On the 2nd November we had to pleasure of our mentor/mentees taking part in the Ernest Lawson competition.  This long running tournament is specifically aimed at our students and their mentors and the top pair at the end of the evening have the honour of holding the cup for a year.  We had several new pairing playing for the first time together daring to take part in this event, and I am delighted to report that one of these actually won the competition - Michael Bailey and Dorothy Hurrell were victorious - many congratulations to this new dynamic duo!

On Sunday the 12th November the RAC held its annual Ros and Bob Bowman Championship Pairs Event.  It was a couple of weeks late this year and collided with Remembrance Sunday, next year I assure you all we will be back to the usual last Sunday in October this being the 27th!

We were 9 tables in Session I, and in all honesty Henry and I were leaving after the first 24 hands which of course meant there would be 8 1/2 tables for the second half - I felt to guilty we stayed on!  Gosh what a marathon 48 hands - I think I was literally asleep at the table by 9pm.

I’m very happy to say the RAC really prevailed as Pralab Barua and his partner Geoff Lane (MCC) not only won Session I, they then won the Session II and were clearly the overall winners.  Pralab will be triumphantly held on high and paraded through our next club night Duplicate!!  

Our own RAC players Andrew Kisiel and David Glass came in second in Session I and our club friends Fauzia Crockford and Robin Bencard from the Lansdowne came in second on the session II.  Many congratulations to both pairs.

All in all a fun afternoon including a wonderful high tea, the RAC produced fine fair to keep us going and I hear the cake was particularly well received!

Fiona

For those of you that do not know, this is an event held twice a year between the students and the duplicate players. It is a teams of 8, and it gives a great opportunity to the students to learn and improve. The students are the “upstairs” team and the duplicate players the “downstairs” team.

Usually the downstairs win easily ( unsurprisingly). But this time Anne had a strong team with four people who have benefitted from mentoring, and a ringer ( John Craggs). After the first half the upstairs team were 49 imps up. The downstairs fought back and won the second half, but not enough; the eventual score being the upstairs winning by 39 imps.

Well played everybody.

Anne Catchpole

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On Saturday 30 September we played our inaugural match against one of our reciprocal clubs - the Royal International Club Château Sainte-Anne. 

Our guests came generously bearing gifts - delicious macarons from Laduree and artisanal Belgian chocolates which the two teams partook of with tea and after a delectable dinner. I wish we could report that the RAC team felt obliged to reciprocate our guests kindness by being good hosts in losing by a narrow margin, however we would be lying - our visitors beat us fairly and squarely. It was a match of two halves with our visitors winning the first half by 57 Imps and the RAC coming back to win the second session by 47 Imps to lose the overall match by the narrow margin of 10 Imps. 

There were 3 swing slam boards in the first half which combined to give our visitors such a commanding lead and ironically not bidding slams was the correct decision! Marina and Terry were unbelievably unlucky with their 33 point 6NT bid going one off against their opponents “under bid” of 3NT +2. Zut alors.

Lester who took the initiative to set up the fixture and captained the RAC team remarked whilst welcoming our guests at dinner that he expected this new fixture would both be successful and long lived as firstly, our two countries were on the same side in support of the hopefully soon to be successful European Ryder Cup team at the weekend. Secondly, we are both home to the two most famous fictional detectives in the world viz. Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes not to mention Tintin and Miss Marple. Thirdly and most importantly the camaraderie that was established in such a short time through the afternoon was plain to see. 

The apres bridge dinner speeches were longer than normal with Lester’s kindness showing through and Jean, the visitors’ captain rambling in the most delightful English with such generosity of spirit. Extraordinary really that such new acquaintances should feel like long term friends in the space of an afternoon and evening. Hopefully this fixture could become a winner for years to come.

The RAC was represented by Lester Pereira and Howard Salter , Michael Bailey and David Manooch, Marina and Terry and Andrew Kisiel and David Glass. It was a very enjoyable fixture and we look forward to redeeming ourselves whilst taking on our new friends on their own turf next year. 

Michael 

One of my pet hates in bidding is distorting the responder’s hand to bid a four - card major. Dare I remind my reader (hopefully a few left) of several adages I have flogged in my columns.

1. There is no point in bidding bad four card majors without playing strength. Jxxx useless, unless P has 4 as well and honours.
2. If you want to know how good your suit is look at the fourth card.
3. Queens are overvalued devalue the points.
4. Broken suits need support opposite. They are not good to play in without it.

