Bridge | 19 April 2018

If I had to name my favourite bridge player… actually, I can’t, there are too many. But the young Danish superstar Dennis Bilde is certainly a contender. I’ve always been struck by his charm, his lack of arrogance, and his limitless energy — especially for fun. Even during major tournaments he’s been known to stay up all night partying or gambling; yet he still manages to play flawless bridge the next day.
 
Bilde was brought up on a farm, and taught to play by his parents; at 18 he became Junior World Champion; now, ten years on, he’s a member of the mighty Team Lavazza (sponsored by Madam Lavazza — think coffee). He’s wonderful to watch: speedy and fluid. While other experts often take aeons to think — their heads in their hands as though in pain — Bilde makes it look so easy. Maybe he sees things more quickly, maybe it’s youthful confidence — who knows? Take this hand from the recent Vanderbilt trophy (he was North):
 
In the other room, the auction was identical.