Time to Enter the 2026–2027 NICKO
The National Inter‑Club Knock‑Out 2026–2027 season is coming soon. Entries to the EBU close at midday on Monday 9 October.
Last season, the club entered teams captained by the following: Graham Sadie, Claire Robinson, Boris Nedev, Richard Hillman, Guy Hart, David Muller, Tim Leslie/Ben Norton, Niall Igoe and James Thrower. Hopefully all will want to enter again, and other members are also welcome to enter teams—the more the merrier.
To all NICKO team captains: Please enter your team by emailing the club with the names of your team members as soon as possible. We will then check your eligibility and forward the entries to the EBU. All team members must be bona fide club members as detailed in the eligibility requirements—see:
www.ebu.co.uk/competitions/national-inter-club-knock-out-nicko
Please also note that teams are asked to indicate willingness (or otherwise) to play matches online in the early rounds of the competition. Later rounds will default to face‑to‑face, but early matches may be played online to reduce travel costs etc.
The NICKO entry fee is £106 per team (less for teams containing juniors, who are charged at half price) which will be deducted from the team captain’s YC club account.
Looking forward to receiving your entries and to a successful season in the competition.
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Item posted 12 September 2026
EBU August 2026 Promotions of YC Members
Congratulations to the YC members listed below who attained a promotion in EBU rank during August!
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2 Star Grand Master |
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1 Star Premier Regional Master |
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Grand Master |
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Grand Master |
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Premier Life Master |
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2 Star Premier Master |
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1 Star Master |
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Club Master |
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Regional Master |
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District Master |
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Local Master |
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Premier Master |
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County Master |
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Item posted 9 September 2026
Two Young Chelsea Teams to Contest the 2025–2026 NICKO Final
It is safe to predict that a Young Chelsea team will win the NICKO this season as two have battled through all the earlier rounds and will face each other in the final. They are YC B (Paul Barden, Sally Brock, Barry Myers, Claire Robinson, Cameron Small and David Willis) and YC D (Brian Callaghan, Heather Dhondy, Richard Hillman, Ambrose Holmes‑Mackie, Paula Leslie and Nicola Smith).
Meanwhile in the plate YC H (Maruša Baša, Jonathan Harris, Niall Igoe, Eduard Malhasyan and Steve Root) will face whichever Sheffield BC team gets through the remaining semifinal.
Good luch to all our players involved.
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Item posted 8 September 2026
Summer Party and Keith Loveys Individual 2026—Report
Tournament director David Muller presenting the winner’s trophy to Brian Callaghan
The Young Chelsea Individual is held in memory of the late Keith Loveys, a popular club member and expert bridge player. At eight tables, entries were significantly higher than they were last year. As usual, the event was part of the Summer Party this year on Saturday 26 July.
Congratulations to the overall winner Brian Callaghan finishing on 68.45%.
The event featured winners for each compass direction; Brian was the top South player. First amongst the Norths was Sara Chiappara on 56.85%, amongst the Easts was Barry Myers on 57.14% and amongst the Wests was Martin Baker on 61.31%.
Results
[See more…]
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Item posted 26 July 2026
London Congress 2026 at the YC—Report
LMBA Treasurer Brian Callaghan with London Congress 2026 Pairs winners Sarah Kosch and Jon Cooke
The Young Chelsea is affiliated to the LMBA which, as last year, ran the London Congress at the club. This year’s event took place over the weekend of 4 & 5 July. On the Saturday, 40 pairs played a seven‑round Swiss Pairs.
Congratulation to the winners, over a match clear of second place, on 119 VPs Sarah Kosch and Jon Cooke. Their prize was £200.
Results
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London Congress 2026 Teams winners Steve Raine, David Willis, Andi Boughey and Adam Hickman
On the Sunday 17 teams played a six‑round Swiss Teams.
The results were close at the top with the final ranking in doubt up to the last board. Congratulations to the winning team on 81.51 VPs: Steve Raine, David Willis, Andi Boughey and Adam Hickman. They received a £240 prize.
