---  B&BCBA LATEST NEWS  ---

The Metropolitan Cup, a team of 8 competition held between counties in the South East, was held on Saturday 20^th November. Berks & Bucks entered teams in the three sections ( A, B and C ).

The A team finished 4^th= out of 7 teams, the B team finished 3^rd out of 6 teams and the C team finished 3rd out of 8 teams. As you might expect the scores were all very close in all three sections with only a few VPs separating a number of teams.

The event was organised by Middlesex and run on Realbridge. Thanks to Gary Conrad, the chief TD, and his team of TDs for running the event so smoothly.

Thanks to all the Berks & Bucks players who took part.

The first Friendly Pairs of the season was held on Sunday 21 Nov. The new format has two sections, the Jack High Pairs and the 7 High Pairs. Although initially 24 pairs had entered there were a number of lastminute withdrawals and also some no shows. In the end there were 5 tables in the Jack high and 4 tables in the 7 High.

The winners of the Jack High were Keith Greig and Kenneth Rowe (who win the Tony Boothroyd Plate)

The winners of the 7 High were Andy Armstrong and Helga Armstrong.

Congratulations to them both.

The new Tessa Templeton Trophy will be awarded at the end of the season for the best overall pair in the 7 High events.      

The Bridge Plus Trophy is awarded to the winners of the end-of-season event for those who  played in the Graduate and Student Leagues in 2020/21.

Congratulations to the winners - Andy Armstrong on the left and Mark Wilsdon on the right, with the trophy.

Hearty congratulations to our team who finished 2^nd of 15 teams in Group B to qualify for the eight team final on 19/20 February 2022. Runaway winners of the group were London who lost only one match of the 14 by 9-11. Gary Jones was taken ill the night before the event and Steve Eginton stepped in to the breach. Our team was therefore Sally Brock & Barry Myers , Steve Eginton & Ed Scerri, Bob Holder & David Owen,  Mike Perkins (captain) & Ian Reissmann.  John Howard kindly covered for Ian in the first match on Remembrance Sunday. The event was extremely well run by the EBU and play was on Realbridge using “screens” and self-alerts. The screens meant that players were in audio and visual contact with one opponent only during the auction and play.

Swings can occur by inducing opponents to make a mistake. Board 39 was such an opportunity.

♠ J4

 ♥ 74

     ♦ 9643

        ♣ AK432

♠ KQ                                                 ♠ A85

      ♥ 1098                                              ♥ AQ6532

♦ 108752                                          ♦ -----

    ♣ J87                                                ♣ Q965

         ♠  1097632

♥  KJ

     ♦ AKQJ

♣ 10

The 10 of hearts was led to the ace and a heart returned. Declarer crossed to dummy with a club and led the jack of spades, won by west with the queen. A club was returned won in dummy and a spade led. East now thought for a while, raising declarer’s hopes, and rose with the ace. Was west putting the lead back to an entry less dummy hoping for a second losing spade finesse? There’s a case for East to double 4S which given west’s trump holding may lead him to find a diamond lead. This would net +500 for the defence. In the whole event 4S was allowed to make twice, failing 5 times. Part scores in spades also made 10 tricks 4 times. E/W can make 4H and did so 3 times with two lucky declarers playing in 3H doubled. 

The following teams will represent the county in events in November.

Tollemache Qualifying 13/14 November

Sally Brock & Barry Myers

Ed Scerri & Gary Jones

Mike Perkins (capt) & Ian Reissmann/John Howard

David Owen & Bob Holder

Reserves: Dick Davey & Nigel Wolfendale

Metropolitan Cup 20 November

A team

Dick Davey (capt) & Nigel Wolfendale

Peter & Dee Lindon

Nick Doe & Simon Husband

Mike Ribbins & Pat Dowdeswell

B team

Daisy Dillon & Hanna Tuus

Barry Read & Ilan Sirkis

Gordon Maxwell & Marc Rivoira (capt)

James Bond & Chris Hall

C team

Mick Green (capt) & Giorgio Jeronimidis

Andy & Michelle Margetts

Nigel Thompson & Tony Hawthorn

Mike Nunn & Gary Stevens

We wish the teams every success.