Written by Amita Shah, Malaysian Culture Group.

A sport keeps the body in optimum physical shape, helps build team spirit, lets you meet like-minded people, and brings in a rush of adrenalin which is so vital to break the monotony of everyday life.

Similarly, a mind sport keeps the brain ticking, fosters logical thinking, teaches one to take calculated risks, and once again, helps one socialize with like-minded people.

Chess has always been well-regarded as a mind sport. Bridge, however, is a relatively new entrant in this category. On the flanks of the Olympic Games is held the Bridge Olympiad. Then there is the Commonwealth Bridge Tournament, the Far East Bridge Congress, and more – so much so that the SEA Games Committee has decided to include Bridge in its line-up of games from this year onward. Bridge was perhaps initially given wides pread fame by James Bond in Moonraker where he was able to outwit the villain despite a weak hand.

In most countries, Bridge comes under the umbrella of the Ministry of Sports. In most Junior Colleges worldwide, students have the option of taking up Bridge as an extracurricular activity. Most countries field youth teams in addition to men’s, women’s, and mixed teams.

Bridge has come a long way indeed. Once upon a time, it was considered a pursuit of rich old women and aristocrats, basically people who had time and money to spare. But today, kids, young adults, and even expats all want to learn Bridge as it sharpens concentration and logic, and above all, helps win friends. Millions of people play Bridge worldwide in tournaments, online, and even at home with friends, making Bridge one of the most popular card games in the world. And for expats, many of whom are on the move every three to four years, knowing a few sports (and mind sports) like Tennis, Golf, Bridge, and so on, can help expats settle in faster in each posting.

What Exactly is Bridge?

So, what exactly is Bridge? It is a card game for four players forming two partnerships. The objective is to score more points than the opponents. Partners transmit information via bids which follow a system. Thus there are varied Bridge Systems, such as Precision, Acol, and Standard American, to name a few. There are different types of Bridge games, too. Rubber Bridge was a popular variant many years ago. It is still played in pockets whence two couples or four friends get together and throw a few cards. The thrill of winning (some money) keeps the group together. Today however, Duplicate and Team games (four players to a team) are more popular as they are highly competitive, and the thrill of winning amongst a field of scores of skilled players keeps everyone hooked.

Social Clubs in all major cities host weekly Bridge games. In Kuala Lumpur, The Royal Selangor Golf Club hosts a game on Monday and Wednesday mornings; Selangor Club (Bukit Kiara) hosts a game on Thursday mornings, and Royal Lake Club hosts a game on Saturday afternoons. In the West, there are often Bridge clubs that have a resident director, so the games can be held on a daily basis. Locally, there is only one such Club – the Ladies’ Bridge Club KL, that meets every Tuesday morning.

One does not have to be a member of a club to be eligible to play. All clubs have a member tariff and a non-member tariff. All social clubs here try their utmost to promote the game. Token cash prizes are given out to the first three pairs. Even if they are non-members they are still eligible to win.

Furthermore, every time a pair wins, they score a certain number of Master Points (MP) which are recorded with the national body, in this case, the Malaysian Contract Bridge Association. At the end of each year, the points are added up and each member player issued a card stating the accumulated MPs and the status – District Master, One Star Master, Two Star Master, and so on up to Life Master.

To be certain, Bridge today is quite technical. In order to be able to play, one would have to take lessons just as you do for Golf. For ease of learning, a Bridge course is split up into three levels – beginners, intermediate, and advanced, 10 lessons each. After doing the first two courses, one would be ready to play at a club.

Unfortunately, there are not many Bridge teachers in Kuala Lumpur, but I happen to be one of the few. For further information, I can be reached at [email protected].

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Source: The Expat magazine October 2015