Youth Bridge and the Future
What is going to happen to bridge? The game has been around for a little over a hundred years, has seen off many significant demographic changes and has a place in popular consciousness but will it last? I'll ask you a question; how many registered bridge players are there, worldwide?
Other games, sports and pastimes are competing for time and attention. 'World of Warcraft' – one of those computer games where you interact with other people wherever they are (ask a young person to explain) – has 11.5 million monthly subscribers. Chess, according to their ruling body FIDE, has 7.5 million members of national federations in 160 countries. And bridge has… 650,000. The vast majority (400,000) are in Europe, 150,000 in North America.
Many more of course know how to play, about 25 million worldwide (but compare to the 605 million who know the rules of chess). Few non-participants know about WoW (and slightly ashamedly, I take some consolation in that).
Getting more people to play competitive bridge means getting the young interested and that can be done at all levels. Get your children and grandchildren to play, get their schools to consider taking bridge on the curriculum. The game that gives you much pleasure can be an important tool in learning language, maths and social skills.
The English Bridge Union is actively promoting bridge into schools through the MiniBridge Initiative. In Suffolk the development officer is Alan Green, contact him (via the Suffolk website, http://www.suffolkbridge.co.uk) for more information on how to give bridge a chance in the future.
That brings us nicely to the recently completed European Youth Team Championships, held in Poiana Brasov, Romania. The 22nd Championships were dominated by France, Poland and Israel. These countries won 7 of the 9 available medals in the three series for national teams for players aged Under-26 years (formerly Juniors), Under-21 years (formerly Schools) and Girls (under 26 years). The remaining two medals were won by Norway and The Netherlands. What happened to England? Well, they were one of the few countries to compete in all three events but their performances were mid-table at best; still there will be another chance in 2011 – maybe a young person you know could be playing.
Youth bridge is characterised by wild bidding but, looking through the bulletins online, I was surprised how disciplined it looked. Maybe we old-timers have caught up a bit! However, there's some flavour of that in this deal from the Sweden vs. England U21s.
| NS Vul. Dealer East | ♠ J10 | ||
| ♥ AQ2 | |||
| ♦ KJ97543 | |||
| ♣ 4 | |||
| ♠ Q8732 | ♠ K95 | ||
| ♥ K765 | ♥ J93 | ||
| ♦ --- | ♦ Q108 | ||
| ♣ KQ102 | ♣ 9875 | ||
| ♠ A64 | |||
| ♥ 1084 | |||
| ♦ A62 | |||
| ♣ AJ63 | |||
| England NS | West | North | East | South |
| Robertson | O. Rimstedt | Paske | M. Rimstedt | |
| Pass | 1♣ | |||
| 1♠ | 3♦ | End! |
| Sweden NS | West | North | East | South |
| Gullberg | Thrower | Karlsson | Myers | |
| Pass | 1♣ | |||
| 1♠ | 2♦ | 2♠ | Pass | |
| Pass | 3♦ | Pass | 3NT | |
| 4♠ | X | End |
The Swedish north intended his three diamonds as forcing but his brother passed and he was relieved to find a bad break and take only ten tricks for +130. The English found game and though 3NT can be beaten, the defence is not easy (lead a spade to the king requiring south to duck, then switch to clubs). But no Under-21 would defend with a distributional hand and west sacrificed for -300 – well judged I think but 5 IMPs to England on their way to a 50-24 loss.
Published Saturday 15.Aug.2009