Guidelines for Duplicate Pairs

Bridge Movements

Duplicate Pairs bridge sessions at the Shrewsbury Contract Bridge Club are expected to be completed within three to three-and-a-half hours, during which there is time to play between 26 to 28 boards, the number of rounds played being dependant on the number of competitors present. On rare occasions a movement of 24 boards may be played, but this is only to take place when there are a relatively low number of tables and no sensible alternative movement is possible.

There will be an interval of no more than 15 minutes unless there is a sit-out

Mitchell movements are the preferred option, but Howells may be used when there are a small number of tables or a single winner is required for a trophy.

The movement selected by the director is at his/her sole discretion, but subject to these guidelines and the movements pre-set in our Scorebridge system. Once the director has defined the movement, he is not permitted to change it, or reduce the number of rounds, unless one or more of the competitors has to leave during the session.

Failure to complete a movement due to slow play is unacceptable. On average every board should be completed in 7 minutes. As it is the director’s responsibility to keep the session moving at this pace he may ask slow players to move on without playing a board so that the movement is completed in the time frame stated above.