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NEWS AND GOSSIP: December 2011 to December 2012

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Posted 21/12/2012 - "8 Playing Tricks" looms again!!!

There was (another) incident of a 'dodgy' '8-Playing Trick' opening at the club on December 13th, which has resulted in a new entry in the Club's Report Book. Unless players adhere very rigidly to the EBU's definition of '8 Clear Cut Tricks', they are STRONGLY ADVISED not to use the term "8 Playing tricks" but rather "Extended Rule of 25". This issue is fully explained in an article on this website here.

Posted 03/11/2012 - Significant Website Updates, November 3rd 2012

I have moved a number of features that were previously only available through the password protected Members' Area into the Public Domain, such that now only two items remain under the protection of the password - the Current Membership List and the Club's Report Book. To access either of these features, click on the Members' Area link in the green bar above, whereupon you will be asked to provide a valid user name and password. All members who have provided an e-mail address have been sent a username and password.

Features that have been moved can be accessed through the Site Map link in the green bar above, and comprise:

1. Appeals and Rulings - a set of recent rulings, most of which include points of interest to all players, not just those affected by the original incident.
2. The Suit Play analysis program. It shows the best way to play various combinations of cards. There is also a link to the help facility on the Site Map page.
3. How will that suit split? - an article that discusses the value of knowing the most likely suit - breaks, eg, 3-3 or 4-2?
4. Developing Bridge Skills - a (theoretically growing) library of articles for intermediate and advanced players, most of them written by eminent Bridge players. I have been a bit lax at updating these pages, but I have a substantial amount of material lined up to add, so keep an eye on this page for new topics
5. The Message Pad - this item warrants a paragraph of its own - see below

The Message Pad goes public...

There has been a Message Pad facility on this website since Christmas 2006. In its first incarnation, it was available through the public area. Unfortunately it was 'discovered' by some cyber-villains, who initially started to bombard it with adverts for dog foods. Then the nature of the postings changed to out and out pornography and I was forced to take the facility off the air. It was revamped, and since 2009 it has been available through the password-protected area. In that location it was impossible for the cyber-nuisances to exploit it - but the need to remember the user name and password was also a major deterrent, so there has been very little use made of it. Potentially it is an ideal way to 'Find a Partner', for example.

I have now moved it back into the public domain. There are a few built-in safe-guards, and if cyber-nuisances try to exploit it again, then I get early warning and I can block access to the website from perpetrators. To access the facility, and to read the 'rules of engagement', please click on the 'Message pad' link in the green bar above.

Website Search

I regret that the Search This Site facility is still non-operational. The problem is that its underlying index refuses to build, and hence all searches produce a 'Nil Return'. I'm still working on the problem, though not as a high priority...

Posted 26/09/2012 - Club meeting, September 13th 2012

Regretably, board 24 was mis-boarded towards the end of the evening - the East / West hands were interchanged on the last three rounds - and I have had to score it as a 'split board'.

Additionally, judgement rulings were required on boards 14 and 22; on analysis I ruled that the score should stand as recorded on both boards, though follow-up is required to both issues:

of the minimum requirents for a strong two of a suit opening
• Very regretably, followed incidents associated with the judgement ruling on board 22, it has proved necessary to exclude a player from the club for the rest of the calendar year 2012. Much has been written in the past by the EBU, the ECBA, and indeed, by Mountnessing Bridge Club, on the subject of 'Best Behaviour at Bridge', which is covered by Law 74 in the The Laws of Duplicate Bridge, 2007.

Posted 26/09/2012 - Ruling from 06/09/2012

Posted 15/08/2012 - Brighton Congress Successes [Updated 21/08/2012]

Many congratulations to club members Chris Megahey, John Sutcliffe & Peter Oake who all had huge success in the Championship Pairs at the Brighton Congress. Out of a field comprising nearly 300 of the very top pairs in the Country, including many who have played at International Level, Chris & John finished equal 28th, and Peter, playing with a member of another Essex Club, finished equal 34th. Chris & John were the highest placed pair from Essex.

Additionally, following the second weekend of the congress, we need to add further congratulations to Peter Oake, who, playing with ex-club members Alan and Ian Green, and Rob Elliott from the Collier Row Club, finished a superb 7th equal in the final of the A STAR Teams Event - for those who are not aware, that is the very top flight in the Championship Swiss Teams.

