Bridge
Dates: Mon 2 – Fri 6 Aug, 2010 and Mon 9 – Fri 13 Aug, 2010
9.30am – 12.30pm or 1.30pm – 4.30pm
Cost: £130*.
* Discount offered if one student attends two (or more) Bridge courses. Contact Summer School office for details.
Bridge is an absorbing game enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. Fascinating, frustrating, exciting by turn it even has the approval of the medical world – studies in the USA claim that Bridge both boosts the immune system (!) and aids the brain generally. Certainly you may feel sceptical about these reports originating in California, but the fact remains that the game of Bridge can get you hooked for life. You are never too old to learn, and never too young either. The English Bridge Union has a membership in excess of 300,000 and an age range of about 8 to 98. Our bridge courses are all taught by England international Paul Bowyer, offering you the opportunity to learn this remarkable game, the most skilful and popular card game on Earth. One of the advantages of doing these courses is that you don’t have to turn up with a partner, although you are most welcome to do so – we should be able to cope with both single players and pairs. Each course runs for five days with three hours per day.
Bridge for Improvers – Improve your bidding 1
Mon 2 – Fri 6 Aug, 9.30am-12.30pm
This course and the next one are for players of some experience in the game who are aiming to sharpen up their skills, especially in the area of bidding. This year we are focussing on building up a system and how it holds together. We will base this on the ACOL system (or Standard English as it is sometimes known) and look at how to bid all the balanced hands, together with the idea of who is “boss of the auction”.
Bridge for Improvers – Improve your bidding 2
Mon 9 – Fri 13 Aug, 9.30am-12.30pm
This course follows on from the one above but holds together as a separate course by itself. In these lessons we will look at the idea of hand evaluation and go beyond mere counting of points. In this session we will enter the dark world of the competitive auction and try to clarify the best way to use Double as an aid both to good bidding and as a way of extracting penalties.
Bridge for Improvers – Improve your card play 1
Mon 2 – Fri 6 Aug, 1.30-4.30pm
This course and the next one are for players of some experience in the game who are aiming to sharpen up their skills, especially in the area of declarer play. This year we are focussing on some essential areas that no declarer can afford to be without. We will look at suit combinations and the best way to handle certain layouts and help you make the most of the cards you are dealt
Bridge for Improvers – Improve your card play 2
Mon 9 – Fri 13 Aug, 1.30-4.30pm
This course follows on from the one above but holds together as a separate course by itself. Here we will look at more subtle points of declarer play in both suit contracts and No-trumps such as timing and counting – the two cornerstones of declarer play that will help on the long road to becoming an expert.