Douglas Bridge Club
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Message from David re book library, please click anywhere to view library

There are well over 200 publications in our library.   The earliest dates from 1929, just three years after the advent of Contract Bridge as we know it.  In a couple of years it will be the centenary of Contract Bridge, and coincidentally, the 70th anniversary of Douglas Bridge Club.

 

The index is in excel format, and gives information as to title, author, condition, date of publication, subject area and skill level.  The index is sorted by skill level and then by subject matter.   The aim of sorting in this way is to assist the member in deciding which book is appropriate for them.  With a certain amount of expertise the index can be resorted in a different order, for example, by publication date, or author 

 

As regards date of publication, I would suggest avoiding early books on bidding unless you are an advanced player.  Bidding has evolved significantly and is continuing to evolve.  By contrast earlier books on card play are probably as valid as on the day they were written, and indeed may be easier to understand than some more recent material.

 

The skill levels used are Beginner, Entry Level, Intermediate and Advanced.  A Beginner I take to be a player who is attending classes.  An Entry Level player I take to be one who has been playing at a club for, say, up to five years.  An Intermediate Player, I take to be one with an NGS of perhaps 45-55.  An Advanced Player I take to be one with an NGS in excess of about 55.   My assessment of each book is based on the most cursory examination, usually only the introductory material, and is, I admit, highly subjective.  Nevertheless I hope my categorisation will be of some assistance to members in choosing a book to read or study.

 

The subject areas used are Bidding, Declarer Play and Defence.  Defence and Declarer Play are taken together as Card Play.   Publications covering every area are described as 'Wide ranging'.

 

In some cases, I've added comments, including as to whether books are American.  American books do not generally make use of the Acol system of bidding, and may be confusing to entry level players and beginners struggling with Acol.

 

There are a number of books marked as 'Missing'.  These are Bridge Lessons and Bridge Secrets (both Andrew Robson), Famous Bridge Disasters (David Bird), Hand Evaluation in Contract Bridge (Mark Lawrence), Tips for Tops and More Tips for Tops (both Dr. George Rosenkranz), Probabilities and Alternatives in Bridge (Antonio Vivaldi and Giani Barrocho), The Precision System of Bidding (Charles H Goren) and Thinking in Defense, the Art of Visualisation at Bridge (Jim Priebe).  If you have any of these out on loan please let me know so that I can update the records.

 

Please let me know if you would like to borrow any of the books, and I will do my best to get them to you.  Also if you have any queries please do not hesitate to let me know.

 

Also if you would like to donate a book, or books, please let me know.  Your donation will be recorded by means of a pre-printed slip attached to the book.

 

My grateful thanks to Ruth Douthwaite who prepared the initial version of the index.   Without her work I would have had to spend quite a lot more time on this than I have.   Any errors in the index now circulated are entirely my own.

 

To conclude, I have heard it said that playing cards are the calling cards of the devil.   I found this response in a 1975 book on card play (in which there is a lot of humour); I rather like it.

 

'Grace at the Bridge Table

 

Oh Lord, grant us this session of bridge for our enlightenment and bring forth only the good from the alleged Devil's picture book. the 52 pieces which Thou hast snatched from Hell and rendered so beneficial.

 

Please show us that we came here not to inflate our vanity by winning but to train the brain and salve the soul in humility and good fellowship.

 

May we learn from Thee, in life as in bridge, the habit and power of constructive thought, the growth of reason, the development of imagination and self-control in all things that we do; also how to befriend our enemies by communication and co-operation.

 

Please teach us, Oh Lord, that bridge is a relaxing hobby and only a game to play for fun.  Let us play now as if this were our last session on earth, yet plan as if we are going to play bridge forever.

 

Blessed be the losers, for they shall inherit all the bridge games on earth.

