Changjiang Daily - Yangtze River Net reported on September 15 that on the morning of the 15th, the 44th World Bridge Team Championship and the 12th World Transnational Open Team Competition kicked off at the Wuhan International Convention and Exhibition Center. Nearly 1,500 playe

Changjiang Daily - Yangtze River Net News on September 15 On the morning of September 15, the 44th World Bridge Team Championship and the 12th World Transnational Open Team Competition kicked off at the Wuhan International Convention and Exhibition Center. Nearly 1,500 people from 42 countries and regions around the world Athletes participated in this event.

Bridge, a card game widely popular around the world. Changjiang Daily-Changjiang.com reporters found out that many celebrities at home and abroad are bridge fans, such as Deng Xiaoping, Wan Li, "Stock God" Buffett, Bill Gates and other business tycoons also like to play bridge.

Deng Xiaoping: Playing bridge proves that my mind is still clear

Among China's senior leading cadres, bridge hobbies are rarely reported in the news, but Deng Xiaoping is an exception.

On August 21, 2014, Deng Xiaoping's daughter Deng Nan wrote an article in the People's Daily, mentioning: "My father likes to play billiards, bridge, and swimming. He likes to pay attention to landscapes and scenic spots, and likes all beautiful things."

Playing bridge is Deng Xiaoping's What he learned in Sichuan in the 1950s became his place of affection in his later years. When playing bridge, he likes to play with and against masters, and has played against both male and female players of the national team. Chinese-American, "Bridge Queen" Yang Xiaoyan also served as Deng Xiaoping's partner. Daughter Deng Rong said: The old man has an amazing memory, is very capable of mental arithmetic and verbal arithmetic, has almost a photographic memory of economic figures, and is especially good at counting cards when playing bridge.

Source: China Communist Party News Network

In his later years, Deng Xiaoping regarded playing bridge as a means to challenge himself intellectually and physically. On August 5, 1986, Deng Xiaoping met with Susumu Nikaidou, the top adviser of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. When talking about his personal physical condition, he said: "I test my body by two things. One is whether I can go into the sea, and the other is whether I can play bridge. Being able to play bridge proves that my mind is good, and being able to go into the sea proves that my physical strength is good. Not long ago There is a rumor in Hong Kong that when I am sick, the stock price will fall. In fact, it is easy for them to know whether I am in good health or not. They only need to know that I am playing bridge and swimming in the summer." In a few words, Deng Xiaoping used humorous language to resolve the society's concerns about his health. Rumors also revealed the reason why he played bridge.

In February 1989, Deng Xiaoping, honorary chairman of the Chinese Bridge Association, became the first person to win the Honorary Gold Medal of the World Bridge Federation. The World Bridge Federation Executive Committee decided to set up a special award, the Honorary Gold Medal, to commend those who have made outstanding contributions to the bridge movement , and unanimously agreed to award the first honorary gold medal to Deng Xiaoping.

Source: People's Daily Online

In October 1991, the Chinese women's bridge team won third place in the World Bridge Championships. After the women's team returned to China, Deng Xiaoping cordially received them and invited them to play a friendly match in order to encourage them. In this game, Deng Xiaoping was excellent at both "calling" and "fighting" and defeated the Chinese women's team.

After Deng Xiaoping's death in 1997, World Bridge Federation Chairman José Damiani said in a message to commemorate Deng Xiaoping: "We are very proud to have a friend like him in the bridge world."

Wan Li and others are also bridge lovers. By

When Wan Li became chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, "People's Daily" introduced: Wan Li has been a tennis enthusiast since his boyhood, and also a bridge enthusiast. He won the 1984 Solomon Award for the best bridge in the world. The Solomon Award was a collaboration between Wan Li and world bridge queen Yang Xiaoyan in 1984. He played a pair of wonderful cards in a bridge match held in Beijing and was named the best player in the world in 1984.

What is well known in the industry but not well known to the outside world: Ding Guangen, the former Minister of the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is a rare bridge master. Around 1959, Ding Guangen, who was working at the Ministry of Railways, was recommended to Deng Xiaoping by Minister Lu Zhengcao, and he became a relatively regular bridge partner from then on. "The Life of Comrade Ding Guangen" published by "People's Daily" wrote: "Comrade Ding Guangen actively promoted the popularization, development and improvement of bridge sports in China. Under his direct care and guidance, the Chinese women's bridge team won the world championship twice .”

Buffett and Bill Gates play bridge together

According to public media reports, “Stock God” Buffett likes to play bridge very much, and Bill Gates is still his card friend.

Buffett said about bridge: "This is the best way to exercise your brain. Because every 10 minutes, you have to re-examine the situation... Decisions in the stock market are not based on the situation in the market, but on you." In terms of what you think is reasonable... bridge is like weighing the ratio of profits or losses. You are doing this calculation every moment..."

Ms. Osberg, Buffett's bridge teacher, said, Buffett's level has reached the level of a world-class player. Through her friendship with Buffett, Ms. Osburg also played bridge with Bill Gates.

Source: People's Daily Online

Since 1999, Bill Gates began to participate in various bridge competitions. In 2002, he and his partner Sharon Osberg participated in a large-scale bridge competition held in Canada; in 2004, he made his first appearance in a world-class bridge competition at the World Bridge Championships in Reno, USA.

Since then, Bill Gates has continued to appear in the public eye around the world. In 2012, Bill Gates showed up to start a bridge game with Warren Buffett at his company's annual shareholder meeting; in 2015, the media once again appeared on the bridge table at Berkshire Hathaway's shareholder meeting. Captured the wonderful battle between Bill Gates and Buffett.

Buffett and Bill Gates not only like to play bridge, but also spend money to promote the development of bridge. Bill Gates invested in a bridge online company, and it is said that Gates and Buffett often play cards online. (Integrated by reporter Li Yuying)

(Source: People's Daily Online , China Communist Party News Network)

[Editor: Fu Ying]