DR. JOHN'S CASE NOTES : LIVING IN THE SHADOWS OF GIANTS

Far too many bridge players are racked with self-delusion, believing themselves to be better players than they really are. Worse still, some of these fools go on to believe they are even better than their far more accomplished partners.

However, there are a small group of sad, honest, needy players who will go to great lengths to partner those with a much higher ranking and status. In their minds,  playing with an expert is a dream come true , but unfortunately for them living in the shadow of a giant has its drawbacks. But why does the giant agree to be part of an unequal,  lop-sided partnership ? Perhaps it is all down to a misplaced sense of friendship, loyalty, sympathy, kindness or custom. Who knows. Tragically, this desire to live in the shadows will always lead the constantly under-pressure victims to experience the following symptoms : 
1. chronic distress and guilt
2. outbursts of despair and anguish
3. self-mutilation, such as nail-biting, hair-pulling and head-banging   
4. tourette like behaviour with every other word being " sorry "
5. panic attacks and/or feelings of acute anxiety 
6. disabling discomfort in post-match discussions

These self-inflicted symptoms are the inevitable consequence of being in a partnership where one is clearly out of his/her depth. Confidence and self-esteem will ebb away to such a point that nerves will set in with a vengeance. The victim's will then of course become adversely affected,  severely limiting his/her ability to play even a normal game. The only redeeming virtue of his ill-matched partnership is that the expert will manage to pull the final result to just above average, through careful hogging of the bidding and exquisite declarer play.

To live in any shadow makes it hard too see the writing on the wall. Living in the shadow of a bridge giant certainly makes the victim appear completely blind. Yet the writing on the wall is so plain for all to see : " if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen ".