Bridge Lessons at the Young Chelsea

The Young Chelsea Bridge Club runs a full programme of bridge courses, catering for everyone from complete beginner through to regular club player. To complement the formal courses, we offer a range of playing opportunities to help you consolidate what you have leant and to prepare you for joining in the regular club sessions.

Beginners

Our first course is for those who have no previous knowledge of bridge. Bidding and card play are the two main elements of bridge and we cover the basics of both, providing a firm foundation on which to build bridge expertise. The course consists of eight 2‑hour lessons, taking place once a week. This course has recently been modernized in order to teach the system of bidding that is used most widely across the world—so if you learn with us you will be equipped to play bridge wherever you go!

Beginners Consolidation

Following on from the beginners course, we have a four‑week course which helps to consolidate what has been learnt, and which concentrates on how best to play the cards—the most important aspect of bridge.

Improvers

The Improvers course is for those who have completed the Beginners course or who have the equivalent basic knowledge of the game. It covers a range of declarer play and defensive play techniques for the improving player, and explores competitive bidding and some of the less frequent higher level opening bids. It is again an eight-week course and includes two free social duplicate sessions to be attended after the course. These will help you put your newly‑learned skills into use in a gently competitive, but non‑threatening club game!

Improvers Consolidation

Following on from the improvers course, a four-week course is available to help consolidate what has been learnt, and provides an opportunity to develop further card play skills.

Advanced

This course is for those who have mastered the basics and wish to progress a little further with their bridge skills. The course covers some of the most useful bidding tools, such as transfers, slam bidding, and a few other really useful conventions. After attending this course, you will be a confident and capable club player. The course again comprises an eight‑week course of lessons, plus two free social duplicate sessions.

Supervised Play

We strongly recommend that after learning the basics of bridge you come along to supervised play sessions. These are suitable for anyone who has completed the Beginners course or for anyone with more experience but who does not feel ready to plunge into a formal club duplicate session.

In a supervised play session you play at your own pace under the watchful eye of one of our expert tutors or players, who is available to help and advise where needed. Supervised play is an enjoyable and social learning experience where you are able to put into practice what you have learned and gain confidence at the bridge table.

Supervised play sessions are held every week and last for two‑and‑a‑half hours, but you can come and go as you please—there is no need to book, nor to come with a partner.

Goldhawks Social Duplicates

Goldhawks is the name we have given to our social duplicate bridge sessions, to distinguish them from the regular club games which are of a higher standard than is comfortable for many players with limited experience. They provide a relaxed and friendly opportunity to play and meet others of a similar standard, allowing individuals to develop their bridge skills at their own pace in a gently competitive environment.

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Courses are based on the Standard American Bidding system, as used not only in the USA but also in most countries across the world, including very widely in London and the rest of the UK.

Course fees are £160 for an eight-week course or £80 for a four‑week course. This includes:

• expert tuition throughout the series of eight lessons provided by expert bridge teachers and players
• comprehensive student notes
• membership of the Young Chelsea Bridge Club and of the English Bridge Union, the national governing body for bridge
• plenty of opportunity to ask questions of the tutor outside the formal lesson time, enabling you to catch up on any sessions you might find difficult or be obliged to miss.

All play sessions cost £10 a head.

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Item last updated 17 October 2021