Choose any topic or direction in the world, and there will be the specific occasions that stand out for any fan, admirer, or student of it.
Aviation students everywhere are taught about the Wright brothers and their ironic flight. Writers are taught the 5 W’s to write easier. Artists know about the classic Masters, and guitarists learn from the ones they admire and the biggest gigs ever put on.
What are these landmark occasions for bridge players?
These are the things which without the game just wouldn’t be the same today.
Like the invention of the lightbulb, here are some of the important moments throughout the history of bridge that shaped where the game is so far.
The birth of Harold Vanderbilt
Harold Stirling Vanderbilt was born in July 6, 1884.
During his time, he made a considerable mark on industry as a businessman and tycoon.
It’s his contributions to the rules and scoring of bridge that puts him on this list, though. We know specifically contract bridge as a game today thanks to his changes, transforming whist into bridge on a cruise ship.
If Harold Vanderbilt was never born, contract bridge as we know it would never have come into being.
The beginning of Bridge Base Online
Bridge Base Online was officially founded on the 23rd of April, 2001.
Since you’re likely reading this on BBO, it should be pretty obvious to you why the beginnings of the site was big news. Without this moment here, things would not be the same in online bridge at all.
Today, it’s one of the biggest online bridge sites in the world.
Doesn’t that have a great ring to it?
The founding of Master Point Press
Master Point Press is one of the world’s largest bridge publishers.
Originally hailing from Canada, they have their roots tapped from Master Point Magazine.
While the magazine ceased publication in 1997, the brand had already published its first bridge book in 1994 (and simply continued as a bridge book publisher).
Today, Master Point Press is part of the larger bridge company 52 Entertainment, and still publishing bridge books.
Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge
The official Laws Of Duplicate Contract Bridge were published in 1928.
While the rules of the game were agreed upon in other volumes before this, the Laws cemented it for tournaments and more serious club games.
Before this, players had to find their rules in any number of other players (and on some finer points, might not have yet agreed).
If the official laws weren’t published then and there, who knows what could have happened to the game in an alternate future?
The bridge bet between GIB
For his autobiography, player Zia Mahmood offered a £1 million bet against the playing capabilities of GIB. For the money, Mahmood said he could rival the software tenfold.
If you want to know how it went, pick up his autobiography “Bridge, My Way.”
Telling everyone here just makes it feel like a bit of a spoiler.
The world record
If you didn’t know it yet, bridge also has a few world records.
One of them describes Most People In A Contract Bridge Tournament – and that’s exactly what it sounds like. The Dutch Bridge Federation found as many pairs as they could, and then made them all play bridge at a single location.
Without it, how would we know how many bridge players you can fit in the same place?