GUIDELINES FOR CLUBS TO ENSURE SECURITY OF BOARDS

Since it is damaging to the confidence of players if they have doubts that deal information might be insecure, it is sensible to do everything possible to remove potential causes for concern.

The EBU does not have specific policies to do with ensuring the security of pre-dealt boards but there are some ideas that clubs and counties might find helpful:

• Boards should not be dealt any further in advance than is necessary.
• If the person dealing the boards is going to play in the event, they should ensure the deal settings are such that they don’t see the hands during the dealing process. Having another person watching over the process is a further advantage.
• If the deal files are kept on a club computer to which many people have access, they should be kept in a password-protected folder.
• Printed hand records should be stored in a fresh sealed envelope, stapled if necessary, so that it can not be opened and re-used.
• Many clubs seal pre-dealt boards in plastic containers with cable ties that need to be broken in order to open them. Additional security can be provided by putting a signed sticky label over the connecting point, so that they cannot be opened and replaced with new ones.

This may all sound like over-kill, but it is preferable to allowing doubts to linger. Nothing is worse than for members’ integrity to be doubted without them being able to defend themselves, so removing the root of possible concerns must be preferable to that.

Gordon Rainsford         2019