World Bridge Federation

The World Bridge Federation is the world governing body of contract bridge. The WBF is responsible for world championship competition, most of which is 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 Gianarrigo Rona of Italy, effective October 2010.

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 fulfil 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 is administered by an Executive Council which is assisted by the various Committees and Consultants it appoints.

External links

• World Mind Sports Games, International Mind Sports Association, 2008 or earlier. Posted at usgo.org American Go Association. Confirmed 2011-08-31. (Second copy at World Bridge Federation.)
• World Bridge Federation

WBF zonal organizations — official websites if available

• Zone 1: European Bridge League
• Zone 2: American Contract Bridge League
• Zone 3: Confederacion Sudamericana de Bridge
• Zone 4: Bridge Federation of Asia & the Middle East
• Zone 5: Central American & Caribbean Bridge Federation
• Zone 6: Pacific Asia Bridge Federation —there is no PABF website linked to information provided by the WBF; some annual websites for PABF Championships remain active (example, PABF 2005, Seoul)
• Zone 7: South Pacific Bridge Federation —there is no SPBF website linked to information provided by the WBF; consult Australia Bridge Federation
• Zone 8: African Bridge Federation —obsolete?
• Asia Pacific Bridge Federation (pabf.org) with members from WBF Zones 6 and 7 and affiliates from Zone 4 —rooted in the old "Far East" region