New Delhi:
The World Bridge Federation (WBF) is the international governing body of contract bridge. The WBF is responsible for world championship competitions, most of which are conducted at a few multi-event meets on a four-year cycle. The most prestigious championships are those for national teams in Open, Women, and Seniors categories: the Bermuda Bowl, Venice Cup, and Senior Bowl (jointly the biennial “World Teams Championships”), and the quadrennial World Team Olympiads, incorporated in the World Mind Sports Games beginning 2008.
The World Bridge Federation was founded August 1958 by delegates from Europe, North America, and South America (now Zones 1 to 3). It is incorporated under the laws of Switzerland as a ‘non-profit’ organization. Harold Stirling Vanderbilt was made the first honorary member of the WBF for his work developing the game. The current president is Jan Kamras of Sweden.
WBF membership now comprises 123 National Contract Bridge Organizations (NBOs) with about 700,000 affiliated members, most of whom participate in bridge competitions locally and many of whom compete nationally and internationally. The NBOs belong to the “zonal organization” in one of eight geographic zones. Each National Contract Bridge Organization agrees to fulfill certain requirements, such as opening its ranks to all its citizens and residents and upholding a standard of ethics acceptable to the WBF.
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The World Bridge Federation has a Congress to which each NBO is entitled to send one delegate. The Congress meets every second year, at Team Olympiads and at World Championships. The WBF is administered by an Executive Council which is assisted by the various Committees and Consultants it appoints.
WBF World Championships
WBF Championship events are held each year, some being every two years (the World Team Championships) in the odd numbered years, then the World Bridge Games every four years in the Olympic even-numbered year and the World Bridge Series in the non-Olympic even numbered year.
World Team Championships (Open Series: Bermuda Bowl)
The Bermuda Bowl contest, the oldest WBF Championship, grew out of private initiatives principally by the late Norman Bach and took the name from Bermuda where the first World Championship was held in 1950, eight years before the World Bridge Federation itself was formed. The Bermuda Bridge Federation provided the trophy and generously provides the replicas for the winners on each occasion.
World Team Championships (Women series: Venice Cup)
Like the Bermuda Bowl, the Venice Cup was born out of a challenge match between the women’s team from Italy representing Europe and a United States women’s team and took the name from the City of Venice where the first edition was held in 1974 and which provided the prestigious trophy awarded to the winners of the World Championship for Women’s Teams. The Italian Bridge Federation generously provides the replicas for the winners on each occasion. This contest is of more recent origin than the Bermuda Bowl, but in other respects the development of the two competitions has been remarkably similar.
World Team Championships (Senior series: Senior Bowl)
The d’Orsi Seniors Trophy was inaugurated in 2001. This event takes place every odd numbered year in conjunction with the Bermuda Bowl and the Venice Cup. In 2005 the event took the name of the WBF Past President Ernesto d’Orsi who presented the Trophy and provided replicas for the winners.
What is Bridge?
Bridge is the ultimate trick-taking card game, easily the greatest source of enjoyment that four people can have with a pack of cards. Bridge is a sport: the World Bridge Federation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee. Just like every sport, Bridge offers enormous benefits to its players. It is enjoyed by tens of millions of people throughout the world – more so than any other card game. In social circles it is considered the card game. Whether you play casually among friends or seriously in clubs and tournaments, you will find it to be fascinating, challenging and enjoyable.
WBF Online Tournaments
These are tournaments played using any device connected to the Internet: Computer, Tablet, Mobile phone. Sometimes those players may be in a group with a Tournament Director present, but still playing using computers as in the case of the Yeh Online Bridge World Cup and the Computer Bridge Championships. In other cases the player may be alone playing with his or her partner against other players across the world using a computer program, or in many cases, playing alone with and against Robots.
