Story by Oscar Ilari (BBO: odv175)
I started playing bridge when I was 18, and today I am 81. I have been playing for more than 60 years and competing regularly. However, bridge took on a completely different meaning in my life after an accident that left me almost three years bedridden.
During that time, bridge did not just keep me company. I began to understand something essential. In bridge, the partner is the most important thing. I depend on my partner to achieve a good result, and my partner depends on me. Both of us can make mistakes. Both of us have limitations. But both of us can also grow.
Through teaching bridge, I understood something even deeper. Each of us has our own inner feelings, our own way of living and reacting. When we form a partnership, we do not only share conventions. We share personality, character, ego, tolerance, and the ability to criticize ourselves.
We can play bridge simply to have fun, without going deeper. But bridge offers something much greater. It allows us to discover who we are, what we want, what we can change, and what we cannot change in our lives. It teaches us to value ourselves so that we can help ourselves and help our partner.
Bridge is a complex game. Conventions often add insecurity. I remember how Charles Goren revolutionized bridge by systematizing point count evaluation. His book simplified the approach. Points defined part-scores, game, or slam. He used few conventions, but the core of his teaching was not there. It was in valuing and revaluing the hands. That is where the partnership found its true value.
That idea is still valid today. It is not only about counting points. It is about understanding the real potential of a hand in relation to one’s partner.
Through bridge, I also understood that challenges are what keep me alive and healthy. In bridge, there is a challenge every seven minutes. No hand is ever the same as another. Every board requires new analysis, adaptation, humility, and concentration. I began to transfer that logic to my life.
After my accident, I had to use all the strength of my mind to recover. From that moment on, my health became a priority, and I treated it as a permanent challenge. Nutrition, exercise, mental discipline, healthy distractions, and of course, bridge.
When we say that bridge is good for the mind, it is true, but only if we use it to think. Many players treat it mainly as a distraction and play almost intuitively. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the game, but the real mental benefit appears when we reason through every decision.
The role of a teacher is not only to teach conventions, but to teach how to think, and what to think about at each moment of the game. The opening lead, the play of the hand, signaling, and the complete planning of the hand. That is when the brain truly works.
Throughout life, we struggle with our own personality. Ego is often the greatest obstacle to growth. Wanting to prove that we are better than our partner or our opponents prevents us from evolving as players. Not recognizing our mistakes holds us back in bridge and also in life.
Bridge forces us to face that. It forces us to accept mistakes, analyze them, and improve.
For all these reasons, and for many more, I believe that bridge is the most important mind sport we have. In a world where we will have more and more free time, it becomes a necessity for us and also for our children.
Not only as entertainment, but as a school of thought, character, and self-knowledge.
Over the years, I also wrote a book about my experience with the game. In Argentina, it is titled Beneficios de jugar al Bridge. In its Spanish edition, translated into 24 languages, it is titled Aprender Bridge es fácil. The book is not only about how to play, but about what bridge has meant to me personally and what it can give to others.
Thanks Oscar, a very nice contribution! here is the minor point I disagree on:
In my opinion, Goren has made a rather negative contribution to bridge in introducing the HCPs, lowering the bridge level when Culbertson had made such a nice job before him. Points, schmoints! For good bridge, use your brain rather your memory...
Congratulations for your article.
You win the "Oscar" for The Best Bridge Memory. As far as I am concerned, you "Aced" it. What a wonderful expression of your deep insight relative to the game of bridge! May you continue to make many more great memories.
Great article🙏
What a character thank you. This is like listening to my partner
Thanks Oscar for sharing your knowledge and understanding of Bridge.
The most important advice in Bridge is,after
75 years of Bridge (aged 93), is, if your partner,irritates you,and it will only get
worse, be kind, but make your excuses and
find another partner.Your own health,sanity,
happiness and life is more important than an
irksome Bridge partnership.
Thank you Oscar, and congratulation
Tout à fait d'accord avec l'importance du partenaire dans ce jeu. Il y a un rapport psychologique, pas toujours explicable.
Je joue depuis 4 ans et j'ai toujours la même partenaire. Nous avons appris à ajuster nos jeux, à discuter de nos erreurs et surtout à nous les pardonner pour pouvoir continuer ensemble.
a great story, thank you oscar! it confirms what i believe in bridge: trust your partner lol
I agree with this about partnership. Taking care of partner gives better results for the pair.
This reminds me about riding... I could often get good results forcing the horse to do things.... But I had always got best results cooperating with the horse... Supporting the horse...
I was a mediocre rider, and a little afraid of jumping... Yet, some of my best riding results were when I got a horse with some fault, perhaps a little hurt... Where I decided to give the horse my best support as rider as I could... And have you seen! both horse and myself performed 2 classes better than usual...
In bridge I had similiar experiences when I was paired with inexperienced players, essentially beginners. Give them support and confidence - we won the pairs event, and in the other case, won sky high the match...
Thanks for your words Oscar. They resonated with me and have given me food for thought.
I’ve also been playing bridge for many years and teach bridge and have written a book on beginning bridge, then another on life with lots of bridge, so we have similarities.
I shall try and use some of your wisdom to improve my game and my life.
Good wishes to you.
comparto los comentarios de Óscar Ilari, a pesar de que hace solamente apenas 5 años que aprendí este fascinante y adictivo juego, que en mi situación personal, sirve para ayudarme a estar
más
atento, menos disperso , ayudarme a recuperar mi memoria que fui perdiendo con los años, y adicionalmente a conocer a mis ocasionales adversarios y como en la mayoría de los deportes, poder desnudar las distintas personalidades y capitalizar las historias de vida de las que cada vez que los encontramos , aprendemos algo nuevo (como en el bridge ), que nos ayuda
a entender un poco más nuestras vidas . realmente este juego fue un halazgo , que se
lo agradezco infinita mente a mi partner habitual, jugador inteligente , con las
características que forma
este juego , y que conozco desde hace unos años, a pesar de haber sido compañeros de secundaria y universidad (60 años), y que me inicio en este atractivo e inteligente juego