Bridge In Pakistan

Bridge (game), one of several related card games played by four people with a deck of 52 cards. Two of the players are partners competing against the other two. The term bridge alone is generally used today as an abbreviation for contract bridge, which virtually has displaced other forms of the game. All bridge games stem from whist . Bridge whist, the original variation, was introduced in England late in the 19th century.

In all forms of bridge, 13 cards are dealt to each player. One of the players declares which of the four suits shall be trump (making the 13 cards of that suit higher in rank than the other 39 cards) or declares that there shall be no trump. The method of declaration varies with the form of bridge. The player to the left of the declarer then leads a card. Each of the others in turn plays a card and must play a card of the suit led, if possible. The 4 cards played constitute a trick, which is won by the person playing the highest card of the suit led, or the highest trump if any trump has been played. The winner of the first trick leads the first card of the second trick, and so on for the remainder of the 13 tricks. The scoring depends primarily on the number of tricks won by each side and is different for the different forms of bridge.

Duplicate Bridge was introduced in Pakistan in 1957 by a civil engineer Kh. Azeemuddin, the founder and Managing Director of Associated Consulting Engineers (ACE) private limited. He, with the active support of his colleagues Ashfaq Ahmed, Qavi Khan, Mahmood Ali and Kadir Ali founded the 57-Club at the Nazimabad Club, Karachi. Other such organisations also sprung up and they joined hands to popularise the game. Late Muhammad Tasnim and Dr. R.H. Usmani organised tournament to give boost to the game. No rules had been formulated - that time but their verdict was accepted by all.

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