DUNFERMLINE Bridge Club has come up with a new trick to help build friendships during lockdown by pioneering a new online platform of the game.

Forced to lock up their Bothwell Street clubhouse last March just after the completion of a £140,000 refurbishment, the deck seemed stacked against members as they tried to find a way to play on.

Club bridge was off the table until the arrival of a new online version and they become the first in Scotland to play regular tournaments on RealBridge – and it's attracting new players too.

President Jane Carnegie explained: "Someone from the club mentioned this brand new platform that was being developed by the English Bridge Union.

"We got in touch before it was officially launched and what members like most about it is you can see and speak to other people at the table.

"It's been particularly good for those players that are elderly and live on their own, one woman told me it had been an absolute lifeline just to get that social contact."

Realbridge was designed to mimic face-to-face bridge and is more familiar and intuitive than other online bridge platforms.

Jane believes they'll be playing online for the foreseeable future and admitted: "There's little chance of us being able to use the clubhouse in the short term.

"We were absolutely gutted when he we had to lock it up.

"We'd just spent over a year getting it into a beautiful state and there had been all sorts of problems with the roof, which delayed everything.

"The blinds had just gone in, which was the last major job, but at that point lockdown came and we've not been able to use it since."

The premises are shared with Dunfermline Tennis Club and she added: "I'd be surprised if we were back in this year.

"The tennis people might be, they can play outside, but with bridge you are indoors, the cards and all the other paraphernalia are handled by so many people, we have a number of elderly members and you're sitting in close proximity round a table."

A popular card game that derived from whist, bridge involves two people playing as partners against another two people, and the object is to win tricks.

Jane said: "Some members just don't want to do online bridge, and that's fair enough, but we've got new members coming forward so we started doing this.

"We play on Tuesday and Thursday nights and next week we're starting up on Monday afternoons which, going by the bookings, will prove to be popular.

"Bridge is really good fun, you have a laugh and chat to people, find out what's going on, and the best thing is it's a game you can enjoy no matter what level you play at.

"It's very good for the brain and you can create lots of different friendships."

Guests are welcome to join and the first session is free of charge. For more information contact dunfermlinebridge@gmail.com.