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Past Course Information
Year 2, Term 2 Course for Beginners

Term 2 of the Year 2 'Bridge for All' beginners' course (10 weeks of lessons) is now open for booking and is suitable for anyone who has already completed year 1. If you haven't completed year 1 but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Tuesday 10th January 2023 and will be held at Oxford Bridge Club. 

  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB – Tuesday evenings from 10th January – 7pm to 9pm – Tutor: Ann Lee

Oxford Bridge Club is at 147 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AN. There is free parking on side streets near the club and paid parking at Ferry Leisure Centre in Summertown. Tea and coffee will be provided. 

A 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Year 2, Term 1 Course for Beginners

Term 1 of the Year 2 'Bridge for All' beginners' course (10 weeks of lessons) is now open for booking and is suitable for anyone who has already completed year 1. If you haven't completed year 1 but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Tuesday 4th October 2022 and will be held at Oxford Bridge Club. 

  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB – Tuesday evenings from 4th October – 7pm to 9pm – Tutor: Ann Lee

Oxford Bridge Club is at 147 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AN. There is free parking on side streets near the club and paid parking at Ferry Leisure Centre in Summertown. Tea and coffee will be provided. 

A 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Year 1, Term 2 Course for Beginners

Term 2 of the Year 1 'Bridge for All' beginners' course (10 weeks of lessons) is now open for booking and is suitable for anyone brand new to Bridge or those who have played a little social Bridge. 

Classes start from Monday 9th January 2023 and there are two days/times to choose from. Classes will be held at Oxford Bridge Club. 

  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB – Monday evening from 9th January – 7pm to 9pm – Tutor: Christine Bishop
  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB – Tuesday afternoons from 10th January – 2pm to 4pm – Tutor: Ann Lee

Oxford Bridge Club is at 147 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AN. There is free parking on side streets near the club and paid parking at Ferry Leisure Centre in Summertown. Tea and coffee will be provided. 

A 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com with any questions. 

Year 1, Term 1 Course for Beginners

Term 1 of the Year 1 'Bridge for All' beginners' course (10 weeks of lessons) is now open for booking and is suitable for anyone brand new to Bridge or those who have played a little social Bridge. 

Classes start from Monday 3rd October 2022 and there are two days/times to choose from. Classes will be held at Oxford Bridge Club. 

  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB – Monday evening from 3rd October – 7pm to 9pm – Tutor: Christine Bishop
  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB – Tuesday afternoons from 4th October  – 2pm to 4pm – Tutor: Ann Lee

Oxford Bridge Club is at 147 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AN. There is free parking on side streets near the club and paid parking at Ferry Leisure Centre in Summertown. Tea and coffee will be provided. 

A 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com with any questions. 

Michael Byrne – Inspired Defence – Saturday 14th January

For those of you who do not know him, Michael is a world-class Bridge player and regularly wins national titles. Given that half the time you play you are defending, we have asked Michael to guide us through this vital skill.

He will be teaching  ‘Inspired Defence’ for Intermediates in the morning – 10am for 10.30am start. As a guide, this is aimed at club members who are between NGS 6 and 9.

In the afternoon he will teach ‘Inspired Defence’ for Advanced and Expert players 2pm for a 2.30pm start, NGS above 9.

Both sessions will take place at Oxford Bridge Club.

Anyone can attend, the guide is to help you assess if it is right for your level of Bridge.

Cost for each session will be £12.00.

If you have any questions or problems with the booking process please email seminars@oxfordbridgeclub.com.

Should we treat triumph and disaster just the same?  

Robert Procter, in a membership of over 800, is one of our highest ranked Oxfordshire players, so we are extremely lucky that he has agreed to give a seminar analysing how important our mental attitude is when we play competitive Bridge. Clearly he has developed strategies that have been very effective for him! 

Robert will invite participants to identify the best bidding or play of a number of interesting hands and show how an understanding of why errors were made on them could help a partnership to improve their scores.

The seminar is suitable for all levels of players. 

Please join us for this seminar on Saturday 3rd December at Oxford Bridge Club. Refreshments will be served at 10am for a 10.30am start finishing at 1pm.  

Tickets are £12 and can be booked here

If you have any questions or problems with the booking process please email seminars@oxfordbridgeclub.com.

Saturday 7th May – 5-card Majors – 6 week course

Time: 10.00am to 12.30pm

Level: Intermediate, Intermediate+

Cost: £65

Tutor: Charlie Bucknell

This 5-week Saturday morning course will be run by junior Bridge champion Charlie Bucknell. 

The seminar series will be six sessions over six Saturdays and will cover the following topics: 

7th May –  Introduction to the 2/1 mechanic to show the advantage of a game force.
 
14th May – opening a strong NT, how we adjust values and make thin games more easily. Also, we look at rebidding in NT.
 
21st May – this week focuses on opening the better minor.
 
4th June –  opening 5-card majors, raising them, and what we should rebid on over a 1NT ‘semi’ non-forcing bid.
 
11th June – we look at the competitive advantages of opening with a 5-card major.
 
18th June –  finally we take a broad overview of mixing and matching your favourite bits of the system.

 

Whilst the course is heavy on bidding theory, there will be plenty of hands to practice. Full notes will be provided. 

Please note: we do ask that participants commit to the whole event so as get the most out of the hand practice sessions.


 

Year 1, Term 3 Course for Beginners

Term 3 of the Year 1 'Bridge for All' beginners' course (10 weeks of lessons) is now open for booking and is suitable for those who have completed terms 1 and 2. If you haven't completed terms 1 and 2 but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join the second term then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Monday 25th April and there are two days/times to choose from. One class will be held online and one class will be held at Oxford Bridge Club. 

  • ONLINE - Monday afternoons from 25th April - 2pm to 4pm - Tutor: Ann Lee - CANCELLED
  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB - Tuesday evenings from 26th April - 7pm to 9pm - Tutor: Christine Bishop

The online course will be held using RealBridge and Zoom. The club course will be held at Oxford Bridge Club, 147 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AN. 

A 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Year 2, Term 3 Course for Beginners

Term 3 of the Year 2 'Bridge for All' beginners' course (10 weeks of lessons) starting 25th April 2022 is now open for booking and is suitable for anyone who has already completed terms 1 and 2. 

If you haven't completed terms 1 and 2 but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join the second term then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Monday 25th April 2022 and there are two days/times to choose from. One session will be held online, the other will be held at Oxford Bridge Club. 

  • ONLINE - Monday evenings from 25th April - 7pm to 9pm - Tutor: Sheila Parry - CANCELLED
  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB - Tuesday afternoons from 26th April - 2pm to 4pm - Tutor: Ann Lee

The online course will be held using RealBridge and Zoom. The club course will be held at Oxford Bridge Club, 147 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AN.

A 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Year 1, Term 3 Course for Beginners

Term 3 of the Year 1 'Bridge for All' beginners' course (10 weeks of lessons) is now open for booking and is suitable for those who have completed the first and second term.  If you haven't completed terms 1 & 2 but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join term 3 then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Monday 25th April and there are two days/times to choose from. One class will be held online and one class will be held at Oxford Bridge Club. 

  • ONLINE - Monday afternoons from 25th April - 2pm to 4pm - Tutor: Ann Lee - CANCELLED
  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB - Tuesday evenings from 26th April - 7pm to 9pm - Tutor: Christine Bishop

The online course will be held using RealBridge and Zoom. The club course will be held at Oxford Bridge Club, 147 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AN. 

A 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Year 2, Term 3 Course for Beginners

Term 3 of the Year 2 'Bridge for All' beginners' course (10 weeks of lessons) is now open for booking and is suitable for anyone who has already completed terms 1 & 2. If you haven't completed terms 1 & 2 but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join term 3 then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Monday 25th April and there are two days/times to choose from. One session will be held online and the other will be held at Oxford Bridge Club. 

