The World Bridge Championships consists of several sets of championships organized under the auspices of the World Bridge Federation .
36-604: World Bridge Series Championships is the new 2010 name for a quadrennial meet organized by the World Bridge Federation in non-leap even years. (Another meet, the World Bridge Games , is held quadrennially in leap years.) Most of its world championship events are open in the sense that entries do not represent geographic zones or nations. The meet was inaugurated in 1962 as the World Pair Olympiad comprising
72-482: 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
108-877: A row 1964 to 1972, overlapping its run of ten Bermuda Bowls (1957–1969). Another Italian team won the last two Olympiads and made it three in a row in the first rendition as part of the World Mind Sports Games, 2000 to 2008, overlapping its run of seven European championships (1995–2006). Turin , Italy 29 teams New York City , USA 29 Deauville , France 33 Miami Beach , USA 39 Monte Carlo , Monaco 45 Valkenburg , Netherlands 58 teams Seattle , USA 54 Venice , Italy 56 Salsomaggiore , Italy 57 Rhodes , Greece 71 Maastricht , Netherlands 72 teams Istanbul , Turkey 72 Beijing , China 71 teams Lille, France 60 teams Teams representing eight different countries won
144-531: A second four-year term at a fractious Board of Directors meeting in 1990 where its European members favoured another candidate, José Damiani from France. The ongoing split in allegiance ultimately led to Howard resigning in January 1991 with an understanding that Ernesto d’Orsi from Brazil, who had distinguished himself as a leading bridge administrator, would succeed him on an interim basis. In turn in August 1992, d'Orsi left
180-800: A standard of ethics acceptable to the WBF. ZONE 1 – European Bridge League (Europe) 384,186 (46 NBOs) ZONE 2 – North American Bridge Federation (North America) 124,909 (3 NBOs) ZONE 3 – Confederation Sudamericana de Bridge (South America) 3,575 (10 NBOs) ZONE 4 – Bridge Federation of Asia & the Middle East (Asia & Middle East) 7,307 (11 NBOs) ZONE 5 – Central American & Caribbean Bridge Federation (Central American & Caribbean) 895 (14 NBOs) ZONE 6 – Asia Pacific Bridge Federation (Asia Pacific) 50,242 (12 NBOs) ZONE 7 – South Pacific Bridge Federation (South Pacific) 51,420 (04 NBOs) ZONE 8 – African Bridge Federation (Africa) 6,086 (12 NBOs) World Team Olympiad The World Team Olympiad
216-564: A team in each tournament. Other world championships, including the older Bermuda Bowl for open teams that is now contested every odd-number year, require qualification at a "zone" level. For example, about 40 national open teams from European Bridge League member countries may compete biennially for eight entries in the Bermuda Bowl tournament. Over the twelve World Team Olympiad cycles, the fields grew from 29 open and 14 women teams in 1960 to 72 open, 43 women, and 29 seniors teams in 2004. For
252-473: Is administered by an Executive Council which is assisted by the various Committees and Consultants it appoints. WBF Championships: The World Bridge Team Championships are held in the odd-numbered years: The World Bridge Games are held every fourth year, in the same year as the Summer Olympics, previously known as World Team Olympiad. The World Bridge Series Championships are held every fourth year, in
288-533: Is four years from late in even-number non-Olympiad years such as 2014. President Gianarrigo Rona (born 1940, Pavia ) was elected at the 2009 World Team Championships and succeeded José Damiani after the 2010 World Bridge Series. He was president of the European Bridge League (EBL) from 1999 to 2010. His term ends at year-end 2022. On 25 August 2022, in Wroclaw, Poland, Jan Kamras from Gothenburg, Sweden
324-521: 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
360-542: The US (1964–1968) and Count Carl Bonde, from Sweden (1968–1970), succeeded Baron de Nexon as WBF President. With the election of Julius Rosenblum in 1970, the WBF started to assume the figure of a real World Organization. Rosenblum strongly believed that bridge needed to have a visible central organization with a global reach rather than conducting its affairs on a local or continental basis. When in 1976 Rosenblum decided to retire for health reasons, Jaime Ortiz-Patiño from Switzerland,
396-656: The World Mind Sports Games , first held October 2008 in Beijing, China , and the subsequent results are listed here. In 2016, the events were run separately, as the World Bridge Games , in Wrocław , Poland. The 1960 "Olympiad" was the first meet organized by the WBF, although the organization has adopted one older event that now confers the title World Champion , the Bermuda Bowl competition. The Olympiad championships differed from other world-level championships for "national" teams primarily by inviting every WBF member country to enter
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#1732870042146432-703: The World Open Pairs Championship and World Women Pairs Championship , as well as the World Mixed Teams Championship . For the second rendition in 1966 the mixed event was for pairs, the World Mixed Pairs Championship , as it would be thereafter except in 1974. The World Knockout Teams for the Rosenblum Cup was inaugurated in 1978 and soon became the most prestigious event of the meet. A parallel knockout teams for women
468-449: 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. 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
