All Abbeygate members and guests are warmly invited to our next

Relaxed Club Duplicate

Wednesday 28th February, Nowton Court

Please be seated by 6:35 to start play at 6:45

From this week onwards all Wednesday evening bridge will be played as relaxed duplicate sessions. We will play 18 boards to EBU rules at a relaxed pace, hoping to appeal both to less experienced and established club players. The results will count for Masterpoints and NGS. No need to come with a partner - everyone who comes will be able to play. If you would enjoy an evening of duplicate bridge at a relaxed pace in a sociable atmosphere, please join us, and bring your friends!

There have been some technical issues with the handicap scoring, but we hope to have this up and running soon. Only actual scores are submitted to the EBU for NGS and Masterpoints

Abbeygate members took the two top places at the Suffolk Bridge Championship Pairs last Sunday 21st April. Tim Evans and Chris Park were event winners, with John Bloomfield and Richard Evans a whisker behind. The competition was closely fought. 26 pairs played 50 boards yet barely two percentage points separated the top four pairs at the end. Congratulations to all Abbeygate players who reached the final

The full results can be seen by clicking on Championship Pairs

Tim, Chris and John along with Celia help the club by directing Monday night online Realbridge sessions, which are run exclusively for Abbeygate members. These are well run, enjoyable sessions at which all members are welcome at any level of experience. Just 20 boards against familiar opponents, on what has become the UK's most reliable and popular platform for online club events. Click on Realbridge on the menu on the left to join, Realbridge Information to find out more

	Mo, Ann and Bridget

Another full turnout for the Hospice Bridge Tea raised £2,050 for St Nicholas Hospice, bringing the running total since the first event to more than £47,000. Winners were Andy Lewis and Julie Ashdown in Section A, and Elizabeth Ward and Liz Crowther in Section B, Elizabeth and Liz achieving the highest overall score of 75.5%

Thanks to Bridget for running the event, to Ann Gibbs and her team for providing the customary delicious tea, to directors Mo and Jonathan, to Jen Godfrey and her team for making hampers for the raffle, all who gave raffle prizes and to many, many others who helped on and before the day to make the event happen.

Special thanks to all who supported the event by playing and donating generously, to Cavendish and Stansfield Bridge Clubs for the loan of playing and scoring equipment and to Clare Bridge Club for their generous contribution to the raffle

Look out for the next Hospice event in October!

A number of items of lost property were left in the hall, please contact Bridget or any Abbeygate committee member to claim

Abbeygate members Jayne Hunnable and Susan Nisbett not only came top at the club on the Tuesday evening ECats Simultaneous Pairs in March - they also came first in the national rankings, when all the results from clubs across the country were combined. A respectable score of 66% on the night translated to an impressive 71.3% in the national results. The Monday Realbridge session was won at the club by Tim Evans and Chris Park - who were ranked fourth nationally scoring 66.6%. Congratulations to both pairs! Click here for the full results

Two Abbeygate teams competed against some of the top players in the County last Sunday, in the SCBA Club Teams of Four event held at Elmswell. Pam Pope, Josh Clarke, Nancy Williams and Dave Allen took fourth place out of 23 entrants, while Peter Warren Denis Carter, Joan Hogarth and Susie Hull came in ninth. The result was closely contested, only 8 IMPs separating the first four teams after playing 44 boards. Nancy and Dave were the third highest scoring pair out of 46 on Cross-Imps. 

Congratulations to all our contestants. Any Abbeygate members who would like to know more about teams play and competitions please contact Team Captain Pam Pope

More than forty members turned out at Nowton Court on Friday for Josh's Masterclass on finessing. After a brief presentation (who knew there were so many types of finesse?) we were in at the deep end with some challenging and instructive card play, which kept us occupied for the rest of the afternoon.

Many thanks to Josh and to Celia and Nancy who provided expert supervision of the tricky deals, and to Nancy for tea and biscuits

Click on Josh Clarke to ask Josh about any aspect of today's Masterclass, and about bridge lessons for individuals and small groups

Click on Slides to see Josh's presentation, which ended with the diabolical deal shown above (6H by South. Lead: Two of Diamonds)

Click on Hands to see all sixteen boards with Josh's commentaries

Nowton Court

We play duplicate bridge at Nowton Court every Tuesday and Wednesday evening. Tuesday is our regular club night, Wednesday is a more relaxed session for beginners and improvers. Visitors are welcome at both sessions. No partner needed on Wednesday, just turn up and you will get a game. If you would like to play on Tuesday evening we will try to find a partner for you, click partner broker here or on the menu to the left. For directions and times please click club information here or on the menu.

Are you interested in learning to play bridge? Our successful beginner programme restarted in September 2023, and we are planning improver courses in 2023/24. If you would like to find out more click here

Would you like to learn Bridge, or know someone who does? From September there will be opportunities for all to learn, through Suffolk Libraries during the day and also at Abbeygate Bridge Club with a new series of lessons starting on Wednesday evenings 

To learn more, please email or call Nancy Williams, telephone ‭07884 334376‬, email nancylouisewilliams@icloud.com or click on 'Learn Bridge' in the menu

Could members please be careful to park only in designated spaces at Nowton Court, one car to one space, without causing obstruction to others. We are asked not to park in spaces reserved for residents. Additional parking is available at the front of the building, but please bear in mind that we are requested not to enter the building via the main entrance.

ONLINE BRIDGE

Abbeygate Bridge Club is running its online Club nights on RealBridge on Monday evenings at 7 pm.

These events are open to Abbeygate members only and table money will be £2.50, for which you will be invoiced later.

See Realbridge Link in the Menu on the left hand side of this page. 

If you are unfamiliar with the RealBridge platform it does enable you to see and talk to your opponents, for more information please go to:
https://realbridge.online/player-guide.html

Please make sure you have read the guide before you log in for the first time.

You can test your microphone and camera here:
https://play.realbridge.online/camera.html

The RealBridge Room will be open from 6.30 pm on Mondays.   Please log in no later than 6.50 pm.
After clicking on the link please fill in your forename and surname, e.g. Ian Jones (not I. Jones) and ID number (which is your EBU number).  Once you have logged onto the site please sit at a table with your partner and chat to them and your opponents while you are waiting for the start.

If you require any further information regarding the event please contact Tim Evans: tim@suffolkclocks.co.uk

Edward Wallbutton has kindly offered to be the Partner Broker  edward@wallbutton.uk 

There is a dedicated tournament for Bury, Abbeygate and Stowmarket members on Realbridge on Wednesdays at 7.00 pm. Bury Bridge Club is also now back face to face at Southgate Community Centre on Thursdays, 6.45 for 7.00 pm.   See the Bury St Edmunds Bridge Club website for details:

https://www.bridgewebs.com/bury/

Many Abbeygate members also belong to Stansfield, which has tournaments on RealBridge on Tuesdays at 4.00 pm and at Stansfield Village Hall on Thursdays at 7.00 pm  Click on STANSFIELD for details

Abbeygate Bridge Club is registered as a club on Bridge Club Live (see below). Members can play at any time of the day or night.

There are plenty more opportunities for taking part in online tournaments and the Suffolk Teams Leagues on the Suffolk Bridge website:

https://www.bridgewebs.com/suffolkbridge/