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A Message from Anne Wright, LCBA

From the LCBA Chair

Bridge is fun…let’s introduce more people to the game
Many Leicestershire clubs have a team of teachers who are busy teaching bridge to students with the aim of introducing more people to duplicate bridge; specifically Ashby, Charnwood, County, Market Harborough and Grantham. I strongly believe this is the main way to reduce the decline in numbers of tables in our bridge clubs. The EBU also recognise the need for urgent action and they are introducing a ‘Festival of Bridge’ in early September where they hope, with the support of clubs, to raise awareness for bridge, recruit more bridge students and to raise £60k for cancer research. They are requesting a named Festival Manager for each County. (See EBU website for further details).
Please volunteer:,
* to be the Festival of Bridge Manager/Co-ordinator for Leicestershire
* to be an extra bridge teacher, or bridge teaching assistant so that we can further extend our teaching (offering a range of day and evening sessions). We also need help at County bridge club with duplimating for the student lessons (with more students, this should benefit all the neighbouring clubs).
* for the two vacancies on the LCBA Committee (one of which is the position of Vice Chair)
You can also help by:
* introducing bridge to your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, friends and neighbours
* placing notices up in your local library, golf club, bowls club, tennis club, village hall etc (if there isn’t already one there) telling people about bridge learning opportunities in your local area. If you would like me to e mail you a poster or deliver some to you, please let me know.
* putting a notice on your own face-book page and tweeting about it (if you use such things)
* encouraging people who you know who play bridge socially to join a club. Many clubs now have a more ‘social’ session that newcomers can be introduced to
* volunteering to teach bridge or be an assistant bridge teacher (for adults, school children, University undergraduates and College students)
* working together with other clubs to promote bridge; we should only see other clubs as competitors when it comes to the league, in all other respects we should collaborate to promote bridge in Leicestershire and promote each other’s sessions to members (See the list on the LCBA website)
* providing any further ideas you have to me
Please, everyone, make your contribution in order to reduce the trend of declining bridge players in clubs. 
Bridge holiday
If you are interested in attending a bridge holiday, no partner is required and you will receive a very friendly welcome from a range of holiday companies, including Bernard Magee Bridge, First For Bridge etc. Do join me in April in Ireland or September in Bulgaria; just ask if you would like further details.
Competitions
Meanwhile the LCBA continues to offer a range of competitions (league, pairs league, student competitions, various cups etc) that cater for a wide range of players with non-experienced prizes. Also look out for the upcoming two Green point events and the Charity Swiss Teams event (all held at County Bridge club). See LCBA website for more details.
County matches
Would you like to represent your County and improve your bridge at the same time? If so please contact Tim Glover and he can explain more timglover67@gmail.com

Anne Wright, Tel. 078 6616 8843, annewrightuk@gmail.com 

Last updated : 21st Feb 2024 14:15 GMT
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Our Christmas Raffle

Thanks to your generosity we were able to donate £200 to John Storer House as the result of the raffle we held at our party on 14 December.

Last updated : 21st Feb 2024 14:04 GMT
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Master Point Promotions

These are our members who have gained an EBU master point promotion in the past six months. Congratulations to all of you!

     

Promotion Date

Latest Ranking

Alex Nelson July 2023 District Master
Andy Williams September 2023 District Master
Ben Norton July 2023 Premier Life Master
Dave Buckley July 2023 1 Star Master
Freda Moore August 2023 1 Star Master
John Summerhayes July 2023 Tournament Master
Judith Simpson July 2023 County Master
Paul Anderson July 2023 1 Star Regional Master
Ruth Johnson August 2023 Advanced Master
Last updated : 5th Feb 2024 22:18 GMT
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Local Green Pointed Event

The LCBA is running a Green Pointed Swiss Pairs event at the County Bridge Club, St Oswald Road, Leicester LE3 6RJ starting at 12:00 on Saturday 2nd March.  A total of seven 7-board rounds will be played and the event is expected to finish by 7pm.  In addition to Green Point awards for ranking and rounds drawn or won, there will be prizes for the top two or three pairs, dependent on the size of the entry field.  The entry fee is £35.00 per pair.  See the LCBA site for full details and the entry form.

Last updated : 18th Jan 2024 16:56 GMT
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The 70% Club

Thursday 4th January- Stuart and John scored 71.18%.

Well done to you!

Last updated : 4th Jan 2024 22:23 GMT
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The Loughborough Cup (Nominated Teams)

Congratulations to the winning team of Mark Wiggins & Judith Simpson with Dennis Holness & Graham Hickman.  Their score of 76 IMPs easily led the field.  Trudi Porter & Freda Moore with Ken Moore & Mike Stevens took second place.

