Anshul Bhatt — the bright star of Indian bridge

The game of bridge is mostly associated with grey hair, as it is more a cerebral game like chess. Just the way a bunch of young players are projecting India as a super power in chess, there is a boy who promises to set a trend in motion and do what Viswanathan Anand did to Indian chess, providing a brilliant identity.

Anshul Bhatt may be taking the baby steps in the game, but he has already won three gold medals in the World Youth Championship last year in Italy.

The president of the World Bridge Federation (WBF), Giannarigo Rona, was quite impressed with Anshul’s performance and said, “His gold medal and championship win have the potential to do to the game what Viswanathan Anand’s early success did to chess.”

Martin Seligman, a renowned bridge player and professor at University of Pennsylvania was equally impressed by Anshul.

“There is a new star rising in India. I am particularly thrilled by Anshul Bhatt’s triple gold, in pairs, teams and across all the formats. This seals India’s position in the world of youth bridge. I am very impressed with Anshul’s determination and endurance to play for eight hours a day for seven days in a row,” said Seligman.

In the 20th edition of the HCL International Bridge in Delhi, the tenth standard student of Dhirubhai Ambani school in Mumbai, Anshul helped his team Maverick Prodigies to the pre-quarterfinals in the Team of Four Gold event. That event alone carried a total prize of Rs.1.24 crore, from an overall purse of Rs.2.6 crore, which makes it the richest bridge tournament in the world.

Interestingly, a bunch of youngsters from Poland, in their 20s, clinched the title, beating the Formidables team of Kiran Nadar and company, giving a hint that being young need not be a handicap in the game. Not any more.

“I have great support from the top players. It was a good experience this time, I hope to reach the semifinals or final next year of this event,” said Anshul, quite at ease with his communication to the media.

The bright boy who got about a 15-minute conversation with Sachin Tendulkar before his World Championship and stays in contact with the superstar of world cricket, also reveals that the game of bridge has helped him connect with other successful people like Bill Gates and Anand Mahindra.

“I had an insightful conversation with Sachin. He helped me understand the importance of staying calm under pressure and manage expectations. He also advised me on maintaining a routine and managing endurance for the long event. More importantly, he asked me to stay focused despite the success,” said Anshul.

Thanks to his achievements, clarity of thought and ease of expression, Anshul was selected as the “Personality of the year” in 2022, by the international Bridge Press Association.

During his visit to India early this year, Bill Gates made it a point to meet Anshul. He has also been giving space for Anshul in his tweets and Linkedin posts.

“It was fun meeting Anshul and picking his brain about our favourite pastime. Anshul, if you are ever looking for a new bridge partner, I am your guy,” wrote Bill Gates on Instagram.

Bridge may not be that popular but Anshul is already very popular and has drawn the attention of people who matter.

When he was eight, Anshul was presented the Joan Gerard Award, for “the emerging player” in 2017 in the World Youth championship in Lyon, France. He was the youngest among hundreds of players from about 50 countries. He was chosen to carry the flag and take the oath to open the championship as the youngest ever participant.

He may be a bright young student of the game, but Anshul has realised the importance of taking up the role of a professor and teaching the game to the youth.

To help the game grow, Anshul does his bit by conducting a “boot camp”, introducing the game and giving a taste of it to a bunch of about 50 students in Mumbai.

Bridge is a team game and needs four players, It is basically two versus two, and the partners do not communicate directly. They rely on their game skills to convey the cards they hold to their partners in their attempt to play a series of successful hands. So, individual brilliance may not help to be successful in the game. You do need partners with analytical skill and strong memory to win the big prizes.

“You play the game, because you love bridge. To grow and improve, you need to play the tournaments. You grow with partners and keep getting better at problem solving. More puzzles you solve, you get better in the game,” said Anshul, who got introduced to the game at a very young age, owing to the keen interest shown by his father Mehul Bhatt.

He does enjoy playing many other games like squash, cricket, football and basketball, but is glued to bridge. With technology supporting the game, Anshul reveals that one can play bridge online for free, and on the mobile phone as well. It is a healthy of spending screen time.

He does point out that the major impediment for the growth of the game is “the stigma” attached to card games. Parents don’t want to see their children playing cards. Also, the game is felt to be “too fast, or too slow”.

“You can learn the game quick, but it is not an easy game,” explained Anshul. It is quite challenging, and possibly takes years to master.

Anshul is just about trying to fast-track his growth in the game, as much as the growth of the game in the country.