John Armstrong was a mainstay of British bridge for 25 years. Just before his death he had competed for England in the European Championships in Pau, southwest France, where, although the team achieved little, his partnership with John Holland finished second in the individual rankings.

Armstrong was popular in the bridge world, but was not a typical player: he did not drink or smoke and he played the game for the pure love of it rather than for pecuniary gain. He also played the piano, went to church (he was a devout Christian, and would need to be rested from play on Sunday mornings), orienteered and climbed hills.

Andrew Robson, the Times bridge correspondent, recalled that the day after Britain won the European Team Championships (by a record margin) in Killarney, Co Kerry, in 1991, the two of them did not sit back and bask in reflected glory at their achievement but instead climbed up the long, arduous mountain range of Macgillycuddy’s Reeks.

John Armstrong was born in 1952 and brought up in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. He did not come from a bridge-playing family, and indeed learnt from library books, having been inspired by newspaper columns. He went up to Cambridge to read mathematics and there met such bridge luminaries (all destined to become international players) as Richard Fleet, Brian Callaghan and, most significantly, Graham Kirby.

In 1977 Armstrong formed a 20-year partnership with Kirby. They represented Britain in two Bermuda Bowls (World Championships), two Olympiads and seven European Championships. The highlights were a silver medal in the 1987 Bermuda Bowl and a gold medal in the 1991 European Championships. In domestic bridge they won six Gold Cups and represented England in 31 Camrose matches (won 28, lost 3). After Kirby retired, Armstrong had success in partnerships with Danny Davies, Paul Hackett and John Holland, finishing in the top four of the English trials each year from 2005 until 2008.

Armstrong will be remembered for his buccaneering bidding style — where he usually stayed just the right side of the bold-reckless divide — and his accurate and thoughtful card-play. But perhaps most of all, bridge players worldwide will remember him for his trademark loud belly-laugh. This would dissipate any tension, such as when scoring up bad results with disappointing team-mates.

Armstrong’s outward joviality belied great focus and determination. In the 1991 Bermuda Bowl in Japan five of the six British players were hopelessly jetlagged and consequently underperformed. But not Armstrong, who had prepared for the trip by going to bed immediately after work. (He was an actuary in Liverpool before taking early retirement in 2003.)

In bed at 6pm and up at 2am (he had played the piano until dawn) meant that he had no jetlag and played fine bridge. Indeed, Japan was always kind to him, as a four-time winner of the NEC Cup in Yokohama, twice with Paul Hackett and twice with Brian Callaghan.

Armstrong never married.

John Armstrong, bridge player, was born on January 23, 1952. He died of a brain haemorrhage on July 3, 2008, aged 56