  • ONLINE - Monday evenings from 25th April - 7pm to 9pm - Tutor: Sheila Parry - CANCELLED
  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB - Tuesday afternoons from 26th April - 2pm to 4pm - Tutor: Ann Lee

The online course will be held using RealBridge and Zoom. The club course will be held at Oxford Bridge Club, 147 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AN.

A 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Using the Losing Trick Count – Saturday 9th April

This seminar will be held at Oxford Bridge Club (face-to-face)
Time: 10am to 12.30pm
Level: Next Step+

Cost: £12

Tutor: Steven Bliss

The losing trick count is a way of deciding how high to bid in a suit contract. It can help you to bid makeable game contracts (and sometimes slams) when just counting your points isn’t enough. It is easy once you learn it!

As usual there will be about an hour’s presentation and discussion followed by an hour’s practice. The seminar will be given by Steven Bliss. This seminar is suitable for Next Step + and above, but, as usual, is open to everyone.

 

To Duck or Not to Duck! – Monday 21st March

This seminar will be held on BBO and Zoom
Time: 4.30pm to 6pm
Level: All levels

Cost: £6

Tutor: Annabel Barnett

To duck or not to duck – that is the question! Join Annabel Barnett for 90 minutes exploring this vital part of declarer play. This seminar is of interest to anyone unfamiliar with this technique and who wants to maximise their trick taking potential. The session will take place on BBO and Zoom.

 

Michael Byrne Seminars – Saturday March 12th 2022

Oxford Bridge School is delighted to present two seminars run by Michael Byrne on Saturday 12th March 2022. Many of you will already have been to Michael’s OBS seminars so will know how entertaining and highly enjoyable these sessions are. Michael is a professional player and teacher based in Manchester where he runs his own teaching school, Michael's School of Bridge. He is squad leader of the England Under 20 team that he has captained to two Silver Medals at the World Championships and two Bronzes at the European Championships. He regularly gives coaching to County and National teams of all levels and you may also have seen his articles in ‘English Bridge’. 

We are particularly delighted that Michael is able to join us shortly before he represents England in the Bermuda Bowl, the World Bridge Team Championships being held in Italy a few weeks later. 

Michael Byrne Seminars – Saturday 12th March

Oxford Bridge School is delighted to present two seminars run by Michael Byrne in person this Saturday 12th March at the club house. We have just one space left for each seminar. We would love to have full tables for the hand practice sessions so please consider booking. The morning session is of interest to intermediate players and will focus on declarer play. The afternoon session will look at opening leads in a new way and is aimed at more advanced players (though of course both sessions are open to all). Please click here to book

Morning Seminar – Expert technique as declarer: finding the right solution when dummy goes down

This seminar will be held at Oxford Bridge Club (face-to-face)
Time: 10.30am to 1pm
Level: Intermediate

Cost: £18

Tutor: Michael Byrne

Starting slowly with managing entries and taking the right finesses, moving on to more advanced topics such as elimination play, Michael will take you through all of the steps necessary to become a feared declarer. 

This seminar is open to all but is of particular interest to the intermediate player. 


Afternoon Seminar – Advanced tactics regarding Opening Leads: a new way to look at a familiar problem

This seminar will be held at Oxford Bridge Club (face-to-face)
Time: 2.30pm to 5pm

Level: Advanced

Cost: £18

Tutor: Michael Byrne

A chance to think about the opening lead in new ways, including looking at what lead to make when the contract is doubled, when to lead short suits against no trumps, and when to break the time-honoured rules that are obeyed without thought.

This seminar is open to all but is aimed at the advanced player. 


 

Saturday 29th January & 5th February - Slam Bidding Course

Both seminars will be run online using Zoom and RealBridge.

Time: 10.00am to 12.30pm

Level: Next Step+, Intermediate

Cost: £24

Tutor: Peter Litchfield

Peter Litchfield returns to OBC with a short two-seminar course on Slam Bidding. He will run two online seminars on Saturday 29th January and Saturday 5th February 2022 using Zoom and RealBridge. 

Slam bidding is exciting but dangerous. Bidding a slam that goes down means that you lose the game bonus and usually most of the match points. On the other hand, bidding a slam that makes is usually worth at least two thirds of the match points. Improving your slam bidding pays big dividends (especially at Teams).

Peter will consider suit slams, no trump hands are mostly a matter of adding up points. A successful slam needs three components:

1. Good trumps
2. A source of tricks (ruffs or good side suits)
3. Controls (losing the first two tricks to an AK is to be avoided!)

The following topics will be covered:

a) Good trump fits can be shown using the Jacoby 2NT and splinters.

b) Subsequent cue bidding pinpoints controls and can get you to good low point count slam.

c) Minor suit slams are notoriously difficult to bid. Ways to get there after a 1NT opener will be shown.

d) The further use of cue bids to show controls after finding a trump fit will be discussed.

e) Everybody plays simple Blackwood but the full extended Roman Keycard Blackwood will be demonstrated which is much more powerful.

Though anyone wanting to improve their slam bidding is welcome, the seminar is primarily aimed at Next Step +/Intermediate players. 


 

Slam Bidding Seminars – 29th January & 5th February

Peter Litchfield will be running a two-seminar online course (RealBridge and Zoom) on slam bidding on 29th January and 5th February. Finding slams when others don’t will give your Bridge scores a huge boost so don’t miss out on this course to show you how to bid them. Peter will be covering such topics as Jacoby 2NT, splinter bids, cue bidding, Roman Key Card Blackwood and reaching minor suit slams after a 1NT opener – all excellent tools designed to enhance your slam bidding. Click here to join the waiting list.

Year 1, Term 2 Course for Beginners

Term 2 of the Year 1 'Bridge for All' beginners' course (10 weeks of lessons) is now open for booking and is suitable for those who have completed the first term.  If you haven't completed term 1 but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join term 2 then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Monday 10th January and there are two days/times to choose from. One class will be held online and one class will be held at Oxford Bridge Club*. 

  • ONLINE - Monday afternoons from 10th January - 2pm to 4pm - Tutor: Ann Lee
  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB* - Tuesday evenings from 11th January - 7pm to 9pm - Tutor: Christine Bishop

The online course will be held using RealBridge and Zoom. The club course will be held at Oxford Bridge Club, 147 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AN. 

A 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

*Please note that the club course will revert to online should there be any change in official Covid guidelines. 

Year 2, Term 2 Course for Beginners

Term 2 of the Year 2 'Bridge for All' beginners' course (10 weeks of lessons) starting at the beginning of January is now open for booking and is suitable for anyone who has already completed term 1. If you haven't completed term 1 but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join term 2 then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Monday 10th January 2022 and there are two days/times to choose from. One session will be held online and the other will be held at Oxford Bridge Club*. 

  • ONLINE - Monday evenings from 10th January - 7pm to 9pm - Tutor: Sheila Parry (please note this change - was Shirley Rawlings)
  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB* - Tuesday afternoons from 11th January - 2pm to 4pm - Tutor: Ann Lee

The online course will be held using RealBridge and Zoom. The club course will be held at Oxford Bridge Club, 147 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AN.

A 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

*Please note that the club course will revert to online should there be any change in official Covid guidelines. 

Calling all 'Bridge for All' Students!

We hope that you have thoroughly enjoyed your first term of year 1 or year 2 of the new 'Bridge for All' course. Booking is now open for the second term (10 weeks of lessons). The new term starts from Monday 10th January 2022. Classes continue at the same time on the same day of the week as currently. Please click here to book

Year 2 students (especially those who joined in January and are completing their final term) – please do have a think about joining a Learn & Play session, you are more than ready! We play 12 boards in a very relaxed manner and you can ask the teacher/director for help at any time. There are two sessions per week - Wednesday mornings and Thursday evenings. They are all online except for the first Thursday evening of each month which is held face-to-face at the club. It's a great way to practice your Bridge and also get a feel for playing 'proper' duplicate Bridge. Click here for more information and the booking link. 

