How younger bridge players could help the game

"Bridge is quite a strategic game - if you're interested in board games, it's good for the mind."

That is the view of Nigel Randall who is from a bridge club in Devizes, Wiltshire, which is looking for new members to play.

The search for new players of the card game comes as The English Bridge and Development Charity looks to boost the number of younger players.

It said the number of game sessions over the country is going up, but the number of affiliated clubs has fallen over a four-year period.

Richard Croot, who is from the development charity, said it was starting new clubs at universities and going into schools.

He said that the charity was "realistic" and accepted that most people who start will be older or retired as they are likely to have more time.

Croot said the game had grown online.

"One thing that has changed in the last five years - there's some very, very good online platforms now for playing bridge, where you have cameras and microphones.

"It's almost as good as being at the table," he added.

He said the charity had also been training more bridge teachers.

Previously, concern was raised that the game "will disappear" without a rebrand.

Bu while the number of active clubs has gone down, the English Bridge Union said the number of distinct players had increased to more than 39,500 last year.

Croot said: "Are some clubs finding it difficult? The answer is probably yes, if they don't teach. Numbers in the club might start to dwindle. And also many players are playing online."

The charity has been training new bridge teachers and Croot does online lessons for young people himself.

The Devizes club takes on beginners, has online and in person sessions, and has a taster session on 8 November, but would also like to visit local colleges for sessions.

"It's just trying to get people aware that bridge is a very, very good game", said Randall.

Randall first got into bridge after he saw people playing it in a pub, but has only been part of the Devizes club for a few years.

"It's more than just sitting there and playing cards."

That is an opinion shared by Croot who said: "It's more like chess than people think. It's highly, highly technical."

He added: "There are themes and patterns and ideas. Some of them are mathematical, some of them highly complicated.

"The more you learn these things as you experience the game, suddenly an idea will suddenly click."

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