Red section sessions, you don’t need a partner necessarily. Singing up for the Blue section should be on the Contact Form via the website please.
Use the form found in the "book in" menu on the left of the main website page or click on the link below
♣ ♥ August 2015. RED SECTION MEETING 2nd MONDAY OF EACH MONTH ♦ ♠
Playing duplicate bridge can be a bit daunting but hopefully our players feel we are adopting a relatively gentle approach where everything is explained as we go along. For those wanting to move from being quite informal towards a faster and more formal side of duplicate bridge there is always room in the Blue Section. This process does not have to be rushed.
We start at 7.30) and finish no later than 10:30. It might be that you would like to start with fewer boards say and finish earlier.
Lessons - Wednesdays at Limpsfield British Legion 09:30 – 11:50 Wynne Gifford
Use the form found in the "book in" menu on the left of the main website page or click on the link below to contact either
♣ ♥ 23rd June 2014 RED SECTION HAS RESTARTED ♦ ♠
We have now had 3 sessions of the newly restarted Red Section. On 9th of June there were only 4 players so normal bridge was played all evening. Last night, and the previous Monday, our numbers had swelled to 8 so we were able to play duplicate sessions using a ‘Howell’ movement. The Howell movement enables each pair to play all the other pairs and the duplicate scoring produces one ranked list.
Playing duplicate bridge can be a bit daunting but hopefully our players feel we are adopting a relatively gentle approach where everything is explained as we go along. We will gradually move from being quite informal towards the more rigorous and formal side of duplicate bridge played in the Blue Section. This process does not have to be rushed.
We do hope numbers will build further so that we can have 3 or 4 tables as this will make for a more interesting experience.
If you, or someone you know, are thinking about joining us, do sign yourself up on the Book In / Contact Form at the top of the home page More specific questions? You could also use the Book In / Contact form at the top of hte home page for a message/question.
Hope to see you soon!
18th September 2013
Playing - Mondays at Crockham Hill
It is hoped that we will be able to start off a fresh cohort of newcomers to get the Red Section going again. It would mean that those who wish to join in can begin playing together very gently.
It’s ready to go as soon as we have 8 people who would like to give it a try or previous players to come back to the Red Section. To get us started, it would be helpful for me to hear from you if you are interested in trying beginners duplicate in the Red Section, and also whether you would want to play every week or, say, once a fortnight or once a month. We start at 7.30) and finish no later than 10:30. It might be that you would like to start with fewer boards say and finish earlier. Once we have an idea of numbers, we can try to synchronise calendars and get sufficient people signed up for a particular night.
Lessons - Wednesdays at Limpsfield British Legion 09:30 – 11:50 Wynne Gifford
- Wednesdays at Woodhurst Centre, Oxted19:30 – 10:00 Sue Barnes
Use the form found in the "book in" menu on the left of the main website page or click on the link below to contact either
18th August 2013
A number of us who had been playing in the ‘Red’ section, which was the slower and less experienced group, have started playing in the ‘Blue’ section, where play is faster and on the whole players are more experienced. This transition has happened partly because of dwindling numbers in the holiday period but also because one of the aims of the Red section was always to prepare players for playing in the Blue section. So news from the ‘Blue’ section is that we are surviving there! Practically, it is easier for us to start off playing East –West rather than North – South where North is responsible for writing down the scores as well. From my own experience, the first 2 sessions in Blue were the worst (most frightening) but so far it has been worth persevering. We have been grateful to the existing Blue section players who have been supportive and encouraging towards us newcomers.
This is not to say the Red section has finished though! Once we are into September we will circulate players past, present and future to see if there is interest for a revival of the Red section. This would give the opportunity for those wishing for a ‘starting from scratch approach’ to duplicate bridge.
Wednesday mornings at Limpsfield British Legion, 09:30 – 11:50 £5
Wynne has an on-going booking at the Legion, up on the Chart off Grub Street behind Limpsfield Infants’ School and the cricket ground. She has kindly been giving us interesting and challenging lessons and supervised play. We have considered doubling, redoubling and Fourth Suit Forcing recently and have also has some mornings where she has provided prepared boards to play, some of which have been particularly intriguing. If you would like to come along, do contact Wynne to let her know so that she can bring the right number of copies of hand-outs or boards. If Wynne is away any Wednesday the sessions carry on as informal play. I usually try to provide an overview of the lessons for you but have let too many pass this time. Hopefully normal service, from me, will resume next month.
Hope to see you soon,
Pam
22nd June 2013
Hi, Just to let you know we have been having fun, with a surprising amount of laughter on Monday nights at Crockham Hill. The Bridge at Crockham Hill website is being set up so that we can track our results (not always a good thing in my case!) It is growing by the day due to the enthusiasm and proficiency of its webmaster - Reg. Even if you don’t play on a Monday night there are games to play – check the left hand tab called ‘Hand of the week and more’. If there is any feedback you would like to provide about this new website, please fill in the comments section on the ‘book in/cancel/partner/contact tab on the left.
Plenty of bridge stimulation is available on a Wednesday morning too, at the Limpsfield British Legion. Two weeks ago Wynne had prepared us a collection of hands, most of which had the scenario where your opposition were bidding to game and you have reasonable hands and bid beyond game to steal the contract from them. The plan is to stop them getting a good score (which means you would be minus their big score) by sacrificing and perhaps going down by a trick or two. If you only go down by a few tricks, your score will be minus but probably not such a big minus as it would have been if you had let them play and make their game contract.
Last Wednesday we had a lesson on (Wynne’s) 1 NT Wriggle – a defence to 1 NT doubled. This is when you (or you partner) has opened 1 NT and the opposition has doubled you. You have been ‘interfered with’ so all your normal responses, like Stayman or normal transfers are off, but you need to escape from the 1 NT doubled by hopefully finding a suit to play in. Your responder may have to bid a new suit at the 2 level even if they have very few points and even if they only have 4 card suits.
In the case of them having 4 card suits, first of all they bid ‘pass’, partner recognises ‘pass’ as a signal and ‘redoubles’ and then they bid suits ‘up the line’ – partner goes up to the next one if they don’t like the one bid by responder.
In the case of responder having a 5 card suit, you use a system which is a variation on the theme of transfers. ‘Re-double’ from responder means ‘transfer to clubs’ – partner bids 2 clubs -, 2 clubs means transfer to diamonds, 2 diamonds transfer to hearts and so on. On balance you will be better in a suit contract hopefully with 7 in that suit, than in 1 NT doubled.
If the opposition start bidding normally, breathe a sigh of relief and pass!
The wriggle is a complicated process and you would need to agree and have practised in advance with your partner to use the system, obviously. I found hearing about it of interest because of knowing when to ask the ‘what do you understand by your partner’s bid?’ question of an opponent. Quite often, on a Monday night, we and the blue section both have half tables so a blue pair comes to play in rotation during the evening. Regularly they seem to bid strange things and this would certainly be a scenario of ‘When it is your turn to bid, you may ask the opposition about their bidding’..
Re-doubling in general is a gap in my knowledge and experience, perhaps we can ask for a lesson on that in the future.