Bulletin

The Friday evening duplicate is cancelled on 13 December but will be held at the club in the Main Hall as usual on the day before—on Thursday 12 December.

Please allow extra time travelling to or from the club from the Richmond direction if using public transport at the weekend, 5 & 6 September. There is no service on the District line between Turnham Green and Richmond at the weekend.

There’s still time to give yourself a chance of a £500 prize by signing up and playing in our Half Marathon on Saturday 27 July—details in the poster.

due to some very last‑minute dropouts which make the session unviable on this occasion.

Come along on Wednesday 21 August for a lighthearted evening duplicate with complimentary nibbles and no NGS. Everyone is welcome. Nibbles from 7.00pm; duplicate starts at 7.30pm.

Unfortuanetely, we have cancelled the Wednesday duplicate, scheduled this week for 21 August. due to too few registrations.

It is not too late to enter the Mixed Pairs this coming Sunday 19 May. And we are delighted to say that the leading pairs in this event will be eligible to win one of four fantastic prizes being offered by the organisers of the International Deauville Bridge Festival in July.

Any last‑minute entries to the 2024 YCKO accepted until Wednesday 31 January.

The club is closed as usual over Easter, so there are no Friday morning and no Friday evening duplicates on 29 March.

The regular Super Wednesday Duplicate is suspended on 20 March this week due to too few registrations.

New Friday morning games start this week.

The Friday evening duplicate this week on 17 January is upstairs in the Warwick Room.

The first scheduled date for our Autumn 2024 Super League matches is 28 AugustWednesday this week.

Members are welcome to attend the club AGM to be held this year just before the regular duplicate on Friday 20 October.

From Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 October, there will be no District line service between Earl’s Court and Ealing Broadway/Kensington (Olympia)/Richmond. This means Ravenscourt Park, the closest station to the club, will not be in use. Hammersmith, a ten‑minute walk or short bus ride away, is the closest station served by other lines.

Current standings in the Women’s Swiss Teams held this year over the weekend 18 & 19 November.

Play your match
at the Young Chelsea in the London MindSports Centre.

at the London MindSports Centre.

As Monday 8 May is a bank holiday, the weekly evening supervised game will not take place that day.

Please would you register your pair for any Monday evening duplicate in which you plan to play.

Our March ladder is now under way. Play on at least one Monday during the month to maximize your chances!

Help Ukraine Emergency Appeal

The club has raised  £7,628.

For any information

Contact the Management Team

manager@ycbc.co.uk

07713 322420

Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Registered Charity Number 1158813

Release 2.19r
Come and play your match at our premises     

Live ranking

 
What’s happening this week
 
 

Young Chelsea Bridge Club

Week starting 13 January 2025

     

Monday

7.30pm

Beginners Lesson—Contact club

Monday

7.30pm

Practice Play Session — Beginners/Improvers

Tuesday

11.00am

Goldhawks Duplicate—Everyone welcome

Tuesday

11.00am

Goldhawks Individual and Christmas Party—Everyone welcome

 

11.00am

Introduction to Bridge Seminar—For juniors aged approximately 9–19

 

7.00pm

HCC Bridge Taster Session — Contact club

 

7.15pm

New Chiswick Duplicate — Everyone welcome

Wednesday

7.00pm

Improvers Lesson—Contact club

 

7.30pm

Next Step Lesson—Contact club

 

2.00pm

Online Supervised Play — Beginners/Improvers

Wednesday

7.15pm

YC Super League Division Two—Pre‑entry required

 

7.30pm

YC Super League Division One—Pre‑entry required

Wednesday

7.00pm

Matchpoint Pairs Duplicate, Complimentary Nibbles, no NGS—Cancelled due to too few registrationsEveryone welcome, registration advised

 

7.30pm

Next Step Lesson — Contact club

Wednesday

7.30pm

Next Step Course — Contact club

Thursday

2.00pm

Seminar: Pre‑emptive bidding—Registration advised

Thursday

3.30pm

Open Day — Student recruitment

Thursday

1.00pm

Beginners Course — Contact club

supesday

1.30pm

Beginners Course — Contact club

Thursday

1.00pm

Thursday daytime games are cancelled in favour of new Friday morning games starting next week—YC Thursday Daytime Duplicate—Everyone welcome, registration advised