 

AMEN'

 

Kind regards

 

 

David

THE HAROLD GILLINGS MEMORIAL COMPETITION

 

In his will Mr Harold Gillings left the sum of £1,000 to The Douglas Bridge Club so that the interest might be used to award prizes. In recent years it has been difficult to earn interest on the monies so we have recently approached the Gillings family to obtain their agreement to our awarding prizes out of capital. The Gillings family have now agreed to our awarding prizes of £200 per annum (plus any interest arising) out of the capital until it is exhausted.

 

The Committee have decided that the prizes will be contested annually over the next five years, the winner of the first prize will be our ‘Player of the Year’.

 

All Douglas Bridge Club members will be automatically entered for this competition at no extra cost. It  will be based on Achievement & Improvement. The rules of the competition are as follows:

 

1. All players must average at least two sessions per month over the period of the competition. (Therefore as we started in April this year would require 14 sessions to qualify.)

 

2.   Achievement will be measured by the number of First, Second and Third places achieved in

      our weekly sessions over the period of the competition. First place(s) scoring 3

      points, Second place(s) 2 points and Third place(s) 1 point.

 

3.    Improvement is calculated by adding together the EBU figures for how much better or worse (compared with their NGS rating) each player has done, taking into account all club sessions in the period.

 

 

4.   Using the above measurements, achievement and improvement, everyone will be ranked

      (first, second, third etc.) for both categories.

 

 

5.  Each member will then receive points for each category, the lowest ranked player

     in each category receiving one point for that category, and the next lowest two points etc.

     The member with the highest score, (adding their points for both categories,) is the overall

     winner, the next highest second etc.

 

6.  At our AGM the winner of the Harold Gillings Memorial Competition and ‘Player of the Year’

     will receive a prize of £80, the second a prize of £60, the third a prize of £40 and the fourth a

      prize of £20.

 

7.  In the event of a tie it will be decided on the basis of number of attendances at our session

     during the period.

 

8.   In the first year (2023) the competition will run from April to October inclusive.

 

9.   In the second to fifth years, the competition will be run from November to October

      inclusive.

 

10. Interim information (as to who is in the lead etc., will be given after 3 months, and monthly

      thereafter.

 

 
Competitions 2023
Competitions 2023

The Harold Gillings Memorial Competition is an addition to the four competitions already underway or planned.  

 

All take place utilising our existing sessions and there is no need to enter.  With your consent your successes are recorded for posterity on our website, and may be publicised in a local newspaper.

 

1. The Dolly Banks Cup.  For partnerships, on the first Tuesday of each month from February to October.  For each session your partnership scores it's percentage, and it's score for the competition as a whole will be the total of it's percentages for it's five best sessions.

 

2. The Belmont Salver.  For individuals on the third Thursday of each month from February to October.  The scoring is as for the Dolly Banks Cup, the session score for each individual being the score for their partnership.  Scores count regardless of who individuals partner (i.e. they do not need to have the same partner at every session for their scores to count).

 

3. Player of the Month.  A monthly competition for individuals, taking into account all our sessions (including any online) during the month.   Each member receive 1 point for each of their sessions and also the NGS points (whether positive or negative) as shown in the final (NGS) column in the session summaries on the EBU website.  This information can be accessed by going into 'My EBU', and clicking on 'Douglas Bridge Club' in the row for the relevant session. Participation in at least three sessions is required to qualify for any given month.  

 

​This competition is in essence a handicap, so all members have a chance of winning, ​especially improvers! There is a small bias in favour of those attending sessions more ​frequently.

 

​The ''Player(s) of the Month' receives a certificate and their table money for their next ​session is waived.

 

4. Lamming Handicap Bowl.  This is one off event on Tuesday, 23rd May 2023. Partnerships will be handicapped by reference to the partners' NGS rating prior to the event taking place. 

 

​The winners will be presented at the event with the Lamming Handicap Bowl.

 

The winners of the Dolly Banks Cup and the Belmont Salver will be presented with the trophies at our annual general meeting and will also receive free membership of the club for the following year.
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