Technology is changing life amazingly and this applies to Bridge as well. Rosemary talked about how we have preset hands with records of the hands and analysis of what is possible with those hands.

Of course, it goes further than that - scoring is done on pads on the tables and results are available almost immediately at the end of the session. If you so desire, you can check every hand on the website and see what everyone else did on the hands.

This is becoming more sophisticated with newer programs where your results can be waiting for you in an email when you get home. It will also tell you what your best and worst hands were as well as other information.

On the matter of scoring, the time has come for the club to update the scoring system to bring it more into line with other clubs and utilise the latest technology.

Hopefully, the program and devices will be available on the weekend when John McIlrath comes up to conduct workshops for aspiring directors and updates for existing directors.

The new system will mean that all teams matches can be scored directly with the table pads, visitors will be able to slot in to our system more easily and our members will be more comfortable when they visit other clubs.

It should be a big win for our club.

Rosemary also talked about the fact that there were some very challenging hands on Saturday, February 4. I would like to give you one example to illustrate the point.

Boards 13-16 all had slams available (two for N/S and two for E/W). Probably the most interesting was board 16. I will use it to show the problems on the day (dealer W, E/W vulnerable).

First, it is worth noting that one hand has a void and a singleton, two others have singletons while South has very little to recommend it.

With North having a seven-card diamond suit there is always going to be trouble. Looking at the lie of the cards it is possible for E/W to make 6C, 6H or 6NT, but interference from North makes it very difficult for E/W to find their slams.

No one managed to bid to slam or make 12 tricks.

The five results were 5H (W) making 10 tricks (100 to N/S); 5H (W) making 11 tricks (650 to E/W); 2x4D (N) making 9 tricks (50 to E/W); 5DX (N) making 8 tricks (500 to E/W)

How North managed to make eight or nine tricks is a good question, but they were not going to be denied! This set of results shows just how difficult the hands can be.

The anthropomorphic computer had fun with these hands – four in a row with potential slams and no one bidding them on the one above. It all adds to the fun and excitement of bridge.

At least some pairs managed to bid slams on the other three.