Saturday 27th November - Keeping it Tight in Defence

This seminar will be held at Oxford Bridge Club - 147 Banbury Road, Oxford.

Time: 10.00am to 12.00pm

Level: Intermediate, Intermediate+

Cost: £12

Tutor: Robert Procter

How many times has your partner in defence said “We do better if you …..”? Robert will look at the causes of defensive errors - ranging from failing to take proper account of the bidding to failing to interpret declarer’s line of play, from not recognising the significance of partner’s carding to failing to help partner to do the right thing. He will help you to decide whether a passive or active approach is best, particularly relating this to the form of scoring. He hopes you will go away with a mental checklist that will improve your defensive record.

This seminar is of particular interest to those at the Intermediate/Intermediate+ level. It will be held in a workshop-style format where you can ask questions and discuss with Robert particular problems and issues you have with your defence. 


 

Saturday 23rd October - Playing with the Odds

This seminar will be held at Oxford Bridge Club - 147 Banbury Road, Oxford.

Time: 10.00am to 12.00pm

Level: Next Step+, Intermediate, Intermediate+

Cost: £12

Tutor: Steven Bliss

This seminar focuses on declarer play. Steven looks at situations where a knowledge of the odds will help you make more tricks. How do suits normally break? Should you play to drop an honour card or finesse? How do you combine chances in different suits? How do the odds in one suit change if you know the opponents’ distribution in another suit (for instance if one of them has made a pre-emptive bid)? What does ‘restricted choice’ mean? 

This seminar is for anyone who wants to improve their play but is especially suited for those who are Next Step+, Intermediate or Intermediate+ level.


 

Year 2, Term 3 Course (for previous Jan '21 joiners)

Term 3 of the Year 2 'Bridge for All' beginners' online course (10 weeks of lessons) starting at the end of September is now open for booking and is suitable for anyone who has already completed terms 1 and terms 2 of the year 2 course that started earlier this year. If this doesn't apply to you but you would like to join the term please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Wednesday 29th September 2021 and there is one day/time to choose from. This session will be held online only. 

  • ONLINE - Wednesday mornings from 29th September - 10am to 12pm - Tutor: Shirley Rawlings

The online course will be held using RealBridge and Zoom.

A 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Year 1, Term 1 Course for Beginners

Term 1 of the Year 1 'Bridge for All' beginners' course (10 weeks of lessons) is now open for booking and is suitable for complete beginners to Bridge. 

Classes start from Monday 27th September and there are two days/times to choose from. One class will be held online for the full 30 weeks, and one class will be held at Oxford Bridge Club*. 

  • ONLINE - Monday afternoons from 27th September - 2pm to 4pm - Tutor: Ann Lee 
  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB* - Tuesday evenings from 28th September - 7pm to 9pm - Tutor: Christine Bishop

The online course will be held using RealBridge and Zoom. The club course will be held at Oxford Bridge Club, 147 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AN. 

A 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

*Please note that the club course will revert to online should there be any change in official Covid guidelines.

Year 2, Term 1 Course for Beginners

Term 1 of the Year 2 'Bridge for All' beginners' course (10 weeks of lessons) starting at the end of September is now open for booking and is suitable for anyone who has already completed the 'Bridge for All' Year 1 course.

If you haven't completed Year 1 but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join Year 2 then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Monday 27th September 2021 and there are two days/times to choose from. One session will be held online for the full 30 weeks, the other will be held at Oxford Bridge Club*. 

  • ONLINE - Monday evenings from 27th September - 7pm to 9pm - Tutor: Shirley Rawlings
  • OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB* - Tuesday afternoons from 28th September - 2pm to 4pm - Tutor: Ann Lee

The online course will be held using RealBridge and Zoom. The club course will be held at Oxford Bridge Club, 147 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AN.

A 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

*Please note that the club course will revert to online should there be any change in official Covid guidelines.

Saturday 25th September - Taking Advantage of Transfers

Time: 10.00am to 12.00pm

Level: Intermediate, Intermediate+

Cost: £12

Tutor: John Slater

With transfers over an opening 1C becoming popular, there are a lot more transfers about. So how can you use the extra bidding space and take advantage of them? What are the general principles and what are the exceptions? John will cover how to compete with transfers over NT, opening transfers, transfers over 1C, exit transfers, the two-way 2C bid which includes a weak 2 in Diamonds, Rubensohl etc.

This seminar is of particular interest to those at the Intermediate/Intermediate+ level.


 

Want to try Bridge? Book a FREE Taster session!

If you've been thinking about learning to play Bridge but aren't quite ready to decide, we are running three free Taster Sessions for our Beginners' courses on the following dates: 

•    ONLINE - Monday 23rd August – 2pm to 4pm – Tutor: Ann Lee
•    OXFORD BRIDGE CLUB* - Tuesday 31st August 7pm – 9pm – Tutor: Christine Bishop
•    ONLINE - Monday 6th September – 2pm to 4pm – Tutor: Ann Lee

You don't need a partner as there will be someone for you to play with. Friendly and helpful teachers will guide you every step of the way. 

If you would like to join in, please book a place by clicking on the button below.

Online Taster sessions will use the RealBridge platform. You can find out more about RealBridge here. It is a good idea to check that your device can use RealBridge by testing it here. All links and joining instructions will be sent to you nearer the time. 

The in-person Taster session will be held at Oxford Bridge Club* at 147 Banbury Road, OX2 7AN. There is free parking available on side roads adjacent to the club. We will make every effort to ensure that the premises are Covid-secure. 

We hope you'll come along - it will be very friendly and relaxed, and a lot of fun!

*Please note that the club session will revert to online should there be any change to official Covid guidelines.

If you require further information please email education@oxfordbridgeclub.com

Saturday 17th July - Defending Two Suited Overcalls

Time: 10.00am to 12.00pm

Level: Next Step+, Intermediate

Cost: £12

Tutor: Charlie Bucknell

Our pesky opponents are adding more and more gadgets nowadays, and the onus is on us to learn how to defend them. Two-suited overcalls take up a lot of bidding space and we need to understand what our objectives in the auction are with what little we have left. We will look at the defence to Michael’s and the Unusual No Trump bids amongst others and consider our aims in the auction depending on our hand – whether to compete or defend. This will ensure we aren’t stolen from in tight, competitive auctions, and we’ll be ready to take a penalty when the opponents venture in foolishly. 

Of interest to those at Next Step+/Intermediate level. 

 

Saturday 26th June - Two Suited Overcalls

Time: 10.00am to 12.00pm

Level: Next Step+, Intermediate

Cost: £12

Tutor: Charlie Bucknell

Whilst these hands are infrequent, they can have a devastating effect on your opponent’s collective composure when unleashed in full force upon them. This seminar will focus on when to make a two-suited overcall, and how to do so, taking into account your vulnerability. We will look at Michael’s and the Unusual No Trump bid focusing on which hand types and strengths should bid them, and what your objectives in the auction are. We will also consider what your partner should expect from your hand so that they can make an informed decision on whether to push on or stay safe. 

Of interest to those at Next Step+/Intermediate level. 


 

Saturday 22nd May - The Art of Discarding

Time: 10.00am to 12.00pm

Level: Next Step+, Intermediate, Intermediate+

Cost: £12

Tutor: Kathy Talbot 

It is annoying when, as declarer, you play off some winners or reel out your long suit and the opposition always seem to keep the right card. When it's your turn to defend, you always seem to keep the wrong cards! Kathy will show you how you can improve your defence so that you will keep the right cards more often.

This seminar will suit anyone who wants to improve their discarding and is of particular interest to those at the Next Step+/Intermediate/Intermediate+ level.