Results
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[See more…]
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Item posted 14 July 2026
Young Chelsea Players Win European Women’s Teams 2026
European Women’s Teams 2026—Winners England: Nevena Senior, Helen Erichsen, Fiona Brown, Charlotte Bedford, Lucy Norman, Nicola Smith and NPC Derek Patterson
Congratulations to the triumphant England Women’s Team of Nevena Senior, Helen Erichsen, Fiona Brown, Charlotte Bedford, Lucy Norman and Nicola Smith who won the 2026 European Women’s Championships played in Riga finishing on 7 July.
Nicola is a Young Chelsea member and plays regularly in the Super League. The others are from further afield, but all turned out for the most recent YC Women's Teams (perhaps a proving ground) in November 2025.
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Item posted 10 July 2026
Young Chelsea Members Win European Mixed Pairs 2026
European Mixed Pairs 2026—Second: Poland’s Danuta Kazmucha and Maciej Hutyra, Winners: England’s Claire Robinson and Daniel McIntosh, and Third: Türkiye’s Esra Öztemir and Arda Dağcıoğlu
Huge congratulations to Claire Robinson and Daniel McIntosh who won the European Mixed Pairs 2026, played in Riga over the last four days of June.
They easily managed two days of qualification from an initial entry of 37 pairs to reach the semifinal. Their following one day of semifinal was just good enough to scrape through. Then, after two of three sessions in the ten‑pair final they were average. But an above‑70% last session saw them leapfrog the field to claim first place for England on 57.82%. Poland finished second on 55.00% and Türkiye third on 54.64%.
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Item posted 1 July 2026
Alice McMillan RIP
We are very sad to report that Alice McMillan died this week at home after a short final illness. In all the years she was in London, she loved playing bridge at the Young Chelsea, and enjoyed the high standards of play.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Alice’s family and friends.
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Item posted 12 June 2026
YC, Representing London, Wins 2026 Garden Cities Final
EBU Garden Cities Tophy Winners 2026, Young Chelsea: John Pemberton, Brian Callaghan, Chris Duckworth, John Dean, Aaron Hutton, Hanna Tuus and (missing from picture) Jon Cooke and Cameron Small
On Saturday 6 June the Young Chelsea BC, representing London, won the EBU Garden Cities Trophy. This is an inter‑county competition for teams‑of‑eight, the final of which was played this year in the West Midlands Bridge Club in Solihull.
The picture shows six of the team: John Pemberton, Brian Callaghan, Chris Duckworth, John Dean, Aaron Hutton and Hanna Tuus. The other two, Jon Cooke and Cameron Small, had to dash off to catch a train (which they managed to do). Jon and Cameron were the anchor pair this year, just topping the cross‑IMP ranking, but all the pairs were positive on cross‑IMPs.
The cup will reside in the YC trophy cabinet until next year’s event.
The YC last won this tournament in 2011.
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Results
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Item posted 7 June 2026
Young Chelsea Super League Spring 2026—Report
The Spring 2026 Young Chelsea Super League finished on Wednesday 13 May, the last scheduled date of the season.
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Sean Mekie, Ambrose Holmes‑Mackie, Stefano Tommasini and Phil King of Spring 2026 YC Super League Div One winning team LESLIE at the prizegiving
In Division One, only two teams were in a position to take the first two places, and they played head to head on the day. Congratulations to team Leslie (Mike Bell, Sarah Bell, Andi Boughey, Matt Brown, Ambrose Holmes‑Mackie, Stephen Kennedy, Phil King, Tim Leslie, Sean Mekie and Stefano Tommasini) who won by enough to take first place on 126.27 VPs and received the £600 prize.
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[See more…]
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Item posted 15 May 2026
Young Chelsea Knockout 2026
Help Ukraine Emergency Appeal—Report
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…]
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Item posted 9 March, updated 19 March 2022
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