KRV on KK

I knew K.K.for more than  20 years. He was 2 years senior  to me in age. We quickly  developed  a bond due to our passion  for finding  the innate  beauty  of bridge  hands. We played as partners  in many state and zonal level tournaments with significant  success. We also represented  Tamil Nadu in the Interstate  Championships, winning it thrice and finishing as runners up once. Twice we were  runners up in the Agarwala Pairs.

What marked K.K apart  was his sardonic sense  of humour. He would never  utter  a harsh  word to his Partner  or teammates but the curl of his lips itself would tell the story  of the boo-boos made by us. He would  often tersely recall his partnership  experiences with some famous  bridge  players who had the habit of firing away at their partners for every  mistake  including  their own but all this in jest and without  rancour.

K.K.was a pioneer  in implementing the concept  of take out and negative  doubles with the focus on Majors. Sometimes, based on his take out double, I landed up Doubled in a 3 level  minor suit contract  and went for a number. His eyes would  roll upwards as if to say "Did I promise  support  for a minor?" But he was always polite, though  all of us knew  he had quite  a temper.

My wife and Preeti,  K.K's wife, were school mates. So our relationship extended beyond the bridge table and our families bonded easily. His 2 daughters also are good friends with my daughter.

When K.K. had his first heart attack  10 years prior  to his death, the Doctor  called his survival  as a miracle. Thereafter,  K.K adhered to a careful  health regimen  to prolong his life. He continued  to play top level  bridge. But cruelly,  it was cancer  which snatched  him away  from us within a short  span of time.

His memories  continue to remain cherished by all of us. May his soul RIP.

I am thankful to Arun Jain for hosting this tournament in his memory and hope that all of you participate in large numbers.

KR Venkatraman

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