| Next International Pairs 14th October 2026 |
Dominant Performance at the Essex International Pairs!
Börje Dahlberg and Peter Backlund put on a masterclass at the 30th September Essex International Pairs, storming to a clear victory with an outstanding score of 74.11% (249 Match Points).
distant second went to Mark Josephs and Marc Chawner, who turned in a strong 63.39% (213 MPs), while Paul Hickson and Stuart Rance rounded out the top three with 60.71% (204 MPs).
Top 5 Leaderboard:
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Börje Dahlberg & Peter Backlund — 74.11% (249 MPs)
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Mark Josephs & Marc Chawner — 63.39% (213 MPs)
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Paul Hickson & Stuart Rance — 60.71% (204 MPs)
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Tomas Truedsson SE & Claes Kvist — 56.25% (189 MPs)
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Clarence Dean & David Sands — 53.27% (179 MPs)
The action returns on Wednesday, 14th October at 7:00 PM.
Congratulations to all participants! The next session is scheduled for Wednesday, 14th October 2026 at 7:00 PM on RealBridge. If you would like to join the action, please contact Marc Chawner at marc.chawner@aol.com to confirm eligibility and receive entry details.
Well done Everybody
If you would like to participate in some of the excitement - all you need do is contact ......
Marc Chawner at marc.chawner@aol.com
Marc will send you details for the next event on the 14th October 2026
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| Essex Leagues 26/27 |
Hi everyone
Entry for the Essex League is now closed
The Essex League Schedule of Matches will be distributed on 5th October
(due to some unforeseen circumstances there has been the tiniest unavoidable hold up - sorry)
If you haven't paid yet the details are below
Don't forget - you can play a sub at any time - just double check with Gemma that the sub hasn't played on any other team and you'll be good to go!
£20 is the fee
Payment: Sort code: 20-72-89 - A/c No: 63373487
For results of 25/26 season see here
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| Something to Think About |
Bridge Players: The Two Types of Status
Bridge players obsess over two completely different ranking systems.
Masterpoints measure how long you have been alive and playing.
NGS (National Grading Scheme) measures how good you actually are today.
The Masterpoint Illusion
- What it is: A lifetime achievement award for showing up.
- How you get them: Playing in clubs for 40 years.
- The vibe: A digital graveyard of all the hours you did not spend with your family.
- The trap: You can accumulate 10,000 Masterpoints and still revoke on trick two.
- The status symbol: A grand title like "Life Master" that makes you sound like a Jedi, even if your defence is more like a Stormtrooper.
The NGS Reality Check
- What it is: A brutal, live-updating percentage of your current skill level.
- How you get it: Beating people or at least making fewer mistakes than they do.
- The vibe: A toxic relationship with a spreadsheet that judges you every single night.
- The trap: You win a local tournament, but your grade goes down because you did not win by enough.
- The status symbol: An elusive "Ace" card symbol that vanishes the moment you miscount the trumps.
The Ultimate Bridge Irony
Masterpoints are like a savings account where inflation does not exist. They only go up. You can be a "Premier Regional Master" who regularly bids slams missing two cash Aces, but nobody can take your points away.
The NGS is like a volatile cryptocurrency. You go to bed an "Ace" and wake up a "Jack" because your partner forgot your standard signals on a Tuesday night.
In Summary
- Masterpoints prove you love the game.
- NGS proves whether the game loves you back.
And yet we still keep coming back for more!
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| AGM Minutes 12th July 2026 |
For those of you who took part in the Essex Leagues - you'll be interested to read Gemma's final report - a much more exciting finish than we expected
ECBA AGM 120726 FINAL PDF.pdf
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