Thanks to all of you who supported the All About Bridge event in Frome Library on Saturday 5 September, either by attending on the day or with your excellent Reasons to Play Bridge suggestions. John Perry, event organiser, said he was delighted with the response of the public to the event: 'Our aim was to recruit people for our Beginners' class in October. More than 10 people showed interest so it was a very successful day. I would like to thank all the club members who generously gave their time to support the event.'

The first round of the Somerset County League season got underway on Friday 4 September, with three Frome teams competing: Ray Nicholson’s Frome Butterflies are in the First Division and David Clayton’s Frome Fruit Bats and John Perry’s Frome Tricksters in the Second Division. The opening match in the Second Division saw a clash between the two Frome teams. John Perry writes: ‘The first half, 12 boards, was close with the Clayton team slightly ahead at the break. In the second half, the Clayton team pulled away from the Perry team to record a 15-5 victory. The Perry team were left to lick our wounds after we failed to bid and make two 4 Spade contracts. Our opponents bid and made one of these as 6 Spades, and the other as 4 Spades. Back to the drawing board for the Perry Team!

In the First Division the Butterflies got off to their usual rocky start, with a 17-3 loss, writes Ray Nicholson. The normal pairings in half the team could not be used due to team members being away or ill, but a valiant effort was put up against a team (Clevedon) who were almost faultless. As someone once said, the only way is up, (if we don't implode).'

Onwards and upwards to all concerned!

The club is affiliated to the English Bridge Union (EBU) and aims to provide friendly but competitive duplicate bridge for members and visitors. Boards are electronically duplimated and tablets are used for scoring with results available as soon as the last board is completed. The club meets at Wesley Hall, Frome, on Mondays at 7pm for Competitive bridge; on Tuesdays at 6.45pm for Improvers' Social bridge (with assistance) and on Thursdays at 9.15am for Gentle Competitive play. The Thursday mornings are aimed at introducing members to bridge without assistance and to play within a reasonable timeframe. Table money is £3 per session for members; £4 for non-members; the annual Club membership fee is £10. 

To join, or for more information, please contact Club Secretary Jessica Slater: jesslouise3@icloud.com

In addition, we provide lessons followed by assisted play on Tuesday evenings from 6.45pm and Thursday mornings from 9.30am.  For further details contact: John Perry on 01373 467508 or frome@bridgewebsemail.com

Frome Bridge Club now has a presence on Facebook and Instagram.  To follow us and see latest news, please click on the FB & Instagram links at bottom of the Left Hand column.

Frome Bridge Club’s teaching year - friendly lessons for Beginners, Improvers & Intermediates - starts every October. If you're interested in learning the game, or improving your play, please get in touch, even if it's midway through the year. Meanwhile, if you want to refresh areas of your play, do check out some of the Club’s excellent lessons, including new PowerPoint lessons: Click on Bridge Lessons in Left Hand menu.

One of the main laws, part of the foundation of Contract Bridge, is the complete transparency of the meaning of all bids made during the Auction. The prime aid to achieving this is the use of System (or Convention) Cards. Bids must not contain hidden/underlying meanings or convey ‘understandings’ that are not known by all at the table.

Complex systems and conventions are reserved for ‘High Level’ competitions and players, being banned from run of the mill events that we mere mortals play in, due to their complexity and time needed to fully understand them.

Producing a system card helps partners agree the meaning of different bids and gives the opposition a written explanation. During a game you should not refer to your card. It is for the opposition to use to aid their understanding of your bid and to help the director if an incomplete or incorrect explanation is given to a bid. As in verbal explanations of a bid, names of conventions should be avoided and details given in full where possible. A system card can also help a partnership improve their play and confidence on the basis it leaves no room for uncertainty about the meaning of a partner’s bid!

How Masterpoints (MPs) and NGS rankings work

Masterpoints are awarded by the EBU to players for success in all bridge events run under its auspices. Each Monday evening the Frome session results are uploaded to the EBU, with MPs awarded to players in the top ranks, depending on the number of tables in play. The MPs provide a measure of a bridge player's lifetime achievement, with points accruing over the years. In effect, the more bridge you play, the more likely you are to win Masterpoints. The MP scale starts with the rank of Local Master, awarded to a player with 100 MPs, and climbs to the highest rank of Grand Master, for which 120,000 MPs are needed.

In contrast, the NGS (National Grading Scheme) reflects a player's current performance level, and is a measure that can be tracked by any player on a weekly basis. Hence it is relevant to the vast majority of EBU members, from novices to ordinary club players to Internationals. The NGS calculates a current grade and grade band for each EBU member, which is updated whenever new results are received. EBU grades are divided into 13 playing card bands, ranging from Two at the beginners' end - less than 39% - to Ace at the top, 61% or higher.  A novice player's NGS grade will not be published until they have played in 150 graded bridge sessions. To view your NGS grade, visit:  www.ebu.co.uk/ngs