SCBA: eNewsletter August 2008

Suffolk Bridge

August 2008

Forthcoming Events

Results

New Laws of Bridge

Bridge in the Cupboard

An evening with England International David Price

Felixstowe Congress 2008

Seniors' Pairs

Summer League

As forewarned last month, on 1-August the EBU adopts the World Bridge Federation 2007 Laws of Bridge.

Many clubs have made pre-session announcements of the changes and you will have by now been comforted that there is nothing revolutionary. As a very brief guide, these are the most headline-worthy:

Get Shuffling!: Yes, another chance to practise the best part of your game - you are now required to shuffle your thirteen cards after the play before you put them back into the board.
"No ♥s partner?": A return to the 1987 position where the defence may ask each other if they have followed suit. If the answer is "No" play resumes, if the answer is "Yes…" then the director must be summoned.
"We won that partner!": On a similar note, players are now allowed to point out that a quitted trick card is pointing the wrong way. Declarer can do it at any time; dummy or defenders can do it only until the lead is made to the following trick.
"What did 3♣ mean?": You are now allowed to ask about a specific call in the auction. You used to be required to ask about all the calls but this was more honoured in the breach than the observance (and was hard to enforce). It should go without saying that you must not ask leading questions or phrase your enquiry in such a way as to suggest a call or play to partner (i.e. not "Does that show clubs…").
Contract?: The distinction that the laws referred to 'Contract Bridge' has been lost - it's now just 'Bridge'. I'm predicting a backlash and that Auction Bridge will be the new Poker.

Please do note, the above does not cover all the changes relevant to players. Consult the player's guide for a full list - but there aren't many more.

The EBU has produced an excellent explanatory web page for players (and a similar one for directors). The WBF have of course, the letter and verse on their site. There are links too from the Suffolk website and most clubs.

The EBU is making free to every club a nice red copy of the 2007 Laws; if your club has yet to receive that, please get in touch with the SCBA chairman, who is handling distribution for the county.

The darkness of the cupboard is illuminated by a lady with a lamp – Florence, the Queen of Hearts, casting her light in Mike Chanter's next episode.

Tuesday 9th September 2008, Kesgrave Community Centre. David Price will run a squad training evening for SCBA members who play or would like to play for Suffolk. The event will include "some bidding stuff, some partnership stuff and a bit of psychology". Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. So if you wish to attend please email as soon as possible.

Saturday/Sunday 11th/12th October 2008, Felixstowe Leisure Centre. Keep the date! The Felixstowe Congress is now Green Pointed. The format is the same as last year and to an almost identical schedule. Flyers were distributed with the 2008-2009 Competitions Brochure. Please support your local congress by spreading the word to players outside of the county.

The Seniors' Pairs saw something of a private battle conclusively won by Mrs Moore and Mrs Price who not only left their other-halves behind them (they were fifth) but the rest of the field, save Norman Less and Helen Mason snapping at their heels.


1.	Jane Moore / Jenny Price	68.56%
2.	Norman Less / Helen Mason	67.42%
3.	Will Pavry / Jan Havard-Davies	58.33%

There is a Veterans' prize for this event too, for partnerships where both members are over 70: if you think you may have won that, would like to hear from you.

Full results are on the website.

The Summer League is not developing at all to form and the bookies look to make a killing on the the ante-post favourites:

The website keeps up to date with the results.

Woodbridge

Framlingham