 

Year 2, Term 2 Online Course for Beginners

Term 2 of the Year 2 'Bridge for All' beginners' online course (10 weeks of lessons) starting in April 2021 is now open for booking and is suitable for anyone who has already completed the 'Bridge for All' Year 2 Term 1 course. If you haven't completed Year 2 Term 1 but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join Year 2 Term 2 course then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Tuesday 27th April 2021 and there are three days/times to choose from:

  • Tuesday evenings from 27th April - 7pm to 9.00pm - Tutor: Ann Lee
  • Wednesday mornings from 28th April - 10am to 12.00pm - Tutor: Shirley Rawlings
  • Friday afternoons from 30th April - 2pm to 4.00pm - Tutor: Shirley Rawlings

The course is being run online using RealBridge and Zoom. The 10-week course costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Year 1, Term 3 Online Course for Beginners

Term 3 of the Year 1 'Bridge for All' beginners' online course (10 weeks of lessons) is now open for booking and is suitable for anyone who has already completed terms 1 and 2 of the 2020 'Bridge for All' Year 1 course. If you haven't completed the first and second term but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join term 3 classes then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Monday 19th April 2021 and there are two days/times to choose from:

  • Monday evenings from 19th April - 7pm to 9.00pm - Tutor: Christine Bishop
  • Tuesday afternoons from 27th April - 2pm to 4.00pm - Tutor: Ann Lee

The course is being run online using Bridge Base Online and Zoom. The 10-week course costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Saturday 10th April 2021 – 2 over 1 (2/1) - 5 week course

Time: 10.00am to 12.00pm

Level: Intermediate+

Cost: £50

Tutor: Peter Litchfield 

This 5-week Saturday morning course will be run by Peter Litchfield, an experienced OBA County player, who has been playing the 2/1 system for many years. 2/1 is a development of Standard American and this is based on a 15-17 point NT and 5 card majors. It is the system of choice of better players in the USA and the robots on BBO. An increasing number of tournament players in the UK and around the world are adopting it. The main enhancement is the 2/1 bid which forces to game. This enables game and slam-going hands to be thoroughly investigated at a low level, allowing players to bid thin games and slams with confidence and hopefully avoid unnecessary bidding disasters!

The seminar series will be five sessions over five weeks:

1.    The 2/1 bid (10th April)
2.    The forcing NT (17th April)
3.    2/1 and major suit bidding (24th April)
4.    2/1 and minor suit bidding (1st May)
5.    Other aspects of the system (8th May)

Each session will consist of around 50 minutes of lecture and discussion using Zoom and an hour of play on RealBridge of hands illustrating the day’s topics.

The series is aimed at experienced Intermediate+ players who either already play 2/1 but want to polish their understanding or those who want to try a new and exciting system.


 

Michael Byrne - Saturday 27th March Afternoon – High Level Competitive Bidding & Defensive Carding

Time: 2.30pm to 5.00pm

Level: NGS Jack and above (and those playing in Division 1 & 2 of Wessex League)

Cost: £26

Tutor: Michael Byrne

A look at a lot of interesting and new aspects of defensive tactics, including Smith Peters, defensive carding in general, taking penalties at low levels, cashing out, and high level competitive bidding. A chance for you to consider some new ideas as well as revisit some familiar situations that continue to cause problems. 

 

Michael Byrne - Morning & Afternoon Seminars - 27th March 2021

Oxford Bridge School is delighted to welcome back Michael Byrne on the 27th March to present two online seminars.

Many of you will have attended one of Michael’s OBS seminars, so will know how entertaining and enjoyable these sessions are, or have read his articles in ‘English Bridge’ magazine. 

Michael is an English Bridge international and professional player. He is also a teacher based in Manchester where he runs his own Bridge school. As well as being squad leader of the England Under 20 team, he regularly gives coaching to County and National teams of all levels.

Michael will be running a morning session which is open to all but is particularly suitable for NGS 8 to Queen players, and an afternoon session most suitable for NGS Jack and above

Each session will involve a talk which will take place on Zoom, followed by a set of practice hands played on RealBridge under Michael’s watchful eye. Each seminar will conclude with a wrap-up session looking at where we went right and where we might have done a little better. A full set of notes will be provided. 

We urge you to book early as Michael’s previous seminars have been fully booked with a waiting list.

We do ask that participants commit to the whole event so that the practice hand sessions work to their full advantage.

Michael Byrne - Saturday 27th March Morning – Duplicate Pairs Tactics

Time: 11.00am to 1.30pm

Level: NGS 8 to Queen

Cost: £26

Tutor: Michael Byrne

An in depth look at match point scoring and tactics along with ways to improve your success rate at duplicate pairs. A look at competitive and protective bidding as well as how high to bid in uncontested auctions.  

 

Saturday 6th March 2021 – Hand Evaluation

Time: 10am to 12.30pm

Level: Next Step+, Intermediate 

Cost: £12

Tutor: Charlie Bucknell 

This Seminar is aimed at helping you improve the judgment of your hand in those hard-fought part-score battles. It will help you evaluate how offensive or defensive your hand is and allow you to adjust your auctions accordingly - should you overcall on a more defensive hand or should you leave the opponents to their own devices? Should you push for a close game or take the safe low road? This seminar will help you judge these close decisions by evaluating your hand more accurately.

This event is of particular interest to those at the Next Step+/Intermediate level.

The seminar will be held online using Zoom and RealBridge. 
 

 

Saturday 6th February 2021 – Slam Bidding Tutorial

Time: 10.00am to 12.30pm

Level: Next Step+, Intermediate 

Cost: £12

Tutor: Charlie Bucknell

This workshop will cover a lot of the topics covered by the 23rd January Slam Bidding seminar in practice and add Exclusion Blackwood to your toolbox.

This is aimed at those who are attending the 23rd January seminar or those with equivalent knowledge.
 

 

Saturday 23rd January 2021 – Slam Bidding: RKCB, Quantitative and When and Why to Cue Bid

Level: Next Step+, Intermediate 

This seminar will take an overview of the ‘slam zone’, one of the most exciting aspects of the game. It will look briefly at the Roman Keycard Blackwood engine, when to re-raise and some extra steps that help make your slams have a greater chance of success. The seminar will also consider when 4NT should be used as RKCB or as quantitative (an invite to 6NT) and how best to respond to this. Finally, it will consider why we should use cue bidding on our way to the slam zone, how to use it and when cue bidding tells us to stop bidding a slam (even if we are only missing one key card!).

For those interested, there are further steps available to RKCB (for re-raising and 3rd enquiries) and 5NT responses to NT and unagreed sequences typically used by modern experts. This will be discussed at the end of the seminar.

Book Seminar

 

 

 

Year 2, Term 1 Beginners' Online Course starting from 12th January 2021

Term 1 of the Year 2 'Bridge for All' beginners' online course (10 weeks of lessons) is suitable for anyone who has already completed Year 1 of the 'Bridge for All' Year. If you haven't completed Year 1 but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join Year 2 then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Tuesday 12th January 2021 and there are three days/times to choose from:

  • Tuesday evenings from 12th January - 7pm to 9.15pm - Tutor: Ann Lee
  • Wednesday mornings from 13th January - 10am to 12.15pm - Tutor: Shirley Rawlings
  • Friday afternoons from 15th January - 2pm to 4.15pm - Tutor: Shirley Rawlings

The course is being run online using Bridge Base Online and Zoom. The 10-week course costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Year 1, Term 2 Beginners' Online Course Starting from 11th January 2021

Term 2 of the Year 1 course for beginners starts the week of the 11th January 2021 and runs for 10 weeks. This course is a follow-on course to Term 1. If you did not attend term 1 but would like to join this course please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss beforehand.

There are two 10-week sessions to select from so you can choose a time of day that is convenient for you:

•    Monday evenings from 11th January – 7pm to 9.15pm – Tutor: Christine Bishop
•    Tuesday afternoons from 12th January – 2pm to 4.15pm – Tutor: Ann Lee

The course is being run online using Bridge Base Online and Zoom. Each 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Students are given 12 months' membership of the English Bridge Union free of charge and offered free membership of Oxford Bridge Club whilst they are Year 1 students. 

