Bridge at First
Sight
Chess was the name of the game during
my primary school years in the 50s in Colombo. It was more like a war game
where the object of the exercise was to ring down the opponents king. The
excitement the game generated, pumping the adrenalin and sending the mind into
a kaleidoscopic world of permutations, combinations and what-if’s was simply
out of this world. The challenge was even more overwhelming.
And so we played.
Playing cards, mainly at home, was
purely a fun thing. We played 3-cards, rummy, asking-hitting, patience, and
304. Most times it was with the family members and cousins who came over to
stay on weekends. Never did we gamble. It was all just for fun using chips.
Our gang of friends in the 60s,
comprised the late Sada, the late Lal, the late Sumith, (may they all rest in
peace), Anura, Haji, Rizvi and my younger brother Firoze. We came together most
weekends at our home at #300 in Bambalapitiya where everyone would gather to
figure out how to spend the say. Sada, Sumith, Haji, and Lal had vehicles which
came in very handy for long drives and excursions out of Colombo.
However, the main catalyst that kept
the gang together was Bridge. The game actually evolved from 304 which is a
kind of lesser version of the game involving bidding and playing. Yet, Bridge
was a totally different animal. The world championships were on and monitoring
the play in the newspapers, seeping through the bids and play, and trying hard
to learn the game was always exciting.
Soon, the whole gang became experts
using the conventional Goren bidding system 4 card opening. Blackwood was a
significant part of asking for Aces. Sometimes it went wrong and partners used
to kill each other across the table.
And then one fine January, day when I
entered the University of Colombo to start my degree program in Physical
Science in 1967, I found Bridge again. She was still so very beautiful. She
still is. And I fell in love with her all over again.
“Have you ever played bridge before?”
one of the guys asked.
Mumbling I had to admit that I knew how
to play but was not an expert.
Good,” he said smiling. “We can teach
you.”
Every break, in the cafeteria on
Thurstan Road, we used to come together around a table for four and play until
the next class was on. The late Waraney (Asoka), was a keen player who was also
very good at it.
At the time, I was 19 years old and
didn’t know anyone my age who played bridge at this advanced level. Our old
Bridge gang at 300 was purely a fun filled play with no one even attempting to
take the game to the next level. These guy’s enthusiasm and commitment to
promoting the game to its highest portal was infectious, so I agreed to
participate in the daily sessions, worried that they would laugh at my novice
play.
From then on nothing was stopping me.
Bought a few books on Bridge and started learning new systems. Standard
American, Precision, and the many intriguing conventions came into play.
Remembering all of them was tough but continuous play, making mistakes along
the way, made me a scholar.
It’s now been almost 60 years now since
my bridge meet-cute, and all those awesome friends and colleagues had come
together to indulge in this wonderful pastime.
Online bridge
on BBO portal has come alive now and one can play sitting at home with real
people from across the world. I spend at least 3 to 4 hours daily, now that I
am retired, paying BBO. It is so refreshing, invigorating, exciting and still
learning, too.
This is one
love affair that will never end.
Fazli / Aug 2024
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