It has long been known that chess is very well adapted to children and young players. Indeed the College Pierre Bayrou in St Antonin has seen its team of young players carry off the prize as best in the education region (academie) for two years in a row, The game demands a strategic approach, concentration, a good memory for sequences of moves, both offensive and defensive and is equally adapted to boys and girls, whatever their physical development.
But the card game of bridge is generally associated with older (even old!) participants. But it has been introduced into many schools as an aide to teaching mathematics. Pupils at the College Betance, near Toulouse, have been initiated into the game and find that it is "cool". Demanding many of the same skills as chess, bridge also introduces teamwork, as it is a game for pairs. The success of the introduction will lead to around 20 teachers being trained. Some of the pupils had never seen a pack of cards so were surprised that they were encouraged to play a game, which at the same time brought them some understanding of maths principles. Most of the youngsters in our family enjoy their card games, especially the whist based games from which bridge is derived.
People interested in learning or playing the games should be aware that there is a chess club which meets in the Gazpacho, St Antonin on Saturday mornings, and an informal bridge club which meets in the bar Bascule in Caylus in Thursday afternoons.
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