chess of cards

A friend asked me to join him for a contract bridge competition this weekend. It is tempting, but very daunting, and I thought it best to turn him down. Bridge is probably the most mentally intensive activity I know ... and since I've only done one competition in the last 6 years, the likely outcome is a severe headache. But I really love the game, and I think it's a pity it's so obscure or I could play it more on the recreational level.

Most of my friends still don't know what contract bridge is about. So I thought it would be interesting to describe it a little, and how it differs from what we affectionately call kopitiam bridge. That's the game that most RI, ACS or TCHS boys in my generation grew up playing, when they weren't playing tai ti. It's the game where you make a bid for the trump suite, and between you and your partner (floating or fixed) have to win enough tricks to fulfill the bid. I like it because it is a game that requires teamwork and logic. And in contract bridge, the elements of teamwork and logic are elevated to the highest plane. There is no luck.

Contract bridge is usually played in teams of four, comprising two pairs known as North-South and East-West which describes their seat at the table. The main difference is that in contract bridge, you should always try to bid as high as you think possible. And between two teams, the exact same hand of cards is played twice, such that each team has the chance to play both N-S and E-W. This eliminates luck because even if there is a weaker hand, both teams have to play it. The skill of the players is measured by the disparity in results; the higher you bid the more tricks you have to win and the points you get for winning. Landslide victories (slams) are of no use unless the partnership had the precision and courage to bid to a slam level.

Skill takes two forms in this game. The first is in the bidding. The style of bidding is the same as in kopitiam bridge. But since verbal communication is not allowed, the partners must use their bids to describe their hand as much as possible to their partner. Hence many bidding systems have been developed to encapsulate this information in the most efficient way possible. For example, under the Standard American Yellow Card system, an opening bid always signifies that the bidder has at least 12 points in hand (with Ace as 4 points and Jack as 1). Every bid in the game carries its own nugget of information, allowing the bidders to decide what level of bid they can expect to reach.

The other skill is of course in the cardplay. Information from the bidding is always probabilistic, and the outcome still hinges on how well the players can read the bids and cards of each other. Another interesting difference is that the winner of the bid (the declarer) will control his partner's hand. The partner (the dummy) opens his cards for all to see and just plays as he is told. This eliminates much of the luck in the actual gameplay, allowing for more logican decision making.

This is why Contract Bridge is called the Chess of card games.

The number of variables to calculate in a competition environment, especially for the unpractised or the beginner is quite daunting. Not to mention that you also have to remember the entire bidding system (or systems). I'm not particularly sure I want to spend my Saturday night lost in thought; and yet the satisfaction of making all the right decisions is really quite euphoric. For anyone with a lot of time on your hands, seeking an intellectual challenge, may I suggest the Singapore Contract Bridge Association as a starting point.