Why the club may need a new movement

In an ideal world, every pair would play the same hands against every other pair. This of course is impossible since once a hand is played knowledge about it is available to use on subsequent turns. The best compromise is for every pair to play the same set of boards e.g. 22, 24  against all the other pairs. This would happen, for instance, in a 6 Table Howell movement, where there are 11 sets of boards and 11 opponents. Equally it would happen in a 12-table Share and relay Mitchell, where there are two winners. To obtain a single winner event some rounds are arrowswitched (the optimum number is about 1/8th of the rounds, for 12 rounds this is rounded up to 2).

When a club has a large number of tables in play, having one set of boards means that players will play a number of boards that other players will not. For example: If there are 17 tables then one North-South pair will play boards 1-24 and another will play 11-34: meaning that there are only 14 hands where they both played the same cards (11 - 24). In 2016 the EBU introduced a rule ('The 70% rule') that means that masterpoints can only be awarded if everyone is scheduled to play 70% of the boards available. Playing 12 out of 17 sets of boards only just meets this rule.

To improve the amount of competition between pairs, therefore, fewer different boards must be in circulation. This can either be done by sharing the boards on several tables by design (for example an 'Appendixed Mitchell' movement) or by necessity (e.g. sharing boards in two sections run in parallel.). A 'Web Mitchell' is one such movement.

Advantages of a Web Mitchell Movement

• Every pair plays all the different boards in the session.
• The movement can handle any even number of boards (although 24 boards are normally in play and 12 rounds played, this can be increased to 26, or reduced to 22 if needed)
• Fewer pairs actually move: Only one pair per table moves with an even number of tables, one more for an odd number. This reduces congestion between rounds
• The actual move is very simple : EW move UP a table (like in a normal Mitchell), the boards move DOWN a table (again like a normal Mitchell), except for two relay tables (and the highest numbered two tables when there are an odd number of tables in play
• Arrow switching occurs at ALL tables for the last two rounds.

Disadvantages of a Web Mitchell

• Unless two sets of boards are provided, each table will have to duplicate the first board that they play.
• Tables taking boards from a relay may have to duplicate boards manually for several rounds.
• If there aren't two sets then Table 1 will have to play a board earlier than anyone else.

Duplicating Boards

If only one set of boards is pre-dealt, the players, as they form the table, will have to sort the undealt board into ordered suits. Put sets of boards onto 12 tables before the start, making sure that board 1 is at table 1.

• Once the hand is played, each player takes out the suit in their slot.
• The player takes the cards from the suit that they originally held and then passes the remainder clockwise
• Although the 4th player should have all the remaining cards in the suit - they should still check.

Setting out  a Web Mitchell in the club - for TDs

It is assumed that there will be at least 14 tables in play. With 13 or 12 a simple Mitchell type Movement is preferable, with 11 a hesitation Mitchell, with 10 or fewer a 3/4 Howell.

Consider the room as being in two halves (West and East or Lower and Upper)

1. For the lower half: Put out boards in ascending order up to Table 7 (14 or 15 tables) or Table 8 (16 or 17 tables)
2. Put the remainder of the first set of boards on a relay table (which will be close to the main entrance) - call this relay-1 (although one table may host both sets of boards)
3. For the higher half, put the highest board set (23-24) on the highest EVEN table number
4. Put out the boards in ascending order (starting with 1-2) as you go DOWN the tables towards the door
5. Put the remaining boards (13-22, 14 or 15 tables, 15-22, 16 or 17 tables) on a relay table (which will be close to the main entrance))
6. If there is only one set of boards pre-dealt you will have to play board 1 before you start the full session, and before you know the total number of tables
7. The reason for this is that table 1 and the highest table (if odd) will have to share - and another table (Table 13 or 15) also needs these boards.
8. Once hand 1 is played, duplicate it and put it/ them on the highest - 2 table - and the highest if an odd number. Put hand 2 on your table.

Running a Web Mitchell

1. If there are an odd number of tables, you will be sharing with the highest-numbered table.
2. Tell the NS pair at the highest table in the lower section that they will be taking the boards in order from Relay-1
3. Tell the NS pair at the lowest table in the upper section that they will be putting the boards in reverse order onto Relay-2
4. If there are an odd number of tables, announce that EW will move from table 15/17 to NS at table 14/16 and then to table 1
5. At the end of each round TAKE the boards you have just played to Relay-1 and BRING BACK the highest set of boards from Relay-2 and give them to the highest even-numbered table.
6. Once you have played hand 2 in the first round, duplicate it and give it to the highest -2 table. If sharing, give the copy to the highest table.
7. After that is is straightforward.