If you require help in booking please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com

Further information about the 'Bridge for All' programme can be found on the EBU website.

Saturday 9th January 2021 – Dealing with Opposition Pre-empts

Level: Intermediate, Intermediate+, Advanced 

This seminar will cover a number of defences to pre-empts, predominantly at the 2 level, but also offer a brief look at higher level pre-empts. The defences to pre-empts help us judge the strength in our partnership to ensure we don't overreach in the more compact space made available to us. Defences covered will include Rubensohl, Lebensohl and Natural methods. It is always more difficult to judge a hand when the opponents remove so much bidding space, but the key is to ensure that you aren't the one ending the hand with a minus score when you hold the cards. 

Book Seminar

 

 

 

Saturday 19th December 2020 – Better Ways to Raise; Constructive and Pre-emptive Support Bids

Level: Next Step+, Intermediate 

This seminar is all about supporting partner. This is the most important aspect of the bidding. It will cover direct raises in opening sequences as well as raises in competitive sequences. It will suggest a more scientific approach to how we can support our partner and show a wider range of hands more descriptively to assist their judgement of the hand.

Book Seminar

 

 

 

Saturday 28th November 2020 – How to Respond to Pre-emptive 3-Level Bids and Competitive Auctions

Level: Intermediate, Intermediate+ 

This seminar covers a wide range of topics, as competitive auctions will always differ based on agreements, but it will provide a general set of principles designed to help you incorporate your toolbox into the tighter auctions with less space, and ensure that you can catch your opponents if need be. The focus will be on the strength shown from different calls in competitive auctions, and what your partner should expect from your actions. This seminar will also consider the modern principles used to respond to 3-level pre-empts from your partner. 

For those interested, there will be an additional 30 minute discussion after the end of the seminar on an expert level response kit to a 3 Club pre-empt. This will be followed by questions. 

Book Seminar

 

 

 

Saturday 7th November 2020 – What to do with Doubles over 1NT

Level: Next Step+, Intermediate

This seminar will cover the murky waters of what we need to judge when partner makes a penalty double over 1NT. It will briefly cover escapes from penalty doubles for a weak No Trump in both seats if the double is out of position. The seminar will mainly focus on the advancer of the penalty double, when to convert into penalties and when to run, and what to do if the opponents use an escape mechanism, eliminating any issues of what is forcing, what is penalty, and what is natural.

Book Seminar

 

 

 

Saturday 31st October 2020 – Game Tries

Level: Next Step+, Intermediate

This seminar will focus on the very narrow precipice of bidding game or stopping in part-scores and how best to utilise the bidding space available to us to evaluate our hand opposite our partner. How do we know that our King of Diamonds will be gold dust in 4 Spades? Is our Ace of Clubs a good card? Game tries help us determine what cards partner needs to make the perfect hand and what cards will be of no use. This seminar will help you understand when to make a game try, when to accept and when to reject. It will also focus on what hands should not be used for game tries - either too strong or too weak.

Book Seminar

 

 

 

Saturday 17th October 2020 – Keeping Count

Level: Next Step+, Intermediate

This seminar is aimed at those who are looking to sharpen up their defensive edge over their peers and want to be able to start building the hands as a defender to help ensure the maximum number of tricks. Giving count is a particularly useful device to assist in hold-up plays, most commonly in No Trumps and a way of giving partner ruffs in Trump contracts. This seminar will help teach how to use count to evaluate the hand as a whole and improve upon defensive techniques already established.

Book Seminar

 

 

 

Year 1 (2019), Term 3 Online Course for Beginners

Term 3 of the Year 1 'Bridge for All' beginners' online course (10 weeks of lessons) is now open for booking and is suitable for anyone who has already completed terms 1 and 2 of the 'Bridge for All' Year 1 course. If you haven't completed the first two terms but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join the term 3 class then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Tuesday 29th September 2020 and there are three days/times to choose from:

Tuesday evenings - 7pm to 9.15pm - Tutor: Ann Lee

Wednesday mornings - 10am to 12.15pm - Tutor: Shirley Rawlings

Friday afternoons - 2pm to 4.15pm - Tutor: Shirley Rawlings

The course is being run online using Bridge Base Online and Zoom. The 10-week course costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Term 3 Beginners' Online Course starting from 29th September

Term 3 of the Year 1 'Bridge for All' beginners' online course (10 weeks of lessons) is suitable for anyone who has already completed terms 1 and 2 of the 'Bridge for All' Year 1 course. If you haven't completed the first two terms but feel that you have equivalent knowledge of Bridge to join the term 3 class then please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com to discuss this further before booking. 

Classes start from Tuesday 29th September 2020 and there are three days/times to choose from:

Tuesday evenings - 7pm to 9.15pm - Tutor: Ann Lee

Wednesday mornings - 10am to 12.15pm - Tutor: Shirley Rawlings

Friday afternoons - 2pm to 4.15pm - Tutor: Shirley Rawlings

The course is being run online using Bridge Base Online and Zoom. The 10-week course costs £100 and includes full notes. 

Year 1 (2020), Term 1 Online Course for Beginners

Term 1 of our 30-week beginners' course starts each year in the autumn. The course is based on the English Bridge Union’s ‘Bridge for All’ programme, using the Acol bidding system. It is a carefully structured course that starts out by assuming no previous knowledge of cards. It is also suitable for anyone who has played a little Bridge with friends and wants to learn more. The course is being run online using Bridge Base Online and Zoom. 

Click here for more information or go straight to the booking page by clicking the Book Online button below. 

 

 

 

 

Term 1 Beginners' Online Course Starting from 28th September

Term 1 of the course for beginners starts the week of the 28th September and runs for 10 weeks. 

Your tutor will get you acquainted with playing online and using Zoom and then each week’s lesson will consist of some gentle teaching and a lot of practice so that right from the beginning you’ll be playing Bridge with your fellow students for a good part of each lesson. By the end of the course you will be ready to join in one of our weekly online club games that are specially designed for new players or confidently play social Bridge. 

There are two 10-week sessions to select from so you can choose a time of day that is convenient for you:

•    Monday evenings from 28th September – 7pm to 9.15pm – Tutor: Shirley Rawlings
•    Tuesday afternoons from 29th September – 2pm to 4.15pm – Tutor: Ann Lee

Each 10-week term costs £100 and includes full notes. 

As a bonus, students are given 12 months' membership of the English Bridge Union free of charge and offered free membership of Oxford Bridge Club whilst they are Year 1 students. 

If you require help in booking please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com

Further information about the 'Bridge for All' programme can be found on the EBU website.

Saturday Seminar 23rd November 2019

The seminar will be given by Robert Procter.  It's entitled Flexible Planning in Low Level Contracts'.  Click the Book online button for further details and booking.

Level: Intermediate+ 
Tutor: Robert Procter
Time: 10:00-12:30

Saturday Seminar 16th November 2019

The seminar will be given by Sandra Nicholson.  It's entitled Fourth Suit Forcing: Beyond the Basics.  Click the Book online button for further details and booking. This event is full and a waiting list is in operation.

Level: Intermediate+ 
Tutor: Sandra Nicholson
Time: 10:00-12:30

Bridge for All - Year 2

The Year 2 of the EBU’s Bridge for All course runs each year in three terms of 10 weeks each starting in September /October. This course is open to those who have completed Year 1 of the Bridge for All course and to those with the equivalent knowledge of Bridge. This course is designated as Next Step. 

Please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com for further details if you are not one of our existing students.

Saturday Seminar 21st September 2019

The seminar will be given by Patrick Shields.  It's entitled Weak NT & 4-card majors; strong NT & 5-card majors.  Click the Book online button for further details and booking. 

