Any Mitchell can have extra sets of boards inserted in the movement by placing them on byestand tables at the correct positions.
The advantages of these are they lengthen the game without changing the basic movement and with an even number of tables they eliminate the share or the skip, and yet all E-W meet all N-S.
The disadvantage is that the E-W pairs meet some N-S pairs twice and in some cases three times. There are two different cases: odd-table and even-table movements.
The standard Mitchell is set up and an even number of sets of boards are placed on a relay at the end of the movement (or for that matter anywhere in the movement). For example, in a 5-table Mitchell (with 2 extra sets to make a 28-board movement) set 1 (boards 1-4) is placed on table 1, set 2 (5-8) on table 2, set 5 (17-20) on table 5, and set 6 (21-24) and 7 (25-28) on the relay. The move is exactly the same as a standard Mitchell, N-S stationary, E-W up 1 table and the boards down 1 table, moving through the relay after table 1. In this form the movement is also called a Blackpool.
Unfortunately there is always one special move round. With 2 sets on the relay, the E-W pairs on the ultimate round find the table to move to by subtracting their pair number from N + 1(where N = number of tables in the movement). The boards still move normally.
With 4 sets on the relay, they subtract their pair number from N to find their seats on the penultimate round and then move normally (up 1) into the last round. With 6 sets, subtract their pair number from N - 1 for the table on the ante-penultimate round, and then return to normal, moving up 1.
When the E-W pairs subtract their pair number from N, for one pair (highest-numbered pair) zero is the answer; they must subtract their number from 2N. In the N - 1 case, for two pairs (N and N - 1) the answer is less than 1. They then subtract from 2N - l. These pairs should be given their instructions separately before or after general announcement.
In the example given above for 5 tables, the E-W pairs will be instructed to subtract their pair number from 6 to find the table at which to sit on the last round.
Any movement for an even number of tables (including those divisible by 4) can be extended by placing an odd number of sets at the end relay and the same number of sets at a halfway point relay (or for that matter anywhere in the movement in opposite positions). For example, in a 6-table movement, one set is placed between tables 1 and 6 and one set between 3 and 4. The movement is normal (E-W up 1, boards down 1, moving through the relays) with no skip.
The special-move rounds are:
It is worth pointing out that with 4 and 6 tables, other procedures with 2 three-set relays are possible. With 4 tables it is possible to omit the move on the ante-penultimate round and the E-W pairs subtract their numbers from N - 1 on the ultimate round. With 6 tables simply omit all special rounds; they are not necessary.
Remember the number of rounds is equal to the number of sets of boards; not the number of tables.
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