The objective of Duplicate Bridge, as opposed to Rubber, is to compare your performance against that of others with the same cards. This is achieved by keeping the cards in a board and passing that board around the room. It is also desirable to play against as many different opponents as is practical. There are two distinct types of movement, which are aimed at achieving the twin objectives of ensuring that players play as many as possible of the boards in circulation and against a s many different opponents as is possible. They are the Mitchell and Howell movements.

The Mitchell movement is the more straightforward. East/West Pairs move up one table at the end of each round and the boards move down one table at the same time. The number of boards per round is calculated to ensure that the moving pairs play as many opponents as possible. Thus we play 4-board rounds with fewer than 9 tables, 3 boards with 9 to 12 tables and 2 boards with 13 tables or more. If there is an even number of tables it is necessary to introduce a skip, to prevent East/West from meeting the hands they started with after moving half way round the room. The arrow-switch technique can also be used, if a single winner is required for the event.

In a Howell movement the majority of the pairs move, so even if you start off East/West you will play North/South as well for roughly half the evening. In a Howell you generally play against the majority of other pairs in the movement. Again this depends on the number of boards to be played and the number of tables in play. It is normal to play either 13 2-board rounds with 7 or more tables and 9 3-board rounds with fewer than 7 tables.

Many players do not like Howell movements because they appear less ordered than Mitchells. Howells are used when there are fewer than 8 full tables to increase the number of opponents played against and to reduce the length of the sit-out, when there is an odd number of pairs. For 7½ tables playing a Mitchell the sit out would be half an hour, whilst a Howell reduces that by half.

The two complaints we hear most about Howells are, I do not like scoring and I do not know where to go. Bridge scoring is complex, but then so is the game, so anyone who can play it should be able to learn to score. Finding your way round is easy. Simply look at the movement card when you sit at your starting table and see who is sat where you are going to move to at the end of the round, then follow them all evening. There are always some stationary pairs to accommodate those who have problems moving round the room.

The alternative to a Howell is to persuade your friends to come to the club. That way we will have more tables and so will not need to play a Howell.