Thursday

7.00pm

LMBA Garden Cities Heat—Pre‑entry required

Thursday

2.00pm

Seminar: How Good is my Hand?—Registration advised

 

3.00pm

Bob Rowlands Memorial—All welcome

Thursday

4.00pm

Kids’ Bridge—Contact club

 

7.00pm

Supervised Duplicate—Beginners/Improvers

 

7.30pm

YC Thursday Evening Duplicate (replacing Friday Evening this week only)—Everyone welcome

 

7.30pm

Next Step Lesson—Contact club

Thursday

7.00pm

Supervised Play Session — Beginners/Improvers

Friday

10.00am

YC Friday Morning Relaxed Duplicate—Everyone welcome

 

6.30pm

YC AGM—All members welcome

 

7.30pm

YC Friday Evening Duplicate—Everyone welcome

Saturday

10.00am

BGB Gold Cup Semifinals—Spectators welcome

Saturday

10.45am

EBU Premier League Divs Three & Four—Pre‑entry required

Saturday

11.30am

LMBA London Congress Swiss Pairs—Contact LMBA

Saturday

11.00am

James Jones Cup (Swiss Pairs) — Cancelled

Saturday

11.00am

Junior Auction Pairs—Registration advised

Saturday

10.30am

YC Half Marathon—Everyone welcome, registration required

Saturday

10.30am

Learn Bridge in a Weekend—Contact Ned Paul

Saturday

10.30am

YC Women’s Teams—Pre‑entry required

Saturday

4.00pm

YC Christmas Party — Everyone welcome, registration advised

Sunday

10.00am

BGB Gold Cup Finals—Spectators welcome

Sunday

10.45am

EBU Premier League Divs Three & Four—Pre‑entry required

Sunday

11.30am

Franklin To Championship Pairs—Everyone welcome, registration advised

Sunday

1.00pm

YC Mixed Pairs — Everyone welcome

Sunday

10.30am

Learn Bridge in a Weekend—Contact Ned Paul

Sunday

3.30pm

YC Christmas Party — Everyone welcome

Sunday

10.00am

YC Women’s Teams—Pre‑entry required

Sunday

11.00am

Improvers Lesson — Contact club

 

3.30pm

All‑YC NICKO Final, Thrower vs Robinson — Spectators welcome

Sunday

11.30am

LMBA London Congress Swiss Teams—Contact LMBA

Sunday

2.00pm

LMBA Mixed Pairs—Contact LMBA

Sunday

2.00pm

LMBA Palmer Bayer Pairs—Contact LMBA

Sunday

3.30pm

Keith Loveys Individual—Registration advised

 

7.00pm

Summer Party Buffet and Quiz—Registration advised

 

11.30am

LMBA London Championship Pairs — Contact LMBA

 

11.30am

LMBA Ian Gardiner Teams of Four championship qualifier — Contact LMBA

FOR YOUR DIARY
Final on Saturday 13 January.
London has cancelled this event in its current form due to insufficient entries. Should a suitable date be found, it will run online instead. Two-session green‑pointed pairs at 11.30am on Sunday 17 March, registration advised.
Inter-club teams‑of‑eight qualifier at 7.00pm on Thursday 21 March, pre‑entry required.
Sunday 28 July (running behind schedule).
Two-session matchpoint duplicate at 1.00pm on Sunday 19 May, registration advised.
For juniors aged approximately 9–19, Tuesday 28 May at 11am.
Individual for the Keith Loveys tankard at 3.30pm then dinner and general festivities from 7.00pm on Sunday 9 June, registration advised (reduced price for those skipping the Bridge Individual).
Two-session matchpoint duplicate, in support of England Junior bridge at 11.00am on Saturday 15 June, registration advised.
Saturday & Sunday 6 & 7 July, pre‑entry required—brochure.
Twelve hours of Cross-IMPed “pairs” (threesomes allowed) with minimum £500 prize for the winners on Saturday 27 July, registration required—poster.
Matchpoint duplicate (complimentary nibbles, no NGS) on 21 August, registration advised.
Single extended-session, mixed pairs at 2.00pm on Sunday 15 September, registration advised.
Weekend 5 & 6 October, spectators wlecome.
Women’s Teams over the weekend 12 & 13 October (Sunday-only entries half price) , registration advised—poster.
Friday 18 October at 6.30pm (before the regular duplicate).
Third weekend, 23 & 24 November, of three of the Premier League, pre-entry required.
No fear pairs Sunday 1 December, 2.00pm.
From 2.00pm until 5.00pm on Thursday 12 December, registration required.
Thursday 12 December at 3.00pm.
Wednesday 22 January.
Saturday 21 December—bridge 4.00pm, dinner 7.30pm and quiz 8.30pm, registration advised.
Two‑session teams qualifier Saturday 25 January at 11.30pm.
Tuesday 28 January at 7.30pm.
Two-session matchpoint duplicate at 11.30am on Sunday 2 February, registration advised.
 

