Response to Editorial from Bridge Bulletin, June 2016
I read this editorial and got teary eyed. I told my husband that I could have written something similar. We, too, went to the Reno Nationals and were thrilled to make it to the finals round of a national event. We played against several who regularly are published in the Bridge Bulletin. Barbara Seagram was a delightful opponent. Jerry Helms gave me helpful advice about a hand that I played against him. The trick was to duck with AKxxx across from two small in a side suit. The suit had been bid on my right, just a response-I didn’t know LHO had a singleton for sure, but I blithely led my AK to take the doubleton off the board, so I could trump the littles and the K got trumped. Wily Jerry led trump then to cut down further ruffs by me and I went down. He, so politely, told me that it was “counterintuitive,” but that playing the Ace and then low would have been a better play. We played against Fred Hamilton, who was quite dandy, in a fancy suit and tie. He was a bit grumpy, but I got a real kick out of him griping about how we got a good board against him for following suit when he went down in a grand slam. We actually won our first platinum points by placing, I don’t know, maybe 78th, in one session. We probably played against other “greats” that we didn’t even recognize, but it was so fun to compete with them. We must have had the “growth mindset” (talked about in the following editorial) on us that day. In what other game do you have the opportunity to play the pros? Imagine playing against Jordan Spieth in golf or Bobby Fisher in chess. Not only playing them, but competing, because of the nature of duplicate where you play only a few boards against them. It’s a thrill! So, wherever you play bridge, don’t be afraid to “play up.” It’s good for your game and good for your mindset. Just do it!
Here is the editorial: Mind over Masterpoints, by Al Muggia, Winchester, MA
So we lost at the Reno NABC and had a rewarding time doing it. Playing against more skillful and experienced players, it was my most successful “losing effort” to date. Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset, discusses the difference between approaching challenges of all kinds with a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset. She writes that a fixed mindset is defined by an outcome. Challenge and interest go hand in hand, and challenge is why so many of us initially got hooked on this fantastic game. With a growth mindset, value comes from the challenger and from learning regardless of the outcome. Success and thrills come from learning, but not from being flawless or winning it all.
Success by points and outcomes at the table is not the way any of us started learning bridge. The ACBL’s effort to make masterpoints more available at all levels of play is catering to the notion that we all have a fixed mindset approach to the game. Dweck feels it is important to ditch the notion that validation comes from success (i.e. Masterpoints won).
My partner and I made it to day two of the Silodor Open Pairs and the Jacoby open Swiss Teams. I did not expect either. We did not end up in the overall in either event, but we did have a full four days of experiences. We had a “Meckwellian response” auction against Rodwell and Meckstroth. Team Zimmermann told us they played everything standard but, of course, with a variable 1NT. I declared a tough 4 spade contract against Team Farozzo. We defended a hand against Kit Woolsey whose book on defense I was reading on the way to Reno. John Kranyak gave me a comment about a suit combination that I now know. Frank Stewart bid a lovely grand slam against us. All the teams on day two knew we were stranger to that event, and they could not have been more cordial or well-wishing.
A fixed mindset thrives when things are safely within its grasp at the local club, in gold rush pairs, or playing only in your bracket. A growth mindset puts itself out there and grows. The stars of the world in tennis, soccer, or golf do not welcome you to their venue. All of our national and local stars are willingly and cordially there to play against you in NABC’s, regionals, and sectionals if you want to play against them. The ACBL invites us all to sit at the table with the pros. This offers all bridge players a unique opportunity to rediscover the growth mindset that engaged us in the first place and banish that fatiguing and strangling fixed mindset.
Move up. Play up and take pride in your accomplishments that are never going to be measured by masterpoints, trophies, or your name in the Bridge Bulletin. (end of editorial)
PS The Boardman night clubs in Cedar Rapids, IA are dedicated to learning. Hand records, a mentoring program, and free lessons are some of the components of this effort. The Boardman clubs have a lot of very good players who are willing and able to help those who want to learn to improve their game. This is the place to practice your growth mindset and improve your game. The games are Bridging the Gap 5:00 Sunday afternoon, and Build Better Bridge, 6:30 Wednesday night at the Country Inn and Suites, airport exit.