WBF - World Bridge Federation

Competitions

Calendar

World Championships

Zonal Championships

Personnel

World Championships

	World Teams
	World Team Olympiad
	World Bridge Games
	World Series
	Transnational Open Team Championship
	Mixed Teams
	Youth Teams
	University Team Cup
	Youth Congress
	IOC Grand Prix
	SportAccord World Mind Games
	Masters Individual
	Simultaneous Pairs

world Championships & events

Following the meetings of the WBF Executive Council in Shanghai 2007, the World Bridge Federation has announced the new plan for the World Bridge Championships, to be put into effect in 2008. The World Bridge Championships will operate on a four-year cycle.

4-YEAR CYCLE

In the odd-numbered years, beginning in 2009, the World Bridge Team Championships will be held, comprising:

	World Team Championships (Open series: Bermuda Bowl)*
	World Team Championships (Women series: Venice Cup)*
	World Team Championships (Senior series: Senior Bowl)
	World Transnational Open Teams (WTNOT)

These events will be for national teams qualifying in the various WBF Zones, except for the WTNOT, which will be open to all teams, national or transnational.

In the non-leap even-numbered years beginning in 2010, the World Bridge Series Championships will be held, consisting of the following main events:

	World Open Knockout Teams (Rosenblum Cup)
	World Women Knockout Teams (McConnell Cup)
	World Senior Knockout Teams (Rand Cup)
	World Mixed Swiss Teams
	World Mixed Pairs
	World Open Pairs
	World Women Pairs
	World Senior Pairs (Hiron Trophy)

All these events will be transnational, without national quotas.

In the leap years (the same years as the Summer Olympics) the World Mind Sports Games (WMSG) will be held. These games will be held under the aegis of IMSA and will consist of Bridge, Chess, Go and Draughts. The bridge events included in the World Mind Sports Games will be:

	National Open Teams
	National Women Teams
	National Under-28 Teams, Pairs & Individual

Each member of the WBF is entitled to one team in each series. The Under-28 Teams is a new event. All events will be for national representation except the World Transnational Mixed Teams.

	Senior Teams (one national team per country)
	World Transnational Mixed Teams (no quotas)

YOUTH CYCLE

The Youth cycle will be run on a four-year cycle also, starting in 2008 with the World Mind Sports Games (see above). Then:

In the odd-numbered years, beginning in 2009, the World Youth Congress will be held, for players under 26 (and under 21 if enough players to divide the field) comprising:

	World Youth Teams
	World Youth Pairs
	World Youth Individual

All these events will be transnational.

In the even-numbered years the World Youth Team Championships will be held, comprising:

	World Juniors Teams (*Ortiz-Patiño Trophy*)
	World Youngsters Teams (Damiani Cup)
	World Girls Teams (Rona Cup)

*	requires participation in the corresponding series of the World Mind Sports Games
	(former World team Olympiad) of the previous year

Accordingly, World Championships organized regularly by the WBF, are as follows:

	World Team Championships (Bermuda Bowl, Venice Cup, Senior Bowl) Held every odd-numbered year, it is contested in three series, by teams representing the eight WBF geographical zones. In the Open series, contestants have the Bermuda Bowl at stake, while the Women series play for the Venice Cup . The third series, reserved for Senior players, was added in 2001.
	World Team Olympiad Held every leap year, it is open to representative teams from all WBF member countries. There are three series: for Open (competing for the Vanderbilt Trophy), Women and Senior national teams. As from 2008, it has been incorporated in the World Mind Sports Games under the new title World Bridge Games.
	World Bridge Games This is the successor of the World Team Olympiad, held every leap year within the framework of the World Mind Sports Games, inaugurated in 2008. Each country may enter one national team in each series: open (Vanderbilt Trophy), women, seniors. In addition, youth teams, pairs and individual are also contested.
	World Bridge Series Championships Held every even-numbered, non-leap year, they comprise a great variety of competitions including the Knockout Teams and Pairs for all categories (open, women, seniors, mixed).
	World Transnational Open Team Championship This competition was inaugurated in 1997, and takes place in odd-numbered years at the same site as the World Zonal Team Championship, starting after the latter's qualifying stage.
	World Mixed Team Championship This competition was first held alongside the World Pairs Olympiad. It was re-launched in 1996 and has been held in conjunction with the World Team Olympiad every leap year, starting after the latter's qualifying stage.
	World Youth Team Championships A zonal teams competition for junior and youngster players (in odd-numbered years until 2005, in even-numbered years as from 2006).
	World University Team Cup Launched in 2002 as a biennial event, this competition is open to national University teams and is played under the auspices of FISU.
	World Youth Congress A series of massive competitions for young players, comprising teams, pairs and individual tournaments, each in two series (juniors & youngsters), held biennially on odd-numbered years, as from 2009. It includes what was formerly known as World Youth Pairs and World Junior Individual.
	International Olympic Committee Grand Prix A series of competitions among top invited teams that took place in the Olympic Museum in Lausanne (1998-2000) and at the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics, in support of bridge's effort to gain entry in the Olympic Games. (Discontinued.)
	SportAccord World Mind Games Inaugurated in 2011 as an annual event, this is an elite competition organized by SportAccord and comprising bridge, chess, draughts, go and chinese chess (xiang qi). Top athletes are invited to contest money prizes in a highly publicized event. In bridge, teams, pairs and an individual competitions are held, for men and women.
	World Masters Individual A top invitational competition played every two years (1992-2000, and every four years thereafter) in two series, open and women. A third series, for Junior players, was held in 2000 only. (Discontinued.)
	World Simultaneous Pairs Championship An unique annual competition played simultaneously in clubs all over the world. Players do not have to leave their homes, but they all compete in a world event scored over the field.