Baba Da – RIP

Last night, P.S Mukherjee (aka Chandu) slipped a small line in a couple of WhatsApp groups saying that Subrata Saha, (fondly know as Baba Da) passed away last night.

It would be an understatement to say that you could have knocked off virtually the whole Indian bridge lovers field with a feather. The news came as a bolt from the blue. He was actively involved in the organization of the Shree Cements event slated for April this year and was even slated to play in the Willingdon Club tournament starting tomorrow.

Words are never enough to quantify any person's loss. Alas, it is only through words that we can express our love and gratitude for anybody post their death.

This is a small tribute to his memory.

Presenting below a few tributes presented by some of us.

Sukamal Das

Subrata ( baba) was not only my Bridge partner for many a tournaments and for many years, but also one of my closest friend and mentor. He was like a family member of mine with whom I spent so many great memories and great times.
He will be deeply missed by me. I hope and pray for his family and hope they have the strength to come out of this most horrific situation.

Alok Daga

My association with Subrata extends 25 years, initially as my guide to serious bridge, and then as my partner.
Teammates we have been innumerable times. A good friend and a nice human ever willing to help.
So many hours spent on discussion . So many drinking sessions.
We have had so many memorable results together, SAARC, Commonwealth (Delhi),various Nationals, Indore.

Apart from the time spent at the bridge table, the time off the table with Subrata da had also invariably been pleasant.

It was just on the 23rd that we were playing at Saturday Club. He, my LHO. I balanced a 2 Spades with just AKx. To find partner with 5. Subrata said with a smile "I know Alok for so many years,he doesn't sell easily ".

Om Shanti Subratada as I called him.

Vibhas Todi

A man of grace, most courteous on the table and helpful off the table.
He was fondly called Baba (father). He shouldered the entire responsibility of the team. Tickets , entries, hotel stay , food and transportation, whatever. He managed every penny of expenses and the sharing thereof. We always relaxed with him around.

He carried medicine, tissue, balm, soap, lotion, toothpicks… you name it and he has it. Such care only a father can provide.

His appearance and smile made everyone love interacting with him. He has many students getting into finer aspects of bridge .. no one ever complained of his behaviour. Truly a man of different league.

Vijay Goel

I would call him BABA (Bengali for Dad), He would call me Dada, (Bengali for elder brother).  My calling him dad stemmed from him being so much better a Bridge player than I while his calling me elder brother referred to the fact that I was much older in age. Both of us would welcome each other with Pranam as our gesture of our respect for each other. Respect to his Soul.

Souren Dutt

More than 40 years ago, when I was very much confused about whether the game of bridge was my cup of tea, Subrata da came to my rescue to give me the required confidence. He advised me that if I could stick to my goal and could approach it systematically, there may be a world of treasure awaiting me.

At that time, there were two big bridge clubs in Kolkata; Bhowanipore and CBC. They were arch rivals; one in the south and the other in North Calcutta. But the universal acceptance of Subrata gave him easy access to both the clubs. I was introduced as his younger brother to both the clubs and was promptly given an entry. So my weekdays were spent practicing at Bhowanipore and the weekends at CBC under his constant guidance.

By this time, he was a star player, making a habit of winning all kinds of tournaments, but he did not let any of that create an ego within him. While continuing in his winning ways and, at times, I was also given the chance to play in his company. He was supportive and often recommended me to a better team not by playing himself.

He was not only a simple grand master but teacher of most of them. He was regularly offering coaching at this stage of life driving 15 to 20 km away from his home at Saturday Club. From the obituary messages you will all come to know how close at heart he was to others too.

I will cherish all sweet memories with him for the rest of my life.

Sumit Mukherjee

I first met him in 1999 where I was very young and made lots of mistakes. But he never complained.

Ever smiling and friend for all . Always helpful. At Bhubaneswar, he was my teammates. We planned to stay together in Nagpur in the upcoming National Masters. He sent me a message yesterday about accommodations. I replied and ask a question on around 6.45 pm. He didn't answer and I will not get that ever.

Satyabrata Lahiri

I played a lot with Dada and have shared some memorable wins with him. We won the HCL Pairs in 2008 as also a national title in Bangalore

A Rare gentleman, honest to a fault, he always the manager of any team he was part of due to his attention to detail.

He never complained about his partner's mistakes but was quick to admit his own.

Hemant Jalan

Subratada (Baba) was a good soul. We played in the Seniors team in Jakarta, Lahore and Marrakesh, wining Gold medals in both Jakarta and Lahore.

Besides being a good bridge player he was an excellent cook. We had him cooking home style meals in Jakarta, Lahore and Marrakesh. We will miss him

Ranjan Bhattacharya

Here is the man I last met two weeks ago at Jabalpur, and shooed him away from the dessert counter as he contemplated to indulge in one more Gulab Jamun.