Level: Intermediate+ to Advanced
Tutor: Patrick Shields
Time: 10:00-12:30

Fast Start Bridge - Weekend course 29/30/31 March 2019

Learn Bridge in a Weekend - Fast Start Bridge

‘Fast Start Bridge’ is an intensive weekend course for those wanting to learn the rudiments of Bridge at a brisk pace. This is a practical course with a strong emphasis on play. By the end of the weekend you will have learnt the basics of bidding, play and defence enabling you to play Bridge in a social setting at home. You will also be ready to join term 2 of our Bridge for All course for beginners.

The cost of the course is £80 to include tea/coffee and biscuits. Lunch is available in one of the many cafes and restaurants in Summertown or you can bring a packed lunch to eat at the Bridge Club.

Tutors:
Sandra Nicholson
Shirley Rawlings
Viccy Fleming

Weekend of  29th, 30th, 31st March 2019 - Timings:
Friday evening 7.00 pm – 9.45 pm 
Saturday morning 9.45 am – 12.30 pm
Saturday afternoon 2.00 pm – 4.45 pm
Sunday morning 10.00 am – 12.45 pm 

Fast Start Bridge - Weekend course March 2019

Learn Bridge in a Weekend - Fast Start Bridge

‘Fast Start Bridge’ is an intensive weekend course for those wanting to learn the rudiments of Bridge at a brisk pace. This is a practical course with a strong emphasis on play. By the end of the weekend you will have learnt the basics of bidding, play and defence enabling you to play Bridge in a social setting at home. You will also be ready to join term 2 of our Bridge for All course for beginners.

The cost of the course is £80 to include tea/coffee and biscuits. Lunch is available in one of the many cafes and restaurants in Summertown or you can bring a packed lunch to eat at the Bridge Club.

Tutors:
Sandra Nicholson
Shirley Rawlings
Viccy Fleming

Weekend of  29th, 30th, 31st March 2019 - Timings:
Friday evening 7.00 pm – 9.45 pm 
Saturday morning 9.45 am – 12.30 pm
Saturday afternoon 2.00 pm – 4.45 pm
Sunday morning 10.00 am – 12.45 pm 

Special Guest Seminar - 16th March 2019

Michael Byrne Seminars

 

Oxford Bridge Club is delighted to welcome Michael Byrne back to the club on Saturday 16th March to give another day of seminars.    Michael is one of the country’s top players and a gifted teacher.   Many of you will have read his articles in ‘English Bridge’.

The topic for the morning session is 

  • ‘Opening leads: A look at not only what suit you should be leading but also the choice of card, and whether the auction will affect this.’   This seminar is open to everyone including BfA year 2 graduates.

The topic for the afternoon session is 

  • 'The Competitive Auction: A look at the new and different uses for 'double' together with tools that you may need in the modern world of competitive bidding.'  This seminar is for those with an NGS grade of Queen or above and for those playing in divisions 1 & 2 of the Wessex League.   The pace of play and the level of discussion will reflect this.  

  
Last year Michael’s seminars were fully booked with a waiting list.   Early booking is recommended.
To book, click the button below.   Please note that online payment at the time of booking is now required. 

Saturday Seminar Series 2019

The Saturday Seminar Series resumes in 2019 when the club returns to a refurbished 147 Banbury Road.

First seminars are now available for booking.  We run a waiting list when they become full.

  • 19th January 2019 - Aleks Lishkov
  • 2nd February 2019 - John Slater

Fast Start Bridge - Weekend course January 2019

Learn Bridge in a Weekend - Fast Start Bridge

‘Fast Start Bridge’ is an intensive weekend course for those wanting to learn the rudiments of Bridge at a brisk pace. This is a practical course with a strong emphasis on play. By the end of the weekend you will have learnt the basics of bidding, play and defence enabling you to play Bridge in a social setting at home. You will also be ready to join term 2 of our Bridge for All course for beginners.

The cost of the course is £80 to include tea/coffee and biscuits. Lunch is available in one of the many cafes and restaurants in Summertown or you can bring a packed lunch to eat at the Bridge Club.

Tutors:
Sandra Nicholson
Shirley Rawlings
Viccy Fleming

Weekend of  11th, 12th, 13th January 2019 - Timings:
Friday evening 7.00 pm – 9.45 pm 
Saturday morning 9.45 am – 12.30 pm
Saturday afternoon 2.00 pm – 4.45 pm
Sunday morning 10.00 am – 12.45 pm 

Fast Start Bridge - Weekend course 11/12/13 January 2019

Learn Bridge in a Weekend - Fast Start Bridge

‘Fast Start Bridge’ is an intensive weekend course for those wanting to learn the rudiments of Bridge at a brisk pace. This is a practical course with a strong emphasis on play. By the end of the weekend you will have learnt the basics of bidding, play and defence enabling you to play Bridge in a social setting at home. You will also be ready to join term 2 of our Bridge for All course for beginners.

The cost of the course is £80 to include tea/coffee and biscuits. Lunch is available in one of the many cafes and restaurants in Summertown or you can bring a packed lunch to eat at the Bridge Club.

Tutors:
Sandra Nicholson
Shirley Rawlings
Viccy Fleming

Weekend of  11th, 12th, 13th January 2019 - Timings:
Friday evening 7.00 pm – 9.45 pm 
Saturday morning 9.45 am – 12.30 pm
Saturday afternoon 2.00 pm – 4.45 pm
Sunday morning 10.00 am – 12.45 pm 

Fast Start Bridge - Weekend course January 2019

Beginners - Learn Bridge in a Weekend - Fast Start Bridge

‘Fast Start Bridge’ is an intensive weekend course for those wanting to learn the rudiments of Bridge at a brisk pace. This is a practical course with a strong emphasis on play. By the end of the weekend you will have learnt the basics of bidding, play and defence enabling you to play Bridge in a social setting at home. You will also be ready to join term 2 of our Bridge for All course for beginners. Click for more information.
 

Saturday Tutorials 2018

We are running a series of seven, two hour tutorials on Saturday mornings during the Autumn Term.   These are primarily for students who have completed the Bridge for All year 2 course but they may be of interest to other players of an equivalent standard.   Five of the tutorials will review a specific topic from the course, giving a brief overview of the material that was taught followed by themed practice hands.   There will, in addition, be two tutorials on new ‘gadgets’ namely ‘Wriggling out of 1NT X’ and ‘Two Suited overcalls’.

Levels vary: Next Step+
Tutors: Ann Lee, Sandra Nicholson, Shirley Rawlings

Bridge for All - Year 2 Term 1 Autumn 2018

Three separate courses run on Tuesday evenings, Wednesday mornings and friday afternoons.

This course is open to those who have completed Year 1 of the Bridge for All course and to those with the equivalent knowledge of Bridge.  This course is designated as Next Step.

Please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com for further details if you are not one of our existing students.  

Level: Beginners
Tutors: Ann Lee, Steph Bliss, Shirley Rawlings

Bridge for All - Year 1 Term 1 Autumn 2018

Three separate courses run on Monday afternoons, Tuesday evenings, and Thursday afternoons.

This is the first 10 week term of a 30 week course for beginners based on the English Bridge Union’s ‘Bridge for All’ programme, using the Acol bidding system. It is a carefully structured course that starts out by assuming no previous knowledge of cards.    It is also suitable for anyone who has played a little Bridge with friends and wants to learn more.  

Level: Beginners
Tutors: Ann Lee, Sandra Nicholson, Shirley Rawlings

Saturday Tutorials 2018

We are running a series of seven, two hour tutorials on Saturday mornings during the Autumn Term.   These are primarily for students who have completed the Bridge for All year 2 course but they may be of interest to other players of an equivalent standard.   Five of the tutorials will review a specific topic from the course, giving a brief overview of the material that was taught followed by themed practice hands.   There will, in addition, be two tutorials on new ‘gadgets’ namely ‘Wriggling out of 1NT X’ and ‘Two Suited overcalls’.

