In these trying times, a game of bridge may be a psychological cure. Somehow, the game absorbs the mind and helps you forget the world.
By MATTHEW GRANOVETTERBridge(photo credit: Courtesy)
In these trying times, a game of bridge may be a psychological cure. Somehow, the game absorbs the mind and helps you forget the world.Years ago, as a teenager, I was playing bridge in the Asbury Park auditorium when suddenly a scream was heard. Our heads turned to see a player standing on the table with his chair trying to bring it down on his partner’s head. They pulled him down and he continued to play.Once at a tournament at the New York Hilton, a player, clutching his cards, keeled over onto the floor from a heart attack. The stretcher came but he called out, “Play the queen from dummy,” and made his slam.At a tournament in California, there was a siren followed by an announcement: “This is a bomb scare! Walk to the nearest exit.” No one put down his cards. Everyone finished the hand and the bomb scare was declared false.These days we’re stuck at home, but we can play on computer. On BBO (Bridgebase.com), 50,000-plus people watch bridge or play for free. On my bridgetoday.com Facebook group, a recent post was made by Roland Wald, of Copenhagen, who comments on BBO VuGraph.Roland posted, “When were you last part of a double doubled slam swing? It happened yesterday on BBO.”Six spades doubled with an overtrick scored 1,860 at one table North-South, and six hearts doubled by East-West scored 1,660 at the other table.BTW, if you have not learned to play yet, try my bridge teaching website bridgetoday.com. Bridge is fun and a good antidote to anything.The writer is a world champion and the author of more than 20 books on the game. He can be reached at matt@bridetoday.com.
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