The lovely Claire Martel

 

One of my favorite websites is Claire Bridge.  It has been designed so that you can read it in English or French.  With the sheer number of Bridge Sites on the web I can’t really be devoting a whole blog to one of them.  … Oh yes I can.

Claire’s site is full of fun and surprises. One section is devoted to the love of the game. Claire draws us into an article by Bernard Marcoux entitled about a man about the universe.  It end “Do you know of a more beautiful game, of a game that shows us so clearly the fathomless power of the human brain?”.

Claire has lots of links and pictures, all organized in a lovely way, her way.  It is like entering a piece of interactive art.  I am drawn in and find beautiful pieces some small and some large.  Here I find a link to the bridge guys who have collected bridge poetry from various sources.

I’m giving up bridge (humorous poem by anon)

I’m giving up bridge – tonight’s my last night
It’s Amen to Stayman, I give up the fight.
The insults and muddles are giving me troubles.
And I can’t sleep at night for thinking of doubles.

My cards are all rotten and I have forgotten
Who’s played and what’s trumps
And what’s gone on my right!
So for now its all over – I’m off to the backwood
I’m bidding good-bye to Gerber and Blackwood.

(follow the link for the rest).

She links to Judy Wolff’s blog called What Is Bridge 

and to Marshall Miles a wonderful author (and once in a very rare while my bridge partner). 

AGE NO BARRIER TO NEW CHAMPION
(reprinted from the Daily Bulletin of the 12th World Bridge Olympiad, issue #10, Brent Manley editor)

There are links to every aspect of bridge.  I move on to books.  Some times the links are to very old pages (like a 2000 review of a small number of bridge books on mindzine).  Its still fun to look.  I find a link to an entire book A Bridge Phantasmagoria.  It has an intriguing start

 

NIGHTMARE His surroundings were completely unfamiliar. There was a heavy mist or perhaps it was smoke, as large frightening flames could be seen not so very far away. As he continued his walk, he suddenly came face to face with an imposing edifice. A notice read “HADES BRIDGE CLUB – ALL WELCOME.” Thoroughly intrigued, he entered through the open portals and addressed the receptionist. “I thought I knew of most clubs, but this is new to me. Is it possible to a have a game?”

 

By and large this site is a set of links but it is arranged beautifully.  It may not always be the easiest way to find something specific but it is the easiest way to have an experience.  On the

Bridge Psychology page I find a blog I had written with a link to an article I wrote a while back.

Sports and Bridge Psychology

I hate the picture.  Whatever did I do to my hair.

I love the little bits of bridge history like this link to an Article on Dallas Aces that Claire has put together full of pictures old and new.  She has her own Hall of Fame and like I usually do I follow a chain from one thing to another and end up looking at Tim Sere’s Bols Bridge Tip: Give declarer enough rope.  One of my favorite features is her feature of famous bridge players.  Sabine Auken as 25 pictures of Sabine of all kinds and a set of links to articles by Sabine or about her.

There are so many different things:

When I look to see what are old and new links.  Just things that Claire must have liked or found interesting.  For example there is a blog by Master Point Press’ Luise Lee About the advantage of playing with robots and a description of Precision 8  by Kevin Ward. 

(This variant of Precision includes canapé, Multi Two Diamonds, Lucas Two Bids (or Mudiberg 2’s) and a weaker 1 NT opening (11-13 HCP).  It looks like it might be similar to the system I play with Colin.  I should send him the link.

I seem to remember Claire had a blog but I can’t find it.  I hope she is still writing it.  In any case you will have fun with this site.  It may not be the most direct way to find what you want on the bridge world wide web but it is an adventure you will enjoy.