I’ve always had a general love of tabletop and board games that was certainly present long before I had properly gotten to know the game of bridge.

I love games like Monopoly, Risk, chess, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Reversi, Clue. Each of these have their own challenges, nuances, and strategies that make the game worth playing.

Games like these also have a lot of skills to teach.

These skills can carry over to bridge.

Most of these games involve competition, serious thought and imagining each move and possibility in the context of the game – whether random or not.

If you’re a fan of bridge, I’ll bet that you’re also a fan of at least a few other games, too. Playing these games can improve your bridge game (and boost your strategic thinking).

Here are some other board game sayings borrowed for bridge.

“Chess, not checkers.”

I don’t imagine this is a famous board game saying. Instead, it’s from the movie Training Day.

But it shows that the debate between one game and another is an old one. Online bridge versus real bridge, chess versus checkers, whist versus bridge.

Let’s ignore these arguments and play some bridge.

At their core, mindgames are equal.

“Dominate The Board”

The concept of dominating the board is an idea that appears in many games played on the table.

When it comes to checkers, chess or reversi, it refers to one player’s dominance of what’s on the board.

It’s a strategy that can lead to victory.

Remember: it’s also a strategy that can be countered.

A smart player learns how to dominate the board and what to do when the opponent has done this first.

“Monster Tribute”

The concept of a “Monster Tribute” is straight from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Series.

When this card gets played, the player can summon a more powerful monster to the playing field – but they have to give another one of their monsters-in-play up to do so.

Does this sound familiar to any bridge players already?

Yup.

It’s exactly like letting a card go in order to guarantee a won trick later in the game.

“Own The Corners”

Owning the corners of the board is a huge advantage in some games like Reversi.

Once you have the corners, more dominant, assertive moves are possible. Moves can be made a lot more difficult for the opponent. It’s a lot like owning a wartime stronghold that serves as the best possible tactical view.

For bridge, I’ve always thought this saying to apply well to your high-card points.

The more you own, the more you can do with them.

“Powerful Pawns”

“A passed Pawn increases in strength as the number. of pieces on the board diminishes.”

This quote is from chess player José Raul Capablanca, and it says that the power of a piece should never be underestimated. Pawns are powerful when it comes to chess.

Within bridge, the same applies to any lower cards your hand possesses.

Never underestimate the power of a lower card when it’s played at the right time.