Everyone I know has a view on whether or not men have established themselves as better bridge players than women. So unless we subject everyone to a bridge IQ test , which can accurately measure a player's real talent and potential, we may never know the answer.
Certainly, men seem to possess a stronger desire to win, and a determination to succeed at the highest level. This suggests that it may be more informative to compare the performances of the 2 sexes in club competitions, where the fields are generally made up of everyday duplicate players. If the presumption holds true ( that men are better bridge players than women ), then one would expect " all male " pairs to dominate the top 10 placings.
So I want along to Sheffield's biggest bridge club to record the results of their last 3 Swiss Pairs events :
New Year : 30 pairs ( 11 MM, 11 MW, 8 WW ) Male pairs finished Ist, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th=, 9th=,9th=. One mixed pair finished 7th=, while two female pairs finished 5th and 6th. )
Easter : 26 pairs ( 13 MM, 8 MW, 5 WW ) Male pairs finished Ist, 3rd=, 5th, 6th, 7th =, 9th, 10th ). Mixed pairs finished 2nd, 3rd=, 7th= ), while the best of the female pairs finished a disappointing 16th.
May Day: 28 pairs ( 8 MM, 13 MW, 7 WW ). Male pairs finished Ist, 3rd, 5th, 7th=, 7th= 9th ). Mixed pairs finished 2nd, 6th, 10th, while one female pair finished 4th.
So the evidence seems compelling : in all 3 competitions male pairs dominated the top 10 positions, winning all 3 trophies. Over the 3 events the participation ratio of men to women was 96 : 72, but the ratio of top ten placings comparing men to women was a staggering 47:13.
But does this prove conclusively that men generally speaking are better players ? It may indicate that men 's inherent desire to win drives them to play with each other, regarding this course of action as " their best bet " . Some women, who are known to have a competitive streak about them, may also be looking for strong male partners as their first choice. If unsuccessful, they will either settle for any male floaters still knocking around, or opt to play with highly rated, unattached lady players . Finally, for most women who lack that competitive desire, they might well choose to play with each other, simply to have a good day out playing cards with people, who are far less " touchy and demanding ".
Now if anyone feels the need want to challenge my conclusions please go ahead, but I'm afraid you cannot challenge the evidence that has been presented.
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