History of bridge

The card game bridge is a development of the card game whist that was played extensively in clubs in the 18th and 19th centuries. Whist was even played in duplicate form and the two main movements we use, the Mitchell and the Howell, were both developed as duplicate whist movements.

Bridge istelf started as a development called Russion Whist, also “biritch”. The latter was also the name used for the new innovation of playing in no trumps. Auction bridge was the first version of bridge to have standardised published rules. Contract bridge – the game we now play – developed through the 1920s. Its major innovation was only awarding points to count towards game for tricks bid and made. This encouraged bidding up to the strength of the hand.

Famously Harry Venderbilt claimed to invent contract bridge on board the SS Finland on the night of 31 October-1 November 1925. He credits one of the young ladies on board with coining the term “vulnerable” for being one game in. The innovation Vanderbilt can claim credit for was the scoring system. The American preface to the first internationally agreed set of Laws notes, “as to scoring, they have been guided largely by the suggestions of Mr Vanderbilt.”

The first international event was the America-England Test Match of September 1930 between teams led by Ely Culbertson and Lt. Col. Walter Buller. Official interstate bridge started in Australia in 1934.

These days international bridge is managed by the World Bridge Federation, who also publish the Laws of Duplicate Bridge. The peak body in Australia is the Australian Bridge Federation.