General Information

YC School of Bridge
London MindSports Centre, 21 Dalling Road, W6 0JD

Course & Seminar Schedule—Late Spring 2023

BASIC BRIDGE COURSES

We offer three courses in our Basic Bridge series, taking new players all the way from being completely new to the game through to being competent club players. Courses are scheduled as follows, starting after Easter 2023:

• BEGINNERS—for those who have no previous knowledge of bridge.

  Thursday evenings 7.30pm–9.30pm starting 20 April

• NEXT STEP—suitable for anyone who has completed the first course, or for anyone who has a basic knowledge of bridge but is in need of an update or a refresh of their knowledge.

  Tuesday evenings 7.30pm–9.30pm starting 25 April

• IMPROVERS—providing the developing bridge player with all the tools they need to participate in a regular club duplicate game. Those completing this course will receive a certificate of achievement as a club player.

  Wednesday evenings 7.30pm–9.30pm starting 19 April

  Sunday mornings 11.00am–1.00pm starting 23 April

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Each standard course consists of eight 2‑hour lessons, taking place once a week, plus two practice play sessions to be attended after completion of the lessons.

Courses cost £160 per person per course, inclusive of expert tuition, course notes, club and EBU membership, tea and coffee during sessions, access to tutors for help and assistance.

Those who are new to bridge, and unsure as to whether it is for them, are welcome to attend the first lesson of the beginners course free and without commitment. We are sure that you will enjoy it and want to sign up after attending!

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“IMPROVE YOUR PLAY” SEMINARS

We have scheduled a series of seminars aimed for those who have completed courses but feel they would like to revise some aspects of what they have learned, and for those who learned their bridge some time ago but would like to brush up bridge skills that may be a little rusty or in need of development.

The seminars will concentrate on helping to improve aspects of bidding and play that crop up all the time at the table, rather than introducing new system gadgets and conventions. They will be highly interactive, with plenty of play hands to help consolidate the points covered.

The seminars will be presented by Chris Duckworth, former EBU Education Manager and English international, and will be held on the first Wednesday of each month 2.00pm–5.00pm. Each seminar will cover a different topic—attend as many or as few as you wish—but the more you attend, the better your bridge will become!

5 April: Low‑level Doubles

Double is probably the most flexible and useful call in your armoury if you remember to use it! This seminar covers some different situations when double is the answer to your problems, and how to respond when partner doubles.

3 May: Trump Management

We all know it is often a good idea to draw trumps. But when should you delay doing so, and how do you ensure you retain trump control?

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Each seminar costs £20 per head for YCBC/Goldhawks members or £25 for guests, inclusive of tea/coffee and cake. There is no need to come with a partner. Please book your place using the Event Entry tab on the YCBC website at ycbc.co.uk.

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PLAY SESSIONS

The only way to become proficient at anything is practice! We provide a full range of playing opportunities, available every week, including:

• SUPERVISED PLAY SESSIONS suitable for all levels of player, with a tutor on hand to help and advice as needed.

  Every Thursday evening 7.30pm–10.00pm

• FRIENDLY DUPLICATE SESSIONS where you can develop your play in a gently competitive environment—our Goldhawks Bridge sessions

  Every Tuesday daytime 11.00am–3.00pm (with a break for lunch in our café)

• DAYTIME CLUB GAME—for all players from intermediate level upwards. Enjoy an afternoon game that finishes before the rush hour, with the option of lunch beforehand in our café

  Every Thursday afternoon 1.00pm–4.00pm (starting 12 January 2023)

• REGULAR CLUB GAMES—when you are ready for a fully competitive game

  Every Monday evening 7.15pm–10.30pm

  Every Friday evening 7.30pm–10.45pm

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Play sessions cost £8 for daytime sessions, or £10 for evening sessions for club members (£12/£14 for visitors).

To book course places or for more information, contact Chris by email at manager@ycbc.co.uk or call 07713 322420.

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Item last updated 3 March 2023

Learning and Improving Your Bridge 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 learnt and to prepare you for joining in the regular club sessions.

Basic Bridge

We run three courses which cover all the basic of bridge and which take new players from being complete beginners to being competent bridge players able to play at any bridge club. Each course consists of eight 2‑hour lessons, taking place once a week. These are:

• Basic Bridge—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 both, providing a firm foundation on which to build bridge expertise. The course teaches a system of bidding based on “Strong No Trump and 5‑card Majors”—a system which is used very widely across the world—so if you learn with us you will be equipped to play bridge wherever you go!

• Basic Bridge—Next Step

  This course builds on the foundation provided by the beginners’ course and is suitable for anyone who has completed the first course, or for anyone who has a basic knowledge of bridge but is in need of an update or a refresh of their knowledge.

• Basic Bridge—Improvers

  Our third course provides the developing bridge player with all the tools they need to participate in a regular club duplicate game. Aspects of card play, as both declarer and in defence, are covered more deeply, and less‑frequent auctions are explored more fully, providing students with guidance on how to deal with unexpected situations at the bridge table. Those completing this course will receive a certificate of achievement as a club player.

For more details of what will be achieved by the student on each of the three Basic courses, please see the Course Objectives page.

Bridge in the Fast Lane

For those who like to tackle things at a faster pace, we also provide the opportunity to learn all the basics of bridge in just two weekends.

• Weekend 1

  The first weekend broadly covers the material of the Basic Bridge—Beginners course. At the end of the weekend, you will be equipped with all you need to enjoy a game of bridge with your peers—and it is strongly recommended that you take time to consolidate your learning through play before attending the second weekend.

• Weekend 2

  The second weekend course covers all the topics addressed by the Next Step and Improvers courses and by the end of this weekend you will have attained the status of a qualified bridge club player.

Intermediate

Three further courses are available to allow players to develop their bridge skills and extend their knowledge of bridge agreements and conventions, so as to enable them to become better players.

• Intermediate 1

  This course provides revision of the fundamental auctions covered on the Basic Bridge courses and goes on to introduce the concept of transfers after opening no trump bids. The course also goes further into the play of the hand as both declarer and defender, introducing new techniques to help maximise trick‑taking potential.

• Intermediate 2

  This course concentrates on competitive bidding, especially new ways in which to use doubles. It also introduces Roman Key Card Blackwood and the Fourth Suit Forcing convention. Play topics include the concept of the danger hand, and the importance of counting both as declarer and defender.

• Intermediate 3

  Slam bidding using Splinter bids and cue bidding are introduced in this course, along with the concept of cue bidding opponents’ suits. In addition, signalling in defence is covered in some detail.

Seminar Programme

We run a series of seminars covering a range of topics to help to develop your game. These can be at any level from Improver, Intermediate or Advanced. Each seminar, which is normally a 3‑hour session, covers a different aspect of bidding or card play. Seminars are highly interactive, with plenty of play to allow practice of what has been covered. Participants also receive comprehensive handouts to take away.

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 Basic 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 take place at the club in person. And for these sessions, 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. Goldhawks duplicates provide a natural bridge between the supervised play sessions and the more advanced club games.

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Item last updated 15 January 2023