09.01.2023
The Alan Truscott Memorial Award 2022 Recipient: Marek Malysa
The Alan Truscott Award is presented periodically to an individual or organisation that, in the opinion of the IBPA Executive, has done something in the world of bridge that Alan would have approved of and appreciated. Alan was an IBPA Executive member, serving as its president from 1981 to 1985 and was the long-time Bridge Editor of The New York Times. Alan was also a fine player: before leaving England for the United States, Alan represented Great Britain internationally, earning a first and second in the European Team Championships and a third in the Bermuda Bowl. Before such things were forbidden, he served as the NPC for Bermuda and Brazil in World Championships.
Dr. Malysa is a retired mathematics professor from Gdansk University, past-Chair of the WBF Bridge and Science Committee, on-site organiser of the 2016 World Bridge Games and 2022 World Bridge Series, both in Wrocław, an author, a bridge teaching programme developer, and the organiser of several scientific conferences. Today, he leads the research at Nicolaus Copernicus
University in Toruń, Poland, on bridge’s effect on patients with dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease.
(now a part of the Development Committee) Scientific research in bridge had already been established: Samantha Punch of the University of Stirling had created the Sociology of Bridge, with its own Ph.D. programme; Véronique Ventos, with NukkAI, is exploring Artificial Intelligence to be used in bridge; and the first and second International Scientific Conferences dedicated to our game took place in Poland with the third one in Croatia and the fourth in Scotland, respectively. The Fifth Anniversary Conference is scheduled for 23-24 January, 2023, again in Poland (Toruń).
Marek Malysa has also been a Vice-President of the Polish Bridge Union and a member of the Seniors Committee of the European Bridge League and the World Bridge Federation. In November 2017, with Samantha Punch, he started the Bridge and Science Committee of the World Bridge Federation. Marek led the Bridge 60-plus project, which helped launch 310 bridge clubs for the elderly in Poland.
He is also Chairman of the Council of the Bridge to the People Foundation (at www.bridgetothepeople.eu), which funds research into the social and health benefits of bridge. Marek has been Non-Playing Captain of the Polish Under-21 team in European and World Championships and he was coach of the Polish Women’s team at the European Championships in Opatija in 2016.
He has been involved with BAMSA from the beginning and his contribution includes setting up the first two international academic conferences on bridge.
Today, Marek’s main interest is bridge’s rôle in preventing, slowing and reversing the effects of dementias and, particularly, Alzheimer’s disease. The pilot research is represented by two papers about bridge and Alzheimer therapy and dementia prevention. These can be found here:
http://www.worldbridge.org/…/pilot-study-on-the-well-being…/
http://bridgetothepeople.eu/research-results/
IBPA feels that Alan would love the idea of Marek’s research and is proud to present him with the 2022 Alan Truscott Memorial Award.
12.12.2022
Our research results were published in The International Journal of Psychiatry. An article by Marek Malysa Ph.D. is avaliable here:
“Playing bridge dementia prevention or therapy as well”
10.10.2021
During “Bridge: A MindSport for All (BAMSA) Conference 2021” professor Martin Seligman from University of Pensylvania, psychologist and strong promoter within the scientific community of his theories of positive psychology and of well-being, said few nice words about our research and about Marek Małysa himself:
“It’s fascinating work. It’s worth supporting both as for bridge but for the importance of countering dementia. (…) For one study we really need to invest in is the dementia study that Marek Małysa is doing. That’s really very suggestive. The idea of teaching demented people bridge will prevent or delay dementia is very plausible, very intriguing and it’s worth several million dollars. If I’d control the ACBL (American Contract Bridge League) charity account now I’d give the whole thing to Marek.”
Foundation is collecting money for the studies and education. If You’d like to support us: donate.
23.03.2021
We’re happy to share with You news, that Samantha Punch, professor oh the University of Stirling, continues to support our team!
As well as BAMSA… https://bridgemindsport.org/
A MindSport for All (BAMSA) is a collaborative research project launched by the University of Stirling (UK) and Professor Samantha Punch to investigate the research potential of bridge, bridge players and the sociology surrounding them.
10.01.2021
How learning to play bridge affects well-being and cognitive skills