Hello, everyone!

I’m Cheng-Chi Kao from Taiwan, and my English name is Proknight (Pro + Knight). I’m currently a graduate student in Wood Science & Engineering (WSE) at OSU, having started my studies in September this year. Before coming to Corvallis, I had already been playing bridge for ten years in Taiwan. Time truly flies!

Ten years ago, during my first year of college, I was introduced to bridge as part of a freshman orientation activity. It was meant to be a casual game, but I quickly became captivated by the strategic depth of this intellectual sport. I joined my department’s contract bridge team and began my bridge journey.

Starting as a beginner struggling with bidding, declarer play, and defense, I eventually became the team captain, recruiting and organizing a strong youth team for national selection trials. Our team achieved second place in the local university cup and narrowly missed advancing in the round-robin stage of the selection championship. This journey was filled with laughter and tears, marking significant growth in both my skills and my love for the game.

Now, after my former teammates and partners chose to pursue other paths, I’ve been playing bridge alone for quite some time. However, every time I reflect on the promise I made to my teammates before parting—“I will continue playing bridge with the world and learning from the world”—I find the motivation to keep going. Perhaps one day, bridge will lead me to a lifelong partner or companions who share this passion!

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to everyone at the Albany-Corvallis Club, especially Mary Alice, Walt, Airell, Gayle, and Dick, for being willing to partner with me. The warmth and joy of the club feel like a bowl of hot soup to a wandering bridge enthusiast like me, providing comfort and rejuvenation.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my story, and I look forward to contributing more to the bridge community!

Best regards,
Proknight (Cheng-Chi) Kao