Levels vary: Next Step+
Tutors: Ann Lee, Sandra Nicholson, Shirley Rawlings

The Art of Discarding

Saturday 14th July at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Next Step+ to Intermediate+
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Bridge for All - Year 2 Term 3 Summer 2018

Three separate courses run on Monday afternoon, Thursday afternoons and Thursday evenings.

This course is open to those who have completed Year 1 of the Bridge for All course and to those with the equivalent knowledge of Bridge.  This course is designated as Next Step.

Please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com for further details if you are not one of our existing students.  

Level: Beginners
Tutors: Ann Lee, Sandra Nicholson, Shirley Rawlings

Bridge for All - Year 1 Term 3 Summer 2018

Three separate courses run on Tuesday evenings, Wednesday mornings and Friday afternoons.

This is the third 10 week term of a 30 week course for beginners based on the English Bridge Union’s ‘Bridge for All’ programme, using the Acol bidding system. It is a carefully structured course that starts out by assuming no previous knowledge of cards.    It is also suitable for anyone who has played a little Bridge with friends and wants to learn more.  

Level: Beginners
Tutors: Ann Lee, Steph Bliss, Shirley Rawlings

Teams Play for Experts

Saturday 17th March 2018 at 2.00pm. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Expert
Tutor: Michael Byrne

Teams Play

Saturday 17th March 2018 at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate to Intermediate+
Tutor: Michael Byrne

Consolidate your Slam bidding

A five week course on Wednesday mornings 10.00 am – 12.00 pm starting on 28th February.  Click on the ‘Details’ signpost for further information. 

Level: Intermediate
Tutors: Kathy Talbot

Declarer Play in NT-What to do at trick 1

Saturday 24 February 2018 at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate to Intermediate+
Tutor: Steven Bliss

Deception in Defence

Saturday 27 January 2018 at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate+ to Advanced
Tutor: John Slater

Three Weak Twos - Developing the auction

Wednesday 24th January 10.00 am – 12.00 pm. Click on the ‘Details’ signpost for further information about this seminar.

Level: Next Step+ to Intermediate
Tutors: Kathy Talbot

Seminar Series 2018

This series of seminars is aimed at club players who want to improve. The level at which each seminar is focussed varies.

Levels vary: Intermediate to Advanced

For the topics for each seminar click here.

Countering pre-emptive bids

Saturday 9th December at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate to Intermediate+ 
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Aspects of Defence I

This five week course on defence concentrates on common blindspots.

  

Level:  Intermediate
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Highlights from Kathy's Korner

Saturday 28th October at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate to Intermediate+ 
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Duplicate Minibridge - NEW
Duplicate Minibridge - NEW

Duplicate Minibridge sessions are run for the benefit of attendees at year 1 of the Bridge for All course. 

What happens? About 8 hands are played in a 2 hour period. The session is organised as a “duplicate session” and is scored manually.

“Duplicate session” means that each partnership plays against different pairs, changing position after each round.  Each board is played multiple times during the session. The scoring is arranged such that each N-S pair is trying to do better on each board than other N-S pairs in the room and similarly for E-W pairs.

When can I play? Wednesday afternoons from 2.00 to 4.00pm from 18th October until 6th December - as listed in the calendar. Table money is £4 per session.

If you are interested in reading about MiniBridge then you can find detailed information on the EBU website.

Seminar Series 2017

This series of seminars is aimed at club players who want to improve. The level at which each seminar is focussed varies.

Levels vary: Intermediate to Advanced

For the topics for each seminar click here.

Competitive bidding: other uses for doubles

Saturday 14th October at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate+ to Advanced
Tutor: Chris Kerr

Kathy's Korner

This is the next series of tutorials in which Kathy will discuss problems and dilemmas that have arisen at her table in recent months. Bookings are either for all three sessions in the Autumn Term or for individual sessions.  

  

Level: Next Step+ to Intermediate+
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Bridge for All - Year 2 Term 1 Autumn 2017

Three separate courses run on Monday afternoon, Thursday afternoons and Thursday evenings.

This course is open to those who have completed Year 1 of the Bridge for All course and to those with the equivalent knowledge of Bridge.  For further details click here. This course is designated as Next Step.

Please contact education@oxfordbridgeclub.com for further details if you are not one of our existing students.  

Level: Beginners
Tutors: Ann Lee, Sandra Nicholson, Shirley Rawlings

Bridge for All - Year 1 Term 1 Autumn 2017

Three separate courses run on Tuesday evenings, Wednesday mornings and Friday afternoons.

This is the first term of a 30 week course for beginners based on the English Bridge Union’s ‘Bridge for All’ programme, using the Acol bidding system. It is a carefully structured course that starts out by assuming no previous knowledge of cards.    It is also suitable for anyone who has played a little Bridge with friends and wants to learn more.  

Level: Beginners
Tutors: Ann Lee, Steph Bliss, Shirley Rawlings

Learn to Play Bridge

Booking is now open for the Beginners courses that start in the Autumn and for our Year 2 Improvers course.   Click here for further details.

If you know someone in the area who is interested in learning bridge, tell them about what is going on at the club.

Themed Practice Hands sessions - NEW
Themed Practice Hands sessions - NEW

Those readers who keep a close eye on the calendar will know that for some time OBS has been running "Practice Hands" sessions for students.  The hands that are used are selected from resources made available to our qualified bridge teachers – each session has a specific theme linked to a particular facet of the game.

The set hands being used for the improvers sessions may be of interest to players wanting to practice a particular element of their game. The specific topic for each Thursday morning session is listed in the calendar entry for each session.   

Advice is available from the supervisor of the session and there is a handout with a commentary on the hands. The session is not scored. You are welcome to come with or without a partner.  The table money is £5.

Three weak twos - developing the auction

This one-off lesson gives some guidance on when to open a weak two and how to develop the auction when your side has opened a weak two.

  

Level:  Next step+ to Intermediate
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Protective Bidding Tutorial

This session is intended primarily as a follow up to the seminar given on 15th July but it is open to everyone.

  

Level:  Next step+ to Intermediate
Tutor: Sandra Nicholson

Free Taster Sessions

We are running four free Taster Sessions during the summer on the following dates:-

  • Tuesday 4th July at 7.30 pm
  • Wednesday 12th July at 10.00 am
  • Wednesday 16th August at 10.00 am
  • Tuesday 22nd August at 7.30 pm
  • Tuesday 19th September at 7.30pm

Book your place now by clicking on the green button below and following the instructions. Just click on the date you would like to come, click select for one place and click on proceed to provide your contact information and confirm the booking.

 

The Losing Trick Count

Saturday 19th August 2017 at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate/Intermediate+ 
Tutor: Steven Bliss

Protective Bidding

Saturday 15th July 2017 at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Next Step+/Intermediate 
Tutor: Sandra Nicholson

Introduction to Squeezes

Saturday 8th July at 10.00 am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Advanced
Tutor: Aleksander Lishkov

 

Two suited Overcalls

Saturday 13th May 2017 at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate/Intermediate+ 
Tutor: Sandra Nicholson

Competitive Bidding

10 sessions on Tuesday afternoons. 

This course is designed to help you improve your competitive bidding so that you make life more difficult for your opponents and get more out of your hands.  It is likely to cover:  overcalls (simple, jumps,two suited, NT), takeout doubles and ways of converting to penalties; doubling 1NT and developments by each side; ways of supporting partner including competitive raises; sacrificing.  The content may change depending on the needs of participants..

Level: Intermediate to Intermediate+
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Kathy's Korner

This is the next series of tutorials in which Kathy will discuss problems and dilemmas that have arisen at her table in recent months.  Following the successful trial during the Autumn Term, we will now be running one tutorial each month.   Bookings are either for all five sessions in the Summer Term or for individual sessions.  