LATEST

EBU December 2024 Promotions of YC Members

Congratulations to the YC members listed below who attained a promotion in EBU rank during December!

  • Croz Croswell
4 Star Grand Master
  • Steve Root
2 Star Grand Master
  • Claire Robinson
Premier Life Master
  • Richard Hazell
1 Star Premier Master
  • Mark Nelson
1 Star Regional Master
  • Eshan Singhal
Regional Master
  • Raja Krovvidi
District Master
  • Eduard Malhasyan
National Master
  • Boris Nedev
Regional Master
  • Graham Long
Master
  • Sebastian Sinclair
Area Master
  • Brendan Doolan
District Master

Item posted 9 January 2025

Time to Enter the Championship Pairs 2025

Poster

Revived last year, the Young Chelsea Pairs Championship, a one‑day two‑session matchpointed event, takes place again this year on Sunday 2 February starting at 11.30am. The winners will hold the Franklin To Cup (a handsome trophy, generously donated to the club in 2024 by Franklin’s widow Macille) for a year and will have their names recorded for posterity on the club’s honours board.

Please would you register, if you would like to play.

 

Item posted 2 January 2025

Young Chelsea Super League Autumn 2024—Report

The Autumn 2024 Young Chelsea Super League finished on Wednesday 18 December, the last scheduled date of the season.

 
Brian Callaghan, Nicola Smith, Neil Rosen and John Atthey from the Spring 2024 YC Super League Div One winners team HILLMAN accepting the prize
Brian Callaghan, Nicola Smith, Neil Rosen and John Atthey from the Spring 2024 YC Super League Div One winners team HILLMAN accepting the prize
 

Congratulation to winning team Hillman (Richard Hillman, Keith Bennett, Neil Rosen, John Atthey, Heather Dhondy, Rob Cliffe, Nicola Smith, Brian Callaghan), who finished strongly after a slow start. Prizes were the same as in the Spring season. First place received £600. [See more…]

 

Item posted 29 December 2024

Goldhawks Christmas Party 2024—Report

 
Chris Duckworth presents the Goldhawks Trophy to 2024 winner, Jayne Barber
Chris Duckworth presents the Goldhawks Trophy to 2024 winner, Jayne Barber
 

The Goldhawks celebrated Christmas with members bringing a selection of mostly home‑cooked treats for lunch during their Tuesday meeting on 17 December.

Club Chair, Chris Duckworth, directed the event as a seventeen‑player individual movement (one player sitting out in each of the rounds). Congratulations to the winner, Jayne Barber on 68.75% who keeps the Goldhawks Trophy for a year. Commiserations to second‑placed Robert Twell on 63.54%.

 

Results

Item posted 18 December 2024

New Matchpointed Pairs Ladder Competition

New Matchpointed Pairs Ladder Competition

Poster

Following a request made at the club’s AGM last month, we are introducing a regular matchpointed pairs duplicate game that we hope will be attractive to all our members. For the first six months of 2025 it will be held once a month, on a Tuesday evening, on the following dates:

  • 28 January
  • 25 February
  • 25 March
  • 29 April
  • 20 May
  • 17 June

Members are encouraged to play in as many of these as they can manage—there will be a Ladder cash prize for the three best games with at least two different partners over the season.

