Sixty-six seats were arranged on the top floor of the Anima Hore memorial building in BE Park, and not a single one was empty. A tournament of contract bridge was underway, drawing enthusiasts from across town.

The event was organised by Salt Lake Club, which was established in 1983 to provide a platform for recreation and social engagement. Over the years, membership had declined, but fresh efforts are now being made to revive the club with the focus on promoting contract bridge.

Contract bridge is a card game played by four participants in two partnerships. Players bid to declare a contract and then attempt to win tricks to fulfil it. The game blends skill, logic, and teamwork.

On the day, teams rotated from table to table ensuring that everyone played against each other. They also deployed Bridge Mate, an advanced gadget to record scores after each game, that enabled the announcement of consolidated rankings at the end.

“Using Bridge Mate added a professional edge to the tournament,” said Amal Kumar Basak, a 77-year-old participant from CG Block and, one of the organisers. “This game fosters social connections, keeps the mind sharp and keeps conditions like dementia at bay.”

“I’ve been playing auction bridge since childhood but began contract bridge in 2012. I was drawn to it after watching it being played online. It’s a tremendous mind game,” said Sukanta Das of Dum Dum, who, along with his partner Swapan Shome, went on to win the tournament. Binoy Shaw and Piyush Barui were the runners-up.

Most participants were senior citizens, but there were no women. “Our part of town does not have active women players, but we encourage them to join us,” said president Sekhar Bandyopadhy, who has represented India in bridge tournaments. “Our club used to host games at this venue twice a week before the pandemic, but it has now reduced to once. We hope to increase the frequency and induct more members. Currently we have about 75 members.”

Bandyopadhy is planning to start online coaching for the game too. “In Scandinavian countries, this game is taught in schools to help students focus. The most important quality to excel at bridge is to love the game. All else can be learnt,” he said.