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For three-table bridge parties, my wife Alice and I have devised a round-robin IMP competition. With six pairs, there are fifteen possible teams, each pair playing on five different teams (with each of the five other pairs). A pair's five teams each play a mini-match vs the ten other teams, two matches each round, five rounds in all. Each match is four boards, so that makes forty deals in all. We suggest starting in mid-afternoon and breaking for food after two rounds.
There is one stationary pair (Pair 1 NS at Table 1), while all other pairs play NS twice, EW three times. Each pair meets every other pair twice during the competition.
A round starts with four boards on each table, plus four unused boards on a bye stand at Table 3. At start of the second and succeeding rounds, Tables 1 and 2 use (and deal) the boards left over from the preceding round, while Table 3 swaps boards with the bye stand, dealing only the boards from the stand. Using sixteen boards ensures that all vulnerabilities are represented for all dealer positions (although not equally for each pair).
The following movement shows NS/EW pair numbers at tables 1-3 (first four hands; second four hands) and resultant NS/EW team composition. After four hands, boards move down, East-West move up. After four more hands, teammates meet to score their two matches.
| Round 1: | 1/5 3/2 6/4; | 1/4 3/5 6/2 | Teams: | 1/2 3/4 6/5 |
| Round 2: | 1/2 4/3 5/6; | 1/6 4/2 5/3 | Teams: | 1/3 4/6 5/2 |
| Round 3: | 1/6 5/4 2/3; | 1/3 5/6 2/4 | Teams: | 1/4 5/3 2/6 |
| Round 4: | 1/3 2/5 6/4; | 1/4 2/3 6/5 | Teams: | 1/5 2/4 6/3 |
| Round 5: | 1/5 3/6 4/2; | 1/2 3/5 4/6 | Teams: | 1/6 3/2 4/5 |
Prizes are awarded to the pair with most wins and the pair with most total IMPs, possibly the same pair.
Editor's note:
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