The need to break up a bridge partnership can happen for a few different reasons. Sometimes it’s a personality type clash that means you don’t get along as well as you’d hoped, other times you might realize that your skill levels are so vastly different that it’s time to find another person as your partner. 

If you’ve been playing for a long time – or know the person in your partnership on a social level – the need to end the partnership can be difficult to approach. 

Here are a few ways to get the news across while lessening the sting.

Ways to Break the News

• “We’re at different playing levels.”

If a large skill gap exists between a newer and more advanced player, just being honest about the difference is one of the best things you can do. Honesty is the best policy, and saying it might allow the lesser experienced player to realize their playing could use some improvement.

• “I can recommend a great bridge club.”

If you’re in the position where you have to put down a beginner by, make sure that you don’t discourage them from playing at the same time. One way to ensure this is to make the right recommendation. Recommending a bridge club is a neutral way to help someone find other players to interact with.

• “Have you thought of taking a few bridge lessons?” 

Suggesting a few bridge lessons to an inexperienced bridge partner is a useful suggested answer where suggesting a bridge club isn’t practical, or where you do see developing potential in your bridge partner – but just not as your bridge partner..

• “Our bidding just doesn’t match up.” 

Bridge is about communication – and partners being able to think as one. If your partnership doesn’t have the essential element of communication, a good game for your partnership would be occasional luck, not team work. 

If your bidding styles clash or just don’t work well together, there’s no shame in admitting this and moving on from your partnership. 

• “Let’s move forward.”

There are many reasons other than an experience gap that might give rise to wanting to end a serious bridge partnership. “Let’s move forward” is the best way to put all of these possible reasons under the same heading. 

This is for whenever you realize that each of you could be bridge partners better suited to someone else.

• “Your mother is a harpy.”

On a lighter note, you can’t say that this sentence wouldn’t end most bridge partnerships…