504-597: The 2004 Olympiad, the WBF and the world governing bodies for three other games—chess, draughts, and go—established the International Mind Sports Association and initiated its first priority, the quadrennial World Mind Sports Games (WMSG). The first WMSG were held in Beijing October 2008, about two months after the summer Olympic Games . Thus a WBF initiative to integrate bridge with the Olympics
540-763: The By-Laws. Each zone has its own Zonal Conference of its member NBOs, organizing, managing and administrating its activity and conducting both its own zonal competitions and those delegated to it by the WBF. The 8 Zonal Conferences are in June 2021: The WBF has shown strong and steady growth and its membership now comprises 124 National Bridge Organizations (NBOs) with approximately 1,000,000 affiliated members who participate actively in competitive bridge events (locally, nationally and internationally). Each National Bridge Organization agrees to fulfill certain requirements, such as opening its ranks to all its citizens and residents and upholding
576-647: The International Olympic Committee's principles of the five IOC rings, the WBF structure is divided into five geographical Continental Conferences identical to the IOC's five rings. For organizational reasons the WBF established zones within any of the five Continents which, although part of a Continent, shall be entitled to have at least one member on the Executive and berths in WBF tournaments set forth in Article 9 of
612-807: The Olympiad series for Women during its twelve renditions, led by the United States with four. England won the first rendition as part of the World Mind Sports Games, beating host China by one IMP in 2008. Turin , Italy 14 teams New York City , USA 15 Deauville , France 19 Miami Beach , USA 18 Monte Carlo , Monaco 21 Valkenburg , Netherlands 29 teams Seattle , USA 23 Venice , Italy 37 Salsomaggiore , Italy 34 Rhodes , Greece 43 Maastricht , Netherlands 41 teams Istanbul , Turkey 43 Beijing , China 54 teams Lille , France 43 teams Teams representing
648-571: The Olympic City, where it is incorporated under Swiss Law. The WBF is one of the founder members of IMSA (International Mind Sports Association) which was formed on 19 April 2005. José Damiani left the chair in November 2010 after 16 years of Presidency, achieving tremendous success in developing bridge, introducing new concepts of communication and information, which attracted media, sponsors and supporters; improving technological systems to manage and run
684-980: The United States won both renditions of the Senior International Cup. From 2008 the World Bridge Federation continues the tournament in conjunction with the World Mind Sports Games although it is not a WMSG event. Currently "a bridge a player belongs to the 'Seniors' category if he has at least his 60th birthday in the calendar year in question." For the next rendition (2012) players born in 1952 or earlier will be eligible. (The threshold increased one year annually from 2005 to 2010.) Maastricht , Netherlands 24 teams born 1944 or earlier Istanbul , Turkey 29 teams born 1949 or earlier Beijing , China World Mind Sports Games non-medal event 32 teams born 1950 or earlier Lille , France World Mind Sports Games non-medal event 34 teams born 1952 or earlier After
720-615: The Venice Cup was originally contested less frequently than the Bermuda Bowl and it was once contested alone in a different year (1978). The Bermuda Bowl and Venice Cup have always run concurrently since 1985. In addition to the foregoing, the World Transnational Open Teams Championship is contested during the late stages of the main events. This competition is open to players of all categories who may form teams without nationality restrictions except that players on
756-725: The WBF was recognized as an International Sport Federation in 1999 by the International Olympic Committee. In October 2000 in Monaco, the World Bridge Federation was admitted as a member of the GAISF (General Association of International Sports Federations – Olympic and non-Olympic) – now SportAccord – at the General Assembly of this Association. The WBF also became a member of ARISF (Association of Recognized International Sport Federations) and in October 2002 moved its headquarters to Lausanne (Switzerland),
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#1732870042146792-514: The chair to Robert S. Wolff from the US, one of the top players in the history of bridge, to complete Howard's term of office. In August 1994, José Damiani was elected president. José Damiani changed the way forward completely, both for the WBF and Bridge itself. Under his leadership, following its initial recognition as an International Organization in 1995 pursuant to Article 29 of the Olympic Charter,
828-493: The competitions, creating new events participated in by players of any category and developing youth bridge, opening the door and then constantly supporting and improving the teaching of bridge to the pupils in the schools. When he left, was elected WBF Chairman Emeritus by acclamation for his extraordinary services to bridge. In 2013 José Damiani was elected as WBF President Emeritus by acclamation. Gianarrigo Rona, from Italy, former First Vice-president and EBL President (1999–2010)
864-541: The continents. There was no contest of this kind in 1952. Summary - USA 4 titles, Italy 3 titles, England 1 title and France 1 title. World Bridge Team Championships is a new name for the biennial meet organized by the World Bridge Federation in odd years. There are three main events, the World Team Championships for national teams in three flights: Open, Women, and Seniors. Those are commonly called Bermuda Bowl , Venice Cup , and d'Orsi Senior Bowl after
