Parent - Child Duplicate
March 5, 2016
We had four tables at our Saturday afternoon game. A Howell pair movement was used, and each pair played against 6 other pairs in this 21-board event. There was a cookie break during the middle which gave players a chance to socialize.
Michael Hu, playing with his Dad Linzhi, took the first spot in the A-strata with a 68.52% game. In second position with 57.41% was Michael’s partner for the US under 16 team this fall - Arthur Zhou playing with his dad Tianshu. In third place (first in C) with 53.70% was the father/daughter pair Tom D’Arezzo/Olivia D’Arezzo. In the C-strata, the father/son pair Theron Tock/Ryan Tock were first.
Second-grader Willow Tock knew very little of the basics but was eager to play and very quickly picked up enough to play confidently first with Will, and later with Mukund, as partners. She stayed at the game rather than leave and visit friends and said she had a lot of fun and that Mukund was a great dummy (she declared almost all of the hands).
Young players play with a parent or grandparent as partner, trying to win American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) masterpoints and enjoying each other's company. Director Will Watson plans the game so that each pair would be able to meet and play against almost all the others.
Duplicate bridge is one of the few competitive activities in which people of all ages can participate as equals. Participants in the Parent-Child duplicate range from youth to seniors, but each pair has to work together to score well. Bridge is also one of the few games in which new players have the opportunity to compete against and learn from established stars.
Participants in our events range from duplicate bridge novices to experienced ACBL Life Masters to a world champion--all enjoying the company as well as the challenge of the game itself. A typical reaction was one youth's first words as he and his father left, "Can we do that again?"
Grandparents and parents looking for ways to connect with their young family members and entice them away from their iPods and their Game Boys should consider taking up bridge as a family activity. The youngsters may end up teaching them a few things, and that's a great feeling for everyone.
Bridge games at our events are American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) sanctioned awarding masterpoints (MP) to high scorers. ACBL membership is not required for our games but is strongly suggested. You can join online or at the Bridge Center on the night of an event. Adult membership is $29 for the first year and junior membership only $15 per year. Both include a monthly print magazine and registration of masterpoints (start earning towards becoming a Life Master!).