Why Scotland should be teaching more young people to play bridge

But in doing so, we may be overlooking one of the simplest and most effective tools available. It doesn’t require screens, expensive equipment or specialist facilities, in fact, it has been hiding in plain sight for decades: the card game bridge.

For many, bridge still carries the faint whiff of draughty village halls and quiet afternoons. At best, it’s seen as a pastime for later life, at worst, dismissed as something obscure or elitist. Neither is true.

Bridge is one of the most demanding and rewarding mind sports in the world. Every hand asks players to process incomplete information, recognise patterns, weigh risk, communicate clearly and make decisions under pressure. These are precisely the skills young people are repeatedly told they will need in education, work, and life.

Bridge also teaches something else that is increasingly rare – how to lose well. Mistakes are visible, sometimes painfully so, and progress depends on reflection rather than blame. It builds resilience in a way that feels natural rather than imposed.

Unlike many traditional activities, bridge is also inherently inclusive. It is not dependent on physical strength or speed, and brings together people of different ages and backgrounds on equal terms. In any given club, a teenager might find themselves playing alongside a university professor one evening and a nurse the next. Regardless of background, what matters is how you think, how you partner, and how you play.

Crucially, it is also one of the few activities that can genuinely be played anywhere. Bridge can happen around a kitchen table, in a school classroom, at a lunch club, in a community hall, or during a wet lunchtime in the playground. All it really requires is a pack of cards and four people willing to sit down together. In an age when so many activities are expensive, structured or screen-based, there is something powerful about that simplicity.

It’s also one of the few games where generations can compete together on equal terms. Grandparents can play with grandchildren. Few activities create that kind of connection. At a time when families often struggle to find meaningful shared experiences away from phones and devices, bridge offers conversation, teamwork and genuine interaction.

Other countries have recognised this. In China, bridge is taught alongside chess and Go as a tool for developing reasoning and emotional control. Across Europe, simplified versions of the game are now being introduced in schools, with teachers reporting improvements in concentration, confidence and communication.

Scotland is beginning, quietly, to move in the same direction, and importantly, starting earlier. Later this year, programmes such as Le Petit Bridge will begin introducing the game to children aged six to nine, using storytelling and play to build confidence in numeracy, reasoning and teamwork.

Rather than throwing children straight into the complexities of traditional bridge, the programme focuses on curiosity, imagination and collaboration, helping young people develop problem-solving skills almost without realising they are doing it.

That matters because bridge is not simply a game people ‘pick up’ later in life. Like music or language, the earlier young people are introduced to its patterns and rhythms, the more naturally confidence develops. Le Petit Bridge is designed to create that early spark.

From there, pathways already exist for those who want to continue. Next month, young people from across the country will gather at the University of Stirling for a residential bridge camp. On the surface, it’s a few days of learning and competition, but it reflects something much bigger – the emergence of a genuine youth bridge pathway.

Participants will learn from experienced players, including internationally respected Czech youth coach Milan Macura, while being introduced to the structures that now exist beyond the camp itself. Those pathways include youth squads at under-19, under-21, under-26 and under-31 level, offering progression from beginner sessions through to international competition.

For those who take the game further, bridge offers the chance to represent Scotland, travel internationally, and become part of a wider global community. Scottish teams are preparing to compete at the European Youth Championships in Riga this summer.

Just as importantly, the benefits extend far beyond the game itself. Young players often go on to mentor others, help run clubs, and take on leadership roles within their communities. They develop communication, patience and confidence in a way that complements formal education.

Bridge is also remarkably low cost and accessible. At a time when families and schools are under financial pressure, that matters. Not every child has access to expensive sports, travel programmes or specialist hobbies. None of this is to suggest that bridge should replace sport, music or technology, but rather that it deserves to sit alongside them.

The challenge now is perception. Bridge will only grow if it’s seen for what it truly is – intellectually demanding, socially rich and open to everyone. That requires visibility, investment, and a willingness to challenge outdated assumptions.

For parents, the question is quite simple. If there is an activity that can help your child think more clearly, build confidence, make friends, connect with different generations and open doors to new opportunities, why wouldn’t you encourage them to try it? Parents should be appealing to their child’s school to get bridge on the programme.

The game’s future depends on young people as much as older generations. At a time when we are searching for ways to help the next generation navigate complexity with confidence, bridge may have more to offer than we realise. The question is not whether young people will benefit from it, but whether we’re prepared to give them the chance.

Zhenya Winter is youth convenor at Scottish Bridge