Bridge Playing Basics: From Beginner to Practical Application

Author: Ye Jiajun
Editor-in-Chief: Zhang Li / et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-03-01
Features: Excerpt: Chapter 1 Welcome to Learning Bridge 1.1 Bridge—Fun and Beneficial Dear readers, you are reading this small booklet, of course, to learn how to play bridge and hope to quickly get started. So, may I ask, why are you learning to play bridge? You might say, bridge is a civilized and noble intellectual activity. You are learning it for leisure, to exercise your mind, to cultivate your temperament, and to enjoy the pleasures of spiritual life. You might say, you saw your friends playing bridge, and they were so interested, serious, and happy that they encouraged you to join. You are learning it for social activities, to share this wonderful cultural and recreational activity with your friends. Perhaps you will also say that bridge is an international intellectual competition. Once you reach a certain level of skill in playing bridge, you will have the opportunity to participate in competitions and enjoy the excitement and joy of demonstrating your intellectual prowess. In short, there are many benefits to learning bridge—it can enhance and bring joy to your spiritual life. For this reason, this basic playing guide aims to be simple and clear, avoiding dry and tedious details; easy to understand and learn, focusing only on the fundamentals of the fundamentals. For the content that goes beyond the basic skills after mastering the entry-level fundamentals, only a brief introductory overview is provided in the last chapter, while the other three books in this series offer detailed discussions. Regarding the etiquette and manners that players should pay attention to during bridge play, as well as issues related to prescribed behaviors, playing style, and integrity, this book provides a detailed explanation. Bridge is a highly civilized intellectual activity, and it is essential for beginners to learn and master the basics of civilized conduct. Bridge also has the characteristic of partner-based dual cooperation, and any secret or illegal transmission of information between two people is strictly prohibited and considered unethical. Beginners must understand this clearly. Some players who have been playing bridge for many years after mastering the basics still fail to meet the standards of etiquette and playing style and integrity. This is largely due to a lack of cultivation and the development of good habits during their initial learning phase. Postscript: After nearly 50 years of playing bridge, I have developed a deep emotional connection to it. I have taught classes, given lectures, and written drafts, but I have never written a book dedicated to beginners in bridge. Before putting pen to paper, I repeatedly considered the question: What should I write? Which of my years of experience and insights should I share with beginners? How can I make it both in-depth and accessible, avoiding dryness? What is bridge? The techniques of bidding, declarer play, and defense—these are, of course, essential topics. However, these are covered in all primary bridge books, both in China and abroad, and some are quite detailed and even profound. The challenge of determining depth is another thought-provoking topic. Moving beyond the beginner's level, you have crossed the threshold of entry. After much deliberation, this book aims to introduce basic knowledge and primary techniques while emphasizing the following four points. These four points are not only relevant to beginners but also to players at intermediate and advanced levels, as well as to us older players ourselves. They may all be worth considering.
1. Etiquette, Manners, Friendship, and Playing Style. Adhere to the rules based on integrity to ensure that bridge remains a highly civilized intellectual competitive activity.
2. Close cooperation and harmonious relationships between partners are key characteristics of bridge play and critical to assessing skill levels and determining outcomes.
3. For technical principles, focus on explaining the reasoning behind them—why? Why use the point count system for scoring but not rely on it blindly? Why are bidding systems structured in this way (aiming for scientific, rational, concise, and effective)? Why is a certain playing technique suitable in one situation but not in another? For example, when should you finesse? When should you delay a finesse? When should you avoid finessing? When should you clear the trump suit? When should you avoid clearing trumps? When can you partially clear trumps? When should the second defender play small? When should they play large? When should the third defender play large? When should they play small? etc. Understanding the reasoning allows you to apply the principles flexibly, adapt to changing situations, and improve your skill level.
4. Develop thinking skills and cultivate the habit of thinking comprehensively in actual play. When bidding, follow the "preparation principle" to plan the entire bidding process. Use the "speed principle" to reach the final bid when there is no remaining potential or when preparing to attack; for cards with potential, advance slowly. When playing as declarer, reason and calculate, seize the critical moment after the opening lead and dummy's cards are revealed, and formulate a comprehensive playing plan. When defending, calculate and read the cards, and develop defensive strategies based on partner cooperation.
This book was proofread by Comrade Song Shan, for which I express my sincere gratitude. Whether this book clearly conveys the above points and achieves the goal of being both in-depth and accessible is something the author is not entirely satisfied with. However, if readers can understand and find value in it, that would be a great success. Wishing you joy in playing bridge, and may you also excel at it!
Ye Jiajun
Completed in Beijing in June 1998