SCOTTISH BRIDGE UNION
SBU News
Congratulations to Iain Sime & Fiona McQuaker winners of the Mixed Pairs and Paul Barton and Jake Milne winners of the Swiss Teams
Becoming a Top Bridge Player
Most books about bridge focus on bidding and/or card play, but what about the players that hold the cards? In “The Art of Becoming a Top Bridge Player,” coauthors Professor Samantha Punch and Tim Rees draw together common themes from interviews of sixty international bridge players.
Intended for players of all levels who are intrigued by how bridge experts think, this book collates the experiences shared by top-level players. “There is little to separate expert bridge players in terms of technical ability,” explains Samantha Punch. “This means that the non-technical aspects of playing bridge at the top level can strongly influence success.”
What are the challenges that players face at high-level tournaments? How do the players prepare? How do they cope with losing? How did the players progress from being learners to international representatives? Answers to many such questions have been analysed to identify the common factors experienced by the experts, providing valuable guidance for aspiring serious players and those wanting to improve their results.
Andrew Robson, whose top tips appear many times in the book, says:
What an interesting read - the inner story of the challenges of being a top bridge player. Whether you are one yourself, or an aspiring bridge player near the start of your journey, or, perhaps even especially, a non-bridge player, you will find Sam and Tim’s insights absolutely fascinating. Many of them are transferable to other elite activities but some are unique to our wonderful game.
Bridge is a partnership game, which means that partnership dynamics are a considerable influence on success at the table. This book considers the attitudes of players towards their partners and highlights the components of winning partnerships. The qualities of a good bridge partner are examined in depth, encouraging readers to reflect on their own contribution to partnership dynamics.
Entwined with partnership dynamics and perhaps integral to bridge itself is mistakes. “You win at bridge by making the fewest errors, so we were curious how the players view mistakes,” says Tim Rees. The experts reveal their varied attitudes towards mistakes by themselves and their partner and the strategies that they adopt to maintain focus and regulate emotions after a mistake.
The insight yielded from the interviews has been summarised as tips for players. Ranging from pointers for achieving success at competitions—yes, it really does help to get a good sleep before a tournament—to cultivating a constructive attitude towards losing, these tips can direct you along the path to becoming a better bridge player at any level.
“The Art of Becoming a Top Bridge Player”, coauthored by Samantha Punch and Tim Rees and published by Master Point Press, is available from Amazon or your favourite bookstore. The ebook is available here.
Thanks to all the members who took part in the recent survey. It had been very useful in guiding the Trustees and volunteers planning for the future. Click to see a summary of the results 2024-Members-Survey-Summary.pdf
Please find below BAMSA's recent publication plus a short video and podcast. These are based on our research with adult bridge players, which we are using to introduce the concept of mindsport education for schools:
Green Baize Gladiators: Bridge as a mindsport for all
If you would like to share the resources separately, please use these links:
Podcast:
https://researchpod.org/arts-humanities/bridge-mindsport-for-all
Video: Is bridge a sport? Unveiling the rigour behind the game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6aQXrLK2E0
Hope to see some of you at the BAMSA BAM on 27 April!
The new Masterpoint & Licensing Handbook takes effect on 1st April 2024. It resides in the Members/ Master Points area.
Dear Members
I hope you are all enjoying your bridge despite the atrocious weather we have been having in Scotland over the last
few months. As usual there is lots going on which I would like to share with you.
Survey of Members
I mentioned in my last Newsletter that we plan to conduct another survey of members. As a member organisation it
is imperative that we endeavour to understand members’ needs and reflect the wide range of different preferences
in our future planning. We can only do this if you let us know what you think. We hope to issue this very soon and I
would ask you to take the time to complete it please.
Bridge Awareness Week September 2024
Having announced in December that we are keen to hold a Bridge Awareness Campaign in September, the English
Bridge Union announced plans to do something similar at the same time. It seems sensible to work together to create
a UK wide campaign, particularly since the EBU has already prepared a lot of the necessary marketing. We expect to
announce our plans by the end of this month. We hope that members throughout Scotland will be energised to
participate in lots of fun events throughout the country.
New CEO Appointed
I’m delighted to announce the appointment of Martyn Halsall as SBU’s CEO with effect from 1 April. He will have overall
responsibility for SBU’s operational activities and to help ensure that the organisation’s goals and values are met.
Martin lives in Elgin and will report directly to the Board of Trustees.
Tournament Trophies
SBU has received donations of around 50 trophies over the last 90 years. These are not on display and have rarely
been awarded in person to winners for many years. The Board has decided to sell most of the trophies because storage,
insurance, and distribution logistics make it impractical to retain them. To retain the important legacy, we have
photographed each of the trophies to ensure a permanent record is kept on our website. The sale proceeds will be
used to purchase glassware to present as a permanent memento to winners of our main traditional tournaments.
If any member is interested in purchasing any of the trophies that they have previously won, please get in touch.
Vote of thanks to Bill Whyte
Although we are grateful to every volunteer that supports SBU efforts, a very special mention must go to Bill Whyte
who has finally given up his work after more than 15 years of continuous service. Bill will be known to many of you as
head of Member Services and became synonymous with all things Mempad. His dedication to SBU was second to
none, and we wish Bill and his wife a long and happy retirement in France where they now reside.
New Trustees Required
With the expected resignation of trustees at the next AGM, we are looking for replacements. No specific skills are
required, but simply an interest in helping steer the future of bridge in Scotland. If you are somebody who feels you
would like to give something back to the game but uncertain how you can help, please get in touch for a chat in the
strictest confidence.
Prizes
Finally, I must apologise to any prize winner of a national tournament who is waiting to receive their prizemoney.
Unfortunately, due to pressure of work, a backlog has been created which is now being addressed as a matter of
urgency.
Alan Goodman (
February 2024
We are deeply saddened to report the death of John Murdoch on15 December. John was a mainstay of Scottish Bridge, a staunch supporter of all our competitions and a regular member of Scottish International teams.
John's funeral will be held at Co-op Funeralcare, Sunnyside Road Alloa FK10 2AP on Wednesday January 3 at 11am.
He was a bridge player of the highest quality and an excellent partner. He won 44 Camrose Caps between 1988 and 2015 with six different partners; and appeared in 6 Senior Camrose teams with three different partners. He played twice in our Open Team at the European Championships, and 7 times in our Senior team. He was a member of the Senior team that won Scotland’s first and only medal at the 2012 European Championships in Dublin; the team went on to reach the quarter-finals of the World Championships later that year. He was also a member of the winning team at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
He was 9th on the list of Grand Masters who have won most red points: notable successes were 7 wins in each of the Scottish Cup and the Winter Foursomes; and he won the Arthur Grand Master Pairs 5 times.
John also contributed to Scottish bridge by his input to the Bidding panel in the SBUNews – he had many original ideas and was anxious to share.
John was a modest, quiet-spoken man. He was good company, warm, charming and witty. He will be much missed as a team-mate and friend.
Our condolences go to his wife, Betty, his constant companion on trips abroad, and all their family.