  

Level: Next Step+ to Intermediate+
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Bridge for All - Year 1 Term 3

Three separate courses run on Monday afternoons, Wednesday mornings and Thursday evenings.

This is the third term of a 30 week course for beginners based on the English Bridge Union’s ‘Bridge for All’ programme, using the Acol bidding system. It is a carefully structured course that starts out by assuming no previous knowledge of cards.    It is also suitable for anyone who has played a little Bridge with friends and wants to learn more.   Anyone interested in joining one of the classes who has not completed term 2 should first contact the Education Team by email education@oxfordbridgeclub.com

Level: Beginners
Tutors: Ann Lee, Sandra Nicholson

Bidding Review Course

Ten Sessions on Tuesday evenings

Designed as  a fast-track revision of basic Acol, this course is ideal for those returning to bridge after a long gap or for more recent starters who would like to revise and consolidate bidding.

Level: Intermediate
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Declarer Play – When to Draw Trumps and When Not To

Saturday 1st April 2017 at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate 
Tutor: Steven Bliss

Bidding – Better Ways to Raise

Saturday 25th March 2017 at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate 
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Bridge for All - Year 1 Term 2

Three separate courses run on Monday afternoons, Wednesday mornings and Thursday evenings.

This is the second term of a 30 week course for beginners based on the English Bridge Union’s ‘Bridge for All’ programme, using the Acol bidding system. It is a carefully structured course that starts out by assuming no previous knowledge of cards.    It is also suitable for anyone who has played a little Bridge with friends and wants to learn more.   Anyone interested in joining one of the classes who has not completed term 1 should first contact the Education Team by email education@oxfordbridgeclub.com

Level: Beginners
Tutors: Ann Lee, Sandra Nicholson

Bidding – We double Their 1NT Opening – They Wriggle – What happens next?

Saturday 25th February at 10.00 am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate+ to Advanced
Tutor: John Slater

Benji Acol

Six Sessions on Tuesday evenings

Even if you do not want to play "Benji" yourself, if you play in a duplicate club you will frequently come up against it, so you need to know how it works.  This short course will teach you how to use, and respond to, all the 2-level bids in the Benjaminised Acol system, and also explain how to defend against them.

Level: Intermediate
Tutor: Sandra Nicholson

Improve your Defence

Monday evenings, repeated on Tuesday afternoons. Course postponed

Defence is regarded by many as the most difficult area of Bridge.   Since one defends twice as often as one declares, improving your skills in this area is an excellent way of increasing your enjoyment of the game.   This course covers the key aspects of defensive strategy with plenty of practice in applying them.    It is aimed at people with some experience of playing Duplicate Bridge who wish to defend contracts at a more advanced level than is possible with their current level of understanding.

Level: Intermediate to Intermediate+
Tutor: Peter Litchfield

Bidding - Lebensohl part 2

Saturday 14th January 2017 at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate+ to Advanced
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Bidding Review

Ten Sessions on Tuesday evenings

Designed as  a fast-track revision of basic Acol, this course is ideal for those returning to bridge after a long gap or for more recent starters who would like to revise and consolidate bidding.

Level: Intermediate
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Defence - Planning the defence

Saturday 19th November 2016 at 09.30am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate 
Tutor: Steven Bliss

Kathy's Korner

This is a series of five tutorials in which Kathy will discuss problems and dilemmas that have arisen at her table in recent months.  Bookings are for individual sessions.   If this format proves popular, we will run monthy sessions from January 2017.   

  

Level: Next Step+ to Intermediate+
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Bidding - Lebensohl part 1

Saturday 15th October 2016 at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate+ to Advanced
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Aspects of Play I

Once your bidding improves a little, you get to the right contracts a lot of the time.  Now learn to improve your play so that you bring home those contracts.   

  

Level: Next Step+ to Intermediate
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Bridge for All - Year 1 Term 1 (Thursday evenings)

This is the first term of a 30 week course for beginners based on the English Bridge Union’s ‘Bridge for All’ programme, using the Acol bidding system. It is a carefully structured course that starts out by assuming no previous knowledge of cards whatsoever, although it is also suitable for anyone who has played a little Bridge with friends and wants to learn more.

Level: Beginners
Tutor: Sandra Nicholson

Bridge for All - Year 1 Term 1 (Wednesday mornings)

This is the first term of a 30 week course for beginners based on the English Bridge Union’s ‘Bridge for All’ programme, using the Acol bidding system. It is a carefully structured course that starts out by assuming no previous knowledge of cards whatsoever, although it is also suitable for anyone who has played a little Bridge with friends and wants to learn more.

Level: Beginners
Tutor: Ann Lee

Bridge for All - Year 1 Term 1 (Monday afternoons)

This is the first term of a 30 week course for beginners based on the English Bridge Union’s ‘Bridge for All’ programme, using the Acol bidding system. It is a carefully structured course that starts out by assuming no previous knowledge of cards whatsoever, although it is also suitable for anyone who has played a little Bridge with friends and wants to learn more.

Level: Beginners
Tutor: Ann Lee

The 2 over 1 Bidding System

A taste of 2/1: The course is designed for experienced players who want a taste of a modern bidding system played by many top tournament players the world over.  2/1 is a development of Standard American and is thus a five card major, strong no trump system.  Some knowledge of such a system will be assumed.  The defining feature of 2/1 is that a two level response to an opening bid is forcing to game.  Defining a game forcing sequence at a low level increases space for the exchange of information, making it easier to reach the correct game contract or close slams. 

  

Level: Intermediate+ to Advanced
Tutor: Peter Litchfield

Defence - The opening lead

Saturday 24th September 2016 at 09.30am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate 
Tutor: Steven Bliss

Bidding - Slam bidding

Saturday 6th August 2016 at 9.30am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate 
Tutor: Steven Bliss

Bridge for All Taster Session (morning)

We are offering a free taster session for our Beginner's courses on two dates.  No knowledge of Bridge or of card games is required to attend the session. Come along if you wish to try out the game of Bridge and to learn more about the year-long Beginner's courses that we will be running from October 2016. 

Level: Beginners
Tutor: Ann Lee

Bidding – Responding to 1NT

Saturday 23rd July 2016. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate 
Tutor: Steven Bliss

Reading the Opening Lead

Saturday 9th July 2016 at 10.00am. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate+ to Advanced
Tutor: Rob Dixon

Team Tactics

Saturday 4th June 2016. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

       POSTPONED

Level: Intermediate+ to Advanced 
Tutor: Gunzel Akyol

Bridge for All Taster Session (evening)

We are offering a free taster session for our Beginner's courses on two dates.  No knowledge of Bridge or of card games is required to attend the session. Come along if you wish to try out the game of Bridge and to learn more about the year-long Beginner's courses that we will be running from October 2016. 

Level: Beginners
Tutor: Sandra Nicholson

Declarer Play - Playing with the odds

Saturday 7th May 2016. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate+ 
Tutor: Steven Bliss

Declarer Play - making more tricks in suit contracts

Saturday 5th March 2016. Click on the "Details" signpost for further information about the topics to be discussed at the event:

Level: Intermediate+ 
Tutor: Steven Bliss

Seminar Series 2016

This series of seminars is aimed at club players who want to improve. The level at which each seminar is focussed varies.

Levels vary: Intermediate to Advanced

For the topics for each seminar click here.

Aspects of Play II

This course is designed for players who found Aspects of Play I stimulating and rewarding. You will also benefit from this course if you understand opening leads, safety plays, ducking and a little bit about endplays at an introductory level. This course aims to improve your card play technique, building on concepts covered in the previous course. 

Level: Next Step+ to Intermediate
Tutor: Kathy Talbot

Aspects of Play I

Once your bidding improves a little, you get to the right contracts a lot of the time. Now learn to improve your play so that you bring home those contracts.  

   FULLY BOOKED

Level: Next Step+ to Intermediate
Tutor: Kathy Talbot