Draft:Bridge Game Between James Bond and Sir Hugo Drax (Moonraker)

The Bridge Game Between James Bond and Sir Hugo Drax is a pivotal scene in Ian Fleming's 1955 James Bond novel Moonraker. Set in the exclusive Blades gentlemen's club in London, this high-stakes game of contract bridge serves as a crucial confrontation between Bond and the novel's antagonist, Sir Hugo Drax. The game reveals both characters' skills and personalities while advancing the plot.

Background

Prior to the game, M informs Bond that Sir Hugo Drax, a national hero due to his work on the Moonraker missile project, has been winning unusually large sums of money playing bridge at Blades. Suspecting foul play but unwilling to risk a public scandal, M asks Bond to discern whether Drax is cheating and, if so, how.

During a high-stakes bridge game at Blades, Bond observes Drax using a shiner—a polished silver cigarette case placed on the table to reflect the cards as he deals. This allows Drax to see his opponents' cards and manipulate the game. To expose Drax and give him a taste of his own medicine, Bond devises a plan to beat him at his own game.

Bond's Preparation

Before the game, Bond prepares by taking Benzedrine, a stimulant that helps him stay sharp and maintain focus during long and intense situations. Mixing the Benzedrine into his champagne, Bond knows he will need all his wits about him to handle the tension and to counter Drax's underhanded tactics.

The Game

The final rubber between Bond and Drax is played under extremely high stakes, escalating to £150 per hundred points and £1,500 on the rubber, with additional side bets. By this point, Bond and his partner, M, are ahead, but Drax—who is partnered with his associate Meyer—proposes increasing the stakes to a dangerous level, showing his confidence in winning.

As the game progresses, the stimulant enables Bond to remain calm under the pressure of the escalating stakes. Bond skillfully leverages his enhanced focus and mental clarity to outplay Drax, executing a clever trap to win a grand slam in clubs, ultimately exposing Drax's reliance on cheating and turning the tables on him.

Bond's Strategy

Before the game, Bond arranges to stack the deck using two prepared packs of cards. His strategy involves creating a hand that appears unbeatable for Drax but ultimately leaves Bond with the winning combination. Bond manipulates the deck to give Drax a powerful hand that includes the top four honours in both spades and hearts, as well as the ace and king of diamonds, while dealing himself a hand that can exploit Drax's overconfidence.

The Crucial Hand

When the critical hand is dealt, the players hold the following cards:

James Bond (South)

Diamonds: Q, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
Clubs: A, Q, 10, 8, 4

M (North, Bond's Partner)

Spades: 10, 9, 8, 7
Hearts: 6, 5, 4, 3
Clubs: 7, 6, 5, 3, 2

Sir Hugo Drax (East)

Spades: A, K, Q, J
Hearts: A, K, Q, J
Diamonds: A, K
Clubs: K, J, 9

Meyer (West, Drax's Partner)

Spades: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
Hearts: 10, 9, 8, 7, 2
Diamonds: J, 10, 9

The Bidding

Bond, aiming for maximum psychological impact, boldly bids seven clubs, a grand slam, despite his hand not being traditionally strong. The audacity of Bond's bid leaves the other players shocked, especially Drax, who, seeing his seemingly unbeatable hand, doubles Bond's bid, confident that Bond is overreaching.

The Play

1. Opening Lead: Meyer leads the jack of diamonds. Bond, void in diamonds, trumps with a low club from dummy (M's hand).

2. Drawing Trumps: Bond uses his ace and queen of clubs, along with dummy's clubs, to draw out the opponents' trumps, neutralizing Drax's king, jack, and nine of clubs.

3. Exploiting Long Suits: Bond plays his long diamond suit, forcing Drax to play his high cards in other suits or discard valuable cards.

4. Neutralizing High Cards: With trumps and diamonds exhausted, Drax's high spades and hearts become liabilities, unable to win tricks.

5. Completing the Grand Slam: Bond and M win all thirteen tricks, fulfilling the grand slam contract and securing a resounding victory.

Outcome

The result is a devastating loss for Drax, who had doubled Bond's grand slam contract. Bond's successful play wins him and M a total of £15,000—a significant sum at the time. Enraged and humiliated, Drax nearly accuses Bond of cheating but is rebuked by Lord Basildon, the chairman of Blades.

Drax departs the club after issuing a veiled threat to Bond: Spend the money quickly, Commander Bond.

Analysis

Historical Inspiration

The bridge game in Moonraker is inspired by the famous Duke of Cumberland Hand, a notorious rigged deal from the 19th century. The Duke of Cumberland, son of King George III, was allegedly involved in a high-stakes game where he held a seemingly unbeatable hand—similar to Drax's in the novel. In the historical account, card sharps arranged the deck so that the Duke would bet a large sum believing he could not lose. He was enticed to bet £20,000 that he would win at least one trick but ultimately lost every trick, leading to significant financial loss and embarrassment.

Ian Fleming's inclusion of a similar rigged hand serves as a homage to this historical anecdote, emphasizing themes of deception and the perils of overconfidence. Both the Duke and Drax are presented with hands that appear unbeatable, leading them to raise the stakes precipitously, only to be outmaneuvered by a cunning opponent.

Symbolism and Themes

The game showcases Bond's strategic brilliance and psychological insight. By manipulating the deck and capitalizing on Drax's arrogance, Bond turns the tables on a known cheater. The scene highlights the intricate tactics and psychological warfare inherent in high-stakes bridge, demonstrating how skill and nerve can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.

Bond's triumph is symbolic of his moral and intellectual superiority. Drax's reliance on cheating and inability to anticipate Bond's countermeasures underscore his flawed character, while Bond's calm demeanor and tactical prowess reinforce his role as a formidable opponent.

Significance in Moonraker

The bridge game serves as both a literal and metaphorical battle of wits between Bond and Drax, foreshadowing their ensuing conflict. Drax's defeat at the card table mirrors his ultimate downfall in the broader narrative, emphasizing themes of deception, strategy, and retribution that permeate the novel.

The scene intensifies the novel's tension, reinforcing the idea that espionage and high-stakes games share similarities in risk, strategy, and psychological manipulation.

Legacy

The bridge game in Moonraker is celebrated as one of literature's most memorable gambling scenes, solidifying James Bond's image as a master strategist adept in both espionage and games of chance. The episode is frequently analyzed by bridge enthusiasts for its clever manipulation and serves as a testament to Bond's multifaceted skills.

Adaptations

While the 1979 film adaptation of Moonraker significantly diverged from the novel's plot, the essence of the bridge game was retained through a scene where Bond plays Drax in a game of chemin de fer. This maintains the thematic element of Bond outsmarting Drax in a contest of skill and nerve.

See also

Moonraker (novel)
Blades (fictional gentlemen's club)
Contract bridge
James Bond

References

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Categories:

• Fictional games
• James Bond novels
• Contract bridge