It’s hard to explain to non-bridge players how much the game means to some of us. It’s not just a pastime; it’s a grand passion. Janet de Botton summed it up well when someone asked her if she really loved the game. ‘I don’t love it,’ she replied, ‘I’m in love with it.’ Ask any bridge fanatic: it seduces us, it consumes us, it makes our pulses quicken. In fact, it’s better than romantic love because the excitement never wanes. As another friend put it: ‘I’ve often thought about bridge during sex, but I’ve never thought about sex during bridge.’
You’d think that after many decades of playing, world-class players would begin to feel weary of bridge; after all, haven’t they seen most types of hand before? Not a bit of it: every new hand is a fresh challenge, and former deals are remembered as fondly as if they happened yesterday.
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