Item posted 11 December 2024

LMBA Palmer Bayer Pairs 2024—Report

 
LMBA Palmer Bayer 2024 winners Pete Challis and Sam Oestreicher
LMBA Palmer Bayer 2024 winners Pete Challis and Sam Oestreicher
 

The club hosted the LMBA’s Palmer Bayer pairs, a “no fear” event with methods restricted to simple systems, on Sunday 1 December. Six tables played 27 deals at a relaxed pace in the main hall. Afterwards the prizegiving took place in the bar, with complimentary drinks for the competitors and a hand discussion led by bridge luminaries Ian Payn and David Burn

Congratulations to Pete Challis and Sam Oestreicher who won with a score of 62.52%. This was Pete’s first win, but Sam has turned out for this event over many years and has previously won with a variety of partners.

 

 
LMBA Palmer Bayer 2024 club Chair Chris Duckworth and new young player Bianca Baratta
LMBA Palmer Bayer 2024 club Chair Chris Duckworth and new young player Bianca Baratta
 

The youngest player in the field, taking part in her very first competitive duplicate, was Bianca Baratta. Club Chair Chris Duckworth presented her with a special award to mark the occasion.

 

See the LMBA website for full results.

Item posted 2 December 2024

EBU Gold Award for Ian Payn

 
Ian Payn receiving the EBU Gold Award from Gordon Rainsford
Ian Payn receiving the EBU Gold Award from Gordon Rainsford
 

Club member Ian Payn was the recipient of the 2024 EBU Gold Award. Here he is pictured at the Young Chelsea just prior to the duplicate on 29 November 2024 being presented with the his award by EBU Chief Executive Gordon Rainsford (also a club member).

The following encomium comes from the EBU website:

Ian Payn has been involved in bridge administration for two decades: at local level when he was the Chair of the Young Chelsea Bridge Club who oversaw the transition of the club from a proprietary club to a members club; at county level when he was Chair of the LCCBA for many years; at national level as an EBU board member, as Chair of the then Tournaments Committee, as Vice‑Chair and then Chair of the EBU board, steering the organisation through the difficult period of Covid and responding to the online cheating issues that ensued; and finally at international level as the EBU’s representative on Bridge Great Britain and then as a member of the Executive of the European Bridge League, for which he is now the Secretary. The Board is delighted to recognise this outstanding and long‑term contribution to bridge by awarding Ian its highest honour, the Gold Award.

 

Item posted 30 November 2024

Young Chelsea Knockout 2024

YCKO 2024

Seventeen teams have entered this year’s competition. The club will contact those teams which entered last year and have not yet done so this year.

After seeding the teams by NGS, the draw (updated regularly with match results) has been made. The competition is now under way and teams should contact their opponents to arrange a match date. Once the teams have a date agreed they should book the match in with the club at bookings@ycbc.co.uk. The tournament is running late as the notional play‑by date for the Round Four matches was 9 June. Teams whose next‑round opponents are known have all been informed of their opponents and should play their matches as soon as practicable, please.

The club made a draw on Monday 21 August to decide the Quarter‑final matches (from possibilities that prevent teams which have already met from facing each other again):

  • Brock v Phoenix
winner: Brock
  • Entente Cordiale v Muller
winner: Muller

The one semifinal match is:

The final match is:

  • Brock v Muller
winner: Brock

Once your match has been played, please notify the result to the club at manager@ycbc.co.uk, stating the names of the players in both teams as well as the outcome. Team captains will be notified of their opponents for their next match as soon as the team to be played is known.

The Young Chelsea Knockout (YCKO) is the club’s annual teams event that runs on “double elimination” lines—every team has to lose two matches before it is knocked out. Teams may consist of up to six players, all of whom must be YC members.

For 2024, the event will be played as a face‑to‑face competition with matches held at the club. Table money (inclusive of refreshments) per match will be £12.50 per player, all of whom must be paid‑up club members before taking part in a match. (Anyone who needs to may subscribe via the payments page.) Should the club exceptionally allow you to play a match online, the charge per match (debited from the captain’s/organizer’s YC account) will be the same as if played face to face. No other entry fee will be charged. Prize money will be £800 for the winning team, £300 for the runners‑up.

The winning team will hold the YCKO Trophy for the following year and will be eligible for a play‑off match against the team winning the LMBA London Championship Teams‑of‑four to decide which team will represent London in the 2024 Lederer invitation tournament.

Please enter by January on the registration page of the website. or by emailing the club manager at manager@ycbc.co.uk. (Entries are now closed.)

