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An elite-level scandal
Although chess might have more in common in terms of gameplay with draughts or go, there is a salient similarity it shares with the game of bridge: they are the only ‘mind sports’ recognized by the International Olympic Committee albeit neither of them has been found eligible for the main Olympic program.
Chess and bridge also share that cheating has become a growing preoccupation for fans and organizers of the sport. In the case of bridge, a game in which partners need to convey information in a restricted manner, notable incidents date back to as early as the 1930s, when a scandal led to Willard S. Karn bringing a one million dollar defamation suit against Ely Culbertson, six others and Crockford Inc., accusing them of spreading rumours and conspiring to remove him from the bridge world.
Bill Gates playing bridge with Warren Buffett
Credit: Alamy
One thing that is not irretrievably broken in Bill Gates’ life is his relationship with the game of bridge. The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, with a net worth of $131.3 billion, has been playing for years against fellow enthusiasts, including the tycoon Warren Buffett - and myself.
A recent interview pictured his desk stacked with bridge magazines, while he explained how he “love[s] the strategy involved. You have to try to communicate with your partner using nothing but your bids.”
I last played against Bill in Montreal in 2002 in the World Mixed Pairs Championship. At the table he is intense but relaxed and plays with a smile, regardless of the result. Between deals we chatted about another of Bill s passions, wine.