Bridge At First Sight

Fazli Sameer • June 13, 2026

Author

June 13, 2026

Chess was the name of the game during my primary school years in the 1950s in Colombo, Sri Lanka—then known as Ceylon. To us, it was a war game where the sole objective was to topple the opponent’s king. The sheer excitement it generated was out of this world, pumping adrenaline through our veins and sending our minds spinning into a kaleidoscopic world of permutations, combinations, and endless “what-ifs.” The challenge was overwhelming, and we loved every second of it. We played, we laughed, we won, and we lost.

Playing cards, by contrast, was purely a family affair. As kids, we played three-cards, rummy, asking-hitting, patience, and 304. Most weekends were spent with family and cousins at home, or gathered at Grandma’s house. We never gambled; it was all just for fun, using plastic chips instead of money.

By the 1960s, our core gang of friends had formed: the late Sada, the late Lal, the late Sumith (may they all rest in peace), Anura, Haji, Rizvi, and my younger brother, Firoze. We converged most weekends at our family home—No. 300 in Bambalapitiya—to figure out how to spend the day. Sada, Sumith, Haji, and Lal had vehicles, which came in incredibly handy for long drives and excursions outside of Colombo.

However, the true catalyst that kept our gang together was Bridge.

The Evolution of the Game

Our obsession actually evolved from 304, a simpler trick-taking and bidding game. Yet, Bridge was a totally different animal. The World Championships were underway at the time, and we would eagerly pore over the newspapers, dissecting the bids and plays, trying desperately to learn and improve.

Soon enough, everyone in the gang became an “expert” in our own right. We started with the conventional Goren system and four-card majors, moved on to Schenken, and eventually adopted Precision. The Blackwood convention became our go-to tool for asking for Aces. Of course, when it went wrong, partners practically wanted to murder each other across the table. But time passed, and the boys eventually moved on, each following his own path.

Then, one fine January day in 1967, having freshly graduated high school, I entered the University of Colombo to begin my degree in Physical Science. There, I found Bridge again. She was just as beautiful as I remembered. In fact, she still is. And I fell in love with her all over again.

“Have you ever played Bridge before?” one of the seniors asked me.

Mumbling, I admitted that I knew the basics but was far from an expert.

“Good,” he smiled. “We can learn together.”

From Casual Play to True Passion

Every single break, we would gather around a table for four in the cafeteria on Thurstan Road, playing right up until the next lecture began. The late Waraney (Asoka) was an exceptionally keen and talented player back then. At 19, I didn’t know anyone else my age playing at such an advanced level. Our old gang at No. 300 had played purely for casual fun, never attempting to take the game to the next tier. But the enthusiasm and commitment of these university players to elevate the game was infectious. Despite my fears that they would laugh at my novice skills, I joined the daily sessions.

From then on, nothing could stop me. I bought books, studied new systems, and dove headfirst into Standard American, Precision, and a dizzying array of intriguing conventions. Memorizing them all was tough, but through continuous play—and making plenty of mistakes along the way—I became a true scholar of the game.

A Lifelong Love Affair

It has now been nearly 60 years since my journey with Bridge began, and since I first crossed paths with those wonderful friends and colleagues.

Today, the game has found a new life online. Through the Bridge Base Online (BBO) portal, I find myself sitting at home, playing with real people from all over the world. Now that I am retired, I spend at least three to four hours a day on BBO. It remains refreshing, invigorating, and exciting—and I am still learning. I am not hooked on high-stakes tournaments or cutthroat competitions; I play simply for the joy of the game alongside kind, like-minded people.

I am over 78 years old now, and if there is one thing I know for certain, it is this: this is one love affair that will never end.