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El mejor club de bridge del mundo

Real Casino de Tenerife

 

STOP PRESS

See update of SWEDISH SUPERBOY article to find out which famous bridge player might be visiting the Club in 2024

The article is on Conquering a Bridge World page in the site menu above

Latest News from FRANCE

La VIE est BELLE

Date: 23/9/23

Venue: Ste Esteve, South West France

Event: Tournoi du Roussillon

71 Tables - 284 players

Latest News from FRANCE
Club Stéphanois

A few days after the tournament ended, I visited the local club's premises where I was able to personally thank them for their organisation. I was told that, for the 2024 edition of the Tournoi de Roussillon end September, the number of tables will be limited to 80 = 320 players. You therefore need to book your place well in advance if you want to join the party. 

What a great day that was!

Club Stéphanois

Félicitations à Régine, Jean Marc, Patrick et Michel du Club Stéphanois pour avoir organisé un si bel événement.

Une chance pour moi de retrouver mes amis français de l'époque où j'enseignais le bridge dans les écoles françaises. 15 ans après le début de ce projet, il existe un nombre incroyable de 560 clubs de bridge enregistrés dans les écoles en France.

Le superbe dîner dansant m'a donné l'occasion de discuter avec Luc, le directeur du tournoi,  comment atteindre en Espagne le succès que nous avons tous deux connu : Luc était entraineur de l'équipe française des moins de 13 ans en même temps que moi. j'étais le coach de l'équipe thaïlandaise des moins de 13 ans!

 

Winning Chang Rai under 16 team
Winning Chang Rai under 16 team

At the end of the Thai National under 16 championships, the winners invited some of my (slightly shorter) youngsters competing in the same event to join them for the photo call.

Chang Rai was where the 12 cave boys and their teacher were dramatically rescued in 2018. Some of those boys trapped underground for a week in a flooded cave were bridge players!   

WE are the CHAMPIONS
WE are the CHAMPIONS

Felicitaciones a Sofía y Carmen.

Las Campeonas en Icod el Alto

Pictured with Manuel who everyone agrees is....

The best President in the world

Christmas lunch 2022 at Barcelo Occidental in Fuengirola
Christmas lunch 2022 at Barcelo Occidental in Fuengirola
ALL PART of the SERVICE

We are not just a social club here at ACES. We can also...

-Find good, reasonably priced accommodation

-Arrange pick-ups from the airport

-Help solve your mobility problems

-Advise what to do – and not do – on the island

-Offer recommendations re places of interest

-Give guidance on Brexit related problems

That`s what friends are for

SKI & BRIDGE April 2024
SKI & BRIDGE April 2024

A five night bridge break starting 10 April staying at the Mirasol Hotel in Sierra Nevada

Non skiers can enjoy the walks in the warm Spring sunshine. 

Ski and lift passes FREE for over 70´s

Beautiful views above Granada
Beautiful views above Granada

.

Minibridge v Mensa
MINIBRIDGE v MENSA

IQ TEST is BEST

 

I am not a great fan of Minibridge. Mainly because too many people lose interest in the game before they learn the principle of trumping.

Whilst that is not a big problem in school projects where it is ON the CURRICULUM, when it is a voluntary after-school (or lunchbreak) activity, many give up the game within two weeks of having started. For the record, it most definitely is ON the curriculum at schools in France from age 9 and Thailand at 7 years. I understand it is 8 years in Poland and in China. 

I prefer the system which gets new recruits, whatever their age, to take an immediate and lasting interest in the sport. i.e. finish the lesson wanting to practise or play as soon as they return to their homes. 

A good example can be found on the `educational benefits` page of this site: A mum and her two boys all keen to practise trying to make thirteen tricks with only 5 points in the two hands combined. And practise the play of that hand is exactly what they did. In the Malaga airport departure lounge within hours of their 20 minute introductory bridge lesson!

 

As for the IQ method I refer to, time constraints don`t allow me to explain that fully now either. But the clues to how it works are in the same articles about the German fanily group lesson.

Normally I can do the IQ test at the end of the first lesson, but in this case the 8 year old`s score would have been influenced by the fact that he used up as much brain power on language translation as on learning how to trump. 

If, however, all three had been English, I would have shown them the priniciples of trumping by playing a few different but straightforward hands during the lesson. I would then give them the very special hand (shown below) to take away. For them to do their own self assessment IQ test at the airport as follows:

Laying all four hands on a table in the cafeteria, the first one to work out how to make the 13 tricks (with only 5 points between him and partner) has the highest IQ. Theoretically he should be capable of becoming the best bridge player in that German family. But who would it be? And would Mum be happier if it was her who had the highest IQ? 

Of course it doesn`t matter. The point is it gives all three in the family the motivation to want to practise a fundamental of the game at such an early stage. 

Interestingly, this IQ test usually reveals who is the best at school in MATHEMATICS. Worth knowing when suggesting to a headmaster he introduce an after school bridge club. If he agree to try the experiment, tell him to get the Maths teacher to send you the four pupils who are top of the class at Maths in each school year.

At the end of the first lesson, a good ruse to capture their imagination before they do the IQ test, is to tell them you are applying the football play off system. Tell them you want to find out not only who really is the best at Maths, but who is going to end up the best bridge player. If that doesn`t motivate them to concentrate when you do the thirteen trick five point test, nothing will.

The success of the school project is thus guaranteed.

By the way, the motivation for the bridge coach is that he will always be guaranteed a job at the school. As a Maths teacher, of course.  

Trevor 23/2/19