Last updated : 10th Oct 2023 00:28 BST
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Committee Meeting Minutes

The club committee met on 14 August and the minutes are visible from the appropriate menu item on the left.

Last updated : 21st Sep 2023 14:07 BST
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The Azam Khan Championship

The Azam Khan Championship has been won by Sheila and Peter Stockdale.

The top three places were

1    Peter Stockdale & Sheila Stockdale    61.66 %
2    Azam Khan & David Mitchell    57.55 %
3    Judith Simpson & Mark Wiggins    56.69 %

Many Congratulations!

Last updated : 1st Sep 2023 20:16 BST
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Play These Hands With Brian

Brian Stockdale writes

No doubt many of you will have been getting your bridge fix by playing on-line. As on-line bridge is the only game in town, I have dipped in and out over these lock-down weeks and whilst the social element is undoubtedly missing, on-line bridge does present some interesting facets of playing bridge. Perhaps the most obvious one is that although you are deprived of that intangible factor ‘table presence’, it is more than compensated for by not being ‘influenced’ by partner’s, how shall I put it, table mannerisms! What this allows you to do is to concentrate solely on bidding and playing your cards. Pauses between bids and plays are more likely to be the vagaries of the internet than pontifications by partner. It is in fact more like international bridge played with screens. I have tended to treat the sessions more as ‘practice’ rather than meaningful competition as I find it difficult to take it too seriously playing against ‘Moon Pig’ and ‘Little Miss Muffet’.

Sad though it may be, I have looked back at a few bidding sequences to see ‘where it all went wrong’ and hands where ‘one might have done better’ in the card play. I have collected together a few hands from the latter category that demonstrate an interesting aspect of card play and I have presented them as a bridge play quiz. See how you get on and then have a look at the commentary.

Stay safe, Brian

The problems and the answers will open in new windows when you click them.  You could save them for future reference if you chose.

Play problems 1               Answers to Play Problems 1

Last updated : 6th Jul 2020 11:03 BST
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Let's Take Less Time!

To help the directors keep our evenings to time you do not necessarily have to think any quicker;  there are several tips that will speed up the evening.  Try to bear these in mind:

  • Lead first and write it down later.
  • When the move is called get to the next table swiftly.
  • The Bridgemate user must score swiftly: enter most details before the end of the hand, then enter the result and offer the Bridgemate to your opponent. Saying something like ‘We got 45%’ is usually enough; going through how many bid which particular game can use a lot of time.
  • Opponents - you must be ready to check and then press the accept button.
  • Catch up: if you are late starting then you have an obligation to try to catch up.
  • Time yourself: you should be aware if you only have 4 minutes to deal with the last board of the set.
  • Limit your post-mortem until you have finished all the boards for the round.
  • Don’t ask for the meaning every time there is an alert.
  • Claim: consider claiming if you have a reasonably easy end position.
  • Use your opponent’s thinking time: you may be able to plan your own play better.
  • If your opponent is going to cash a long suit in dummy, decide on your discards. I bet you’ve watched someone agonise over their first discard and then when another winner is played do exactly the same again. It can hardly be a surprise.
  • Put your played boards somewhere easy for the TD or the next table to pick up. Please don’t hide them on the most obscure bit of the floor and then keep us waiting for them.
Last updated : 29th Nov 2019 07:50 GMT
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Club Statement: Privacy of Your Data

The Club Committee has written a privacy policy governing our use of your personal data.  You will find it listed in the menu (left hand side of this page) under the general heading of "All About Our Club".  Just click on that and you will find our policy document.

Last updated : 13th Jul 2018 10:02 GMT
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Bridgemates - Taking Care

Both sides are urged to be very careful in entering and agreeing the contract and the tricks.  On occasion we see impossible scores.  The Director who is trying to play bridge cannot do much to check on what you enter.  After the bridge is over the Director has no power to change these impossible scores unless the pairs concerned can help.  Otherwise, the scores entered must stand.

Last updated : 11th Aug 2016 22:04 GMT
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Results
Duplicate Pairs
The Jackson Trophy + Gimson Heat
Duplicate Pairs
Calendar
Thu 28th March 2024
Duplicate Pairs
Thu 4th April 2024
Duplicate Pairs
Thu 11th April 2024
Duplicate Pairs
Thu 18th April 2024
Duplicate Pairs
Thu 25th April 2024
The Alice Trophy
No need to book but the Alice Trophy will go to the highest ranked pair where neither has won any other trophy this year
Thu 2nd May 2024
Duplicate Pairs