B5 at Woodcote threw up all these on 13/3. These were the EW hands (rotated for convenience).

                 S. Q82                     S.A1095

                 H.AKJ9632             H. void

                 D.QJ                        D.874

                 C.10                         C.QJ9542

West deals and is vulnerable. He has 13 points but 5 of those are Q,J. Stick one of them in the broken H suit! The hand is weaker than it looks. He probably opens with 1H and East must respond. He would like to bid 2C but the hand is not worth it. Should he simply pass? With gritted teeth, 1S. The opener now realises how weak his hand is and says 2H. Minimum, decent suit not forcing. East does not like this but must pass. At the table he now felt guilty about suppressing his broken clubs. Why? He bid 3C, forcing game try, shows 5S and at least 4C. West gives preference to 3S which is passed out for -300 and a bottom.

 I could not resist the hand as it combines all my hobby horses.

On 21^st June, in a very elegantly appointed St James’s Room and in  a most convivial and friendly atmosphere, the RAC played its yearly match versus the Lord’s Taverners, a charitable offshoot of the MCC.

Cricket was very much on everybody’s mind and various distractions saw the home team down by 34 IMPs at half time.

However, in the second half the RAC players redeemed themselves and won by 10 IMPs overall.

The  RAC players were Lester (Captain), Howard S,  Paul W, Andrew, Pralab, Brigitte, Terry and Marina.

A gallant RAC team were second best on the night to a very strong Roehampton team, losing by 63 IMPs overall. The first half of the match was especially tough, going into the half time team talk 56 IMPs down. The second half was an improvement, losing by just 7 IMPs.

Roehampton managed to make some difficult games which we either missed or didn’t bid.

The loss of the first Ashes Test while we were playing added to a sense of temporary gloom amongst the RAC team, but this was soon dissipated by the splendid hospitality afforded by Roehampton. Despite the result, it was an exceptionally convivial evening spent with good company and interesting and challenging bridge hands.  The RAC team members were David W (Captain), Pearse, Sally, Paul F, John K, Fay, Pascale and Mark. 

David Wilson

Super match won convincingly by The Hurlingham Club by 56 Imps.

At half time we were only trailing by 10 Imps but a few unforced errors in the second half created huge swings in favour of the opps.

Socially a huge success with HC captain Ruth Masri particularly complimentary about the dinner menu and the Segrave Room which was an exceptional location to host dinner for 24.

The RAC players were Michael, Lester, Nick, Sacha, Pauli, Ina, Howard W, Robin, John C, Pascale, Terry and Marina.

Michael Bailey

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8 members of the RAC Bridge Circle flew, drove and trained their way from London to Edinburgh to take on the Scots in their home capital in the inaugural bridge match against the New Club on Princes Street which was founded in 1787 and overlooks the majestic Edinburgh Castle. Rachel, the New Club team captain, is a professional archivist and met her own majesties, King Charles III and Queen Camilla during their recent coronation visit. Our team captain, Lester, may have equal connections to royalty but for the moment is keeping them to himself.

As to the match, the team of Lester, Michael, Pauli, Ina, Marina, John, Sally and Paul ran out worthy winners by 133 Imps over 24 boards. The game was played at a brisk pace in an extremely relaxed fashion and everyone got on really well. The post match dinner was excellent and the New Club members are looking forward to a return invitation to Pall Mall in a year’s time.

This match was arranged by Lester, supported by Fiona, and he should be congratulated for doing such a splendid job, including overseeing the bridge arrangements on the day and for a charming speech at dinner.

Michael

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On the 15th May the RAC hosted 96 Bridge players (12 teams) taking part in the Centenary Cup at the RAC in Pall Mall.

I was very pleased that the RAC Woodcote Park team were able to join us, last year the train strikes spoilt our fun! Play commenced at 5.30pm and was followed by dinner, I must admit 98 people for dinner that’s including our Bridge Directors was a bit of a squash, but I hope and believe a good time was had by all!

Many congratulations to the Saville Club who won the tournament.  Sadly the Centenary Cup was away being engraved and I wanted to find something to present to the winners as you can see from the attached pictures the trophy I found was rather small!!!  

Victor did a wonderful job and looked very smart in a Bridge themed bow tie and ably support by none other that Ned Paul.

Photos by Fiona McWatters: Centenary Cup Winners Savile Club