900-496: The first World Mind Sports Games there were 71 open and 54 women entries; the Seniors International Cup continued as a non-medal event with 32 entries. Seniors participation increased to 34 at the second WMSG in 2012 while the numbers of open and women entries dropped to 60 and 43. Teams representing Italy and France won five and four of the twelve Open Team Olympiad tournaments. The Italian Blue Team won three in
936-537: The numbers who enter. These were most prestigious Bridge competitions in the World between 1950 and 1960. This was a country vs country qualification within the entire New World and within Europe. With some initial exceptions, the winners of these qualifications then met in a final. The United States won all American qualifications, whilst Europe was represented by Italy, England, France and Sweden. The final venue alternated between
972-464: The organizational and administrative structure, to developing the discipline and its image, to introducing new rules and a rigid code of ethics is still effective even today. When he left the WBF in 1986 he was elected President Emeritus by acclamation for his exceptional services to bridge. Denis Howard, from Australia, succeeded him in the Presidency from 1986 to 1990. Howard was narrowly re-elected for
1008-595: The other five geographical zones. In addition, two more members of the council are elected by the High Level Players Commission. Thus the council has twenty voting members, including the President. The Executive Council meets annually at the site of the World Championships. There is also a Management Committee which transacts necessary business between Executive Council meetings. The presidential term
1044-733: The trophies awarded to the winners. Initiated by the British former international player Norman Bach, the Bermuda Bowl was first contested in 1950 in Hamilton, Bermuda ; the Venice Cup and the Senior Bowl were integrated as part of the championships in 1974 (in Venice, Italy ) and 2000 (in Southampton, Bermuda ) respectively. The Senior Bowl, subsequently named the d'Orsi Senior Bowl, has been one of three concurrent World Team Championships throughout its history but
1080-532: The twelve teams that reach the semifinals in the three main flights (ordinarily 72 players) are not eligible. World Bridge Federation 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:
1116-669: The year of World Cup. It includes the following main events: The purpose of the World Bridge Federation shall be: The World Bridge Federation is run by an Executive Council consisting of delegates from the eight geographical zones, plus the President. There are five delegates from the European Bridge League (Zone 1), five from the North American Bridge Federation (Zone 2), two from the Pacific Asia Bridge Federation (Zone 6) and one from each of
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1152-434: Was a contract bridge meet organized by the World Bridge Federation every four years from 1960 to 2004. Its main events were world championships for national teams , always including one open and one restricted to women ("Open" and "Women" categories in WBF terms). A parallel event for seniors was inaugurated in 2000. Although the Olympiad has been discontinued, its main constituent championships continue within or beside
1188-779: Was added in 1994, for the McConnell Cup . Seniors competition debuted in 1990 with the World Senior Pairs Championship and the World Senior Teams Championship followed in 1994. The "World Bridge Series" or "World Series" for short comprises championship tournaments for both pairs and teams in open, women's, seniors, and mixed categories. Other events are irregular. All events in the World Bridge Series are open without regard to nationality. Pairs or teams may be transnational and there are no limits on
1224-788: Was elected president in São Paulo September 2009 and took the chair in November 2010. He was re-elected in Bali in 2013. 103 Countries in 8 Zones (Updated at 31 March 2022): http://www.worldbridge.org/bridge-zones/qzone1/ http://www.worldbridge.org/bridge-zones/qzone2/ http://www.worldbridge.org/bridge-zones/qzone3/ http://www.worldbridge.org/bridge-zones/qzone4/ http://www.worldbridge.org/bridge-zones/qzone5/ http://www.worldbridge.org/bridge-zones/qzone6/ http://www.worldbridge.org/bridge-zones/qzone7/ http://www.worldbridge.org/bridge-zones/qzone8/ For purposes of administration and furtherance of its objectives and to comply with
1260-514: Was elected president. Under his guidance the WBF started its new modern era and in August 1977 was incorporated under the Laws of the State of New York as a "not for profit" organization. The Federation, cast off the mantle of a paternalistic organization, and was re-structured as an International Federation devoted to offering its members the best possible service. The stimulation given by Ortiz-Patiño to building
1296-452: Was unanimously elected as WBF President, to take up the office on 1 January 2023. He had been elected European Bridge League president in 2018. The World Bridge Federation was formed on 18 August 1958 in Oslo , Norway , by delegates from Europe, US and South America and Baron Robert de Nexon, from France , an inspiring figure in bridge , was elected as first President. Charles J. Solomon, from
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