Full Brighton 2012 Rankings

MBC members have been highlighted in yellow background:

• Championship Pairs: Full Ranking List
• Championship Teams ('A' Final) (Overall ranks 1 - 8): Full Ranking List
• Championship Teams ('B' Final) (Overall ranks 9 - 16): no MBC members featured - please see the EBU website for the ranking list
• Championship Teams (Overall ranks 17 +): Full Ranking List

Posted 10/08/2012 - Trophy Presentations

On club night on August 9th 2012, Alaric presented the 2012 Summer Trophy to the winners - Lorraine Butler & Maureen Vede. The full results from the event held on August 2nd 2012 can be viewed here.

Posted 16/05/2012 - The Corn Cairdis, 2012

A full description of this event and Alaric's personal highlights can now be read here.

Posted 14/05/2012 - Successes for club members at the Essex AGM

As usual, the ECBA prizegiving followed the AGM on May 5th, and many club members featured amongst the prize winners. Pride of place amongst 2011/2 club members goes to Chris Megahey who won the Men's Eve Goblet Trophy as the most successful male player in Essex Events throughout the year. The full list of awards won can be viewed here.

Posted 01/05/2012 - Success for Mountnessing Pair at the Easter Congress

Many congratulations to club members Catriona Lovett and Mike Harbour who finished 13th in the A Flight of the Swiss Pairs at the Easter Congress in London. Amongst the many famous players who finished below them was the colourful International player, Zia Mahmood. There are not many people who can say that they finished above Zia in a major event!

Posted 27/04/2012 - Trophy Presentations

On club night on April 26th 2012, Alaric presented the 2011/2 Ladder Trophies to the winners. The winner of the Faye Wernick Trophy was Lorraine Butler , and the winner of the Lionel Wernick Trophy was Chris Megahey. The overall final rankings for 2011/2 can be viewed here.

Posted 16/04/2012: Annual Parish Meeting

Alaric attended the Mountnessing Annual Parish Meeting on April 16th and presented his report.

Posted 14/03/2012: Success for Theo and Dave - but so nearly even more success!

Congratulations are due to Theo Todman and David Tennet who finished second in their section in the National Ranked Masters event held at Daventry, on the weekend of March 3rd / 4th. But they so nearly, nearly did even better... The format of the event is Pairs, but scoring is by the 'Butler' scoring method, ie, equivalent to a teams-of-four approach. The computer works out a norm / adjusted average score for each board, and your own score is compared against that standard result and converted to IMPS using the standard conversion tables. Now read David's account:

C'est La Vie

After 2 days play at the Ranked Masters in Daventry we came to board 91 of the 98 played, sitting E/W the hands were:-

	NORTH ♠KQ52 ♥AKQ97 ♦ void ♣AJ54
WEST ♠J9 ♥T8543 ♦98 ♣K986		EAST ♠T3 ♥J62 ♦QJT652 ♣Q2
	SOUTH ♠A8764 ♥ void ♦AK743 ♣T73

N/S vul dealer E. The bidding:

E	S	W	N
No	1♠	No	2♥
No	3♦	No	7♠
end

(I think the final 7S could be called direct bidding!)
Needless to say 7S makes. The Butler norm in our section was 6S+1 which translated for us to -11 IMPS. We lost out to 1st by 9 IMPS and the pair who won played against 6S +1 - a zero on the Butler scale. C'est La Vie!!!

Posted 09/03/2012 / UPDATED 19/03/2012 - Club Night March 1st 2012: The Ladies', Men's, and Open Pairs

The full results can be viewed here. Congratulations are due to Linda Fleet and Ray Clarke, who are the winners of the Open Section; Congratulations are due to Catriona Lovett and Lorraine Butler, who are the new Ladies Champions. This is the fourth year in a row that Catriona has won this trophy!!!; Congratulations are due to Alan Eames and John Sutcliffe, who are the new Men's Champions. Please see the updated Club Honours page, from where lists of previous trophy winners are also referenced

Posted 01/03/2012 - Trophy Presentation

On club night on February 23rd 2012, Alaric presented the Mary Rogers Trophy to the winners, Lorraine Butler & Dave Warren - a trophy that they won on January 26th 2012. The full rankings from the event can be viewed here.

Posted 09/12/2011 - Trophy Presentation

On club night on December 8th 2011, Alaric presented the Windmill Trophy to the winners, Les Curtis & Dave Piper - a trophy that they won on November 17th. The full rankings from the event can be viewed here.

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