Team Rosters

1 Brock Sally Brock, Barry Myers, Frances Hinden, Graham Osborne, Richard Fedrick, Mike Scoltock
2 Tommasini Stefano Tommasini, Sebastian Atisen, John Atthey, Neil Rosen, Peter Taylor
3 Leslie Mike Bell, Tim Leslie, Ollie Burgess, Phil King, Sarah Bell
4 Binkie Brian Callaghan, David Burn, Heather Dhondy, Joe Fawcett, Richard Granville, Ian Payn
5 Muller David Muller, Trevor Mathews, Gordon Rainsford, Brian McGuire
6 Robbo’s Rabble Claire Robinson, Paul Barden, David Willis, Cameron Small, Jon Cox
7 Harris Steve Root, Jonathan Harris, Niall Igoe, Eduard Malhasyan
8 Verran Tony Verran, Ryan Stephenson, Andy Clery, Andy Conway
9 Entente Cordiale François Picard, Nicolas Leprovost, Gad Chadha, Steve Lee
10 Jupiter Boris Nedev, Christophe Grosset, Andrew Bannock, John Dagnall
11 Sushi Katharine Stynes, Debbie Sandford, Nathalie Shashou, Nick Sandqvist, Guy Hart
12 Lawrenzo Patrick Lawrence, Oliver Lawrence, Charlie Bucknell, Christopher Kemp
13 Duckworth Chris Duckworth, Mike Graham, Graham Sadie, Ben Payne
1 Phoenix Liam Sanderson, Ali Ahmed, Croz Croswell, Jon Thoresen
14 Boland Fergal Boland, John Dean, John Pemberton, Stephen Popham
15 Newman David Newman, Alistair Brown, Clive Freedman, Martin S Taylor, Dick Jordan, Simon Prager
16 Mad Men Jonathan Davis, John Wilson, tba, tba
17 Panda James Thrower, Helen Rose, Matthew Brown, Croz Croswell, Magnus Spence Jones, Ravi Athwal

[See more…]

Page last updated 5 December 2024

Help Ukraine Emergency Appeal—Report

 
Young Chelsea Appeal 2022—Ukrainian Staff
Young Chelsea Appeal 2022—Ukrainian Staff
 

We are delighted to announce that we have raised the grand total of £5,521.21 for the Help Ukraine Emergency Appeal. The club organised a special fundraising duplicate on 6 March and our Ukrainian staff rallied round baking cakes and donating Ukrainian goods for sale. The event attracted a great mix of club members and others, all of whom gave very generously and the funds rolled in. We are very grateful to all, and every penny will go to the Ukrainian people. [See more…]

Item posted 9 March, updated 19 March 2022

Results
Tuesday Pairs
Director: Chris
Friday Morning Relaxed Duplicate
Director: Shelley
Friday Evening Cross‑IMP Duplicate
Director: Gitte
Tuesday Pairs
Director: Chris
Friday Morning Relaxed Duplicate
Director: Shelley
Friday Evening Cross‑IMP Duplicate
Director: Gitte
 
MindSports Image
 
 

The London MindSports Centre, home of the Young Chelsea Bridge Club here in Hammersmith, is one of the best venues in the country to host your events.

For more information contact the centre manager: mindsports@ycbc.co.uk.

07564 947406

Young Chelsea BC
Young Chelsea BC

♠  ♠ 

The Young Chelsea Bridge Club prides itself on its warm and friendly atmosphere, where beginners, intermediates and advanced players have opportunities to learn and compete. It is truly the club with a heart and especially encourages and mentors its newer members.

Founded 1968, YCBC is one the oldest and probably the best bridge club in the UK. We are a member‑owned club, whose board of directors is committed to enhancing the learning and playing experience of all its members.

Our club features:

  • Comfortable, well equipped facilities with free Wifi

  • Duplicate sessions for all levels ranging from novices to world‑class players

  • EBU affiliated

  • Experienced EBU directors

  • Master points and NGS points awarded

  • Hosts available for most sessions—please come early if you need a partner

  • Licenced bar and refreshments available

  • Lessons for all levels

  • Mentoring program

  • Special tournaments

  • Registered charity

Don’t be misled by the name. Although the Young Chelsea is particularly welcoming to young players, we have many older members, some of whom have belonged since the start of the club back in 1968. There is no upper age limit—you are never too late to learn and play at YCBC (or YC as it is popularly known). Our original home was in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; now we can be found in Hammersmith.