Yes, he had diabetes, and a deep craving for the forbidden shots of sugar.

This was something that Sukamal da and I chided him for, all of last year when I got to spend some time with him as part of Team India delegation at Lahore and Marrakech. He sought me out on the first day at Marrakech and informed me that there is a chocolate counter near the reception that has a chocolate tasting every day for guests and that was where we would invariably met at the stroke of 6 pm every day.

Once, just before the Summer Nationals at Pune (2019) he had called up and enquired if we had a team, and if we could accommodate four of them. We could, and we ended up as teammates in the nationals. There was a board where he ended up in a grand slam and went down in 7C, a contract he realised he could have made. Not one meeting passed since then, when he would meet and greet Richa, and apologise for it, and assure her that he would play with her again and make up for it someday. He just wouldn’t let go of that board.

The room that he shared with Sukhamal da at Lahore and Marrakech was the designated kitchen, and he would take charge of the affairs from the very first minute. The big bag containing rations would be opened and provisions carried along would be arranged, the utensils and electric cooker would be washed and a trip to the supermarket to pick up fresh veggies and eggs would be the first order of the day.

Unaware of the standard operating procedure of these delegations, I was pleasantly surprised when he sought me out to tell me that lunch and dinner would be prepared and my share of the food was already catered for, I just had to come and eat. There was so much affection that it was impossible to stay away, and it felt like being at home

He was like an ever-smiling buddha and I have never seen him lose his calm at the table or outside. Seldom a bad word for anyone, he was meticulous planner and organiser, a wonderful host, a competent cook, a selfless worker for any bridge related cause, and a wonderful father and a caring husband who would without fail inform “boudi” about all that was transpiring during our trips abroad on a daily basis. He was a champion player who was ethical and serious about the game, and his geniality and infectious positivity made him a perfect team mate that anyone could wish for, and a Captain that a team can rally around.

Sukrit

My first memories of Subrata Saha come from the 2019 Summer Nationals in Pune where I was writing the bulletin. To be honest, I didn't particularly know him then either, but what fascinated me was the fact that Sukamal Das and he won each round of the Match Point Pairs i.e. first eliminations, second eliminations and finals. I don't think this act has been seen very often in the field of bridge.

He has won far too many titles to enumerate. The earliest National championship of his that I could find is the Board a Match Trophy at the 1984 Winter Nationals in Delhi. Subsequently he has won several titles, Nationals, Life Masters, HCL, Tolani, Indore, you name them.

Perhaps, his crowning achievements came in the world senior events where, along with his last regular partner, Sukamal Das, he helped his team clinch 4th place in Lyons in 2017, 3rd place in China in 2019 and a silver medal in Salsamaggiore in 2022. I don't know of any similar consistent performance at the world level by any other pair.

Personally, I had the occasion to share a room with him as I needed to spend a night in Kolkata during the 2019 nationals. I was a relative nobody then, but it was his magnanimity that granted me the pleasure of his company for that night.

During the lock down, I had successfully bid for him during one of the Pro Am tournaments organized by Sandip Thakral. While I didn't play with him, it gave me immense pleasure that he, along with Binod Shaw, won the event.

As a parting anecdote, let me recount to you the story of how he and Sukamal got the monickers of Baba Da and Bete da (as told by Raju Tolani somewhere). Apparently, at some tournament, he was annoyed with Sukamal's handling of a hand and, in a fit of temper, called him "....... ka bachcha". To which, Sukamal, with characteristic humor responded, "Tum to mere baap ho"!

Subodh Maskara

He was the a true gentleman of the game. A true maverick.

The only way to celebrate the legacy of the great players who leave us is to find a way to revitalise the game so it lives on beyond all of us on this chat.

How can we pass the baton to a stronger newer younger crop of bridge players? That is the question that keeps coming when we hear such tragic and untimely news. Om Shanti.

Subroto dada pls guide all of us in spirit and your memory will always be with us. The next summer nationals will have a cup in the name of Subroto da. May he live forever in our hearts

Epitaph (by Ranjan Bhattacharya)

There are a few people who, even in the brief time that one would spend with, leave a very pleasant and lasting impression. He was such a man. It was too soon to move on to the next world definitely, but as as Plautus said, “He whom the gods love dies young, while he is in his health, has his senses and his judgements sound”. I couldn’t agree more. He was definitely loved in this world, and so shall he be in his next.

I am strangely reminded of Donne when he said, and I quote:-
One short sleep past, we wake, eternally,
And death shall be no more;
Death, thou shall die.
Death be not proud….

OM SADGATI Subrata da. Yours was a life well lived and complete. We shall miss

(Those of you who wish to pay tribute to him are requested to put down comments on this page so that we can share it with his family - Eds)

Disclaimer : All opinions are entirely those of the author and are no reflection of the views of the BridgeFromHome Team.