Contract bridge
Contract bridge is a card game for four players in two partnerships, North-South and East-West. Each deal has an auction, in which the sides bid for the contract, then the play, in which the declarer tries to make it. In duplicate bridge the same deals are kept in boards and played at every table, so scores can be compared.
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How long
Deals replayed at every table, so pairs are compared on the same cards
Lengths are from the rule book.
The big events, and why they matter
- 1Bermuda Bowl, Venice Cup and the World Team ChampionshipsThe world team titles; the Bermuda Bowl is the game's best-known title.Every 2 years (Herning 2025, the 47th) · Holder: USA 1 won, Denmark second
- 2World Bridge GamesA world team event for national sides.Every 4 years (to check) · Holder: Poland won the open teams
- 3Asian Games (bridge)Asia's multi-sport title; India won the men's pair gold in 2018.Every 4 years; held in 2018 and 2022; not on the 2026 programme
India
India has won no medal at either; Chennai hosted the 2015 world team championships [the two pages].
- Bermuda Bowl and Venice Cup: No medal; Chennai hosted the 2015 championships
- World Bridge Games (and the World Team Olympiad): No medal in the rows
Countries to know
India and the nations that have done best, biggest titles first.
- IndiaBridge at the Asian Games: 1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronzes (latest 2022)
- United StatesBermuda Bowl and Venice Cup: 26 golds, 15 silvers, 7 bronzes (latest 2025)
- ItalyBermuda Bowl and Venice Cup: 15 golds, 8 silvers, 3 bronzes (latest 2023)
- North AmericaBermuda Bowl and Venice Cup: 4 golds, 9 silvers, 1 bronze (latest 1979)
- FranceBermuda Bowl and Venice Cup: 5 golds, 4 silvers, 9 bronzes (latest 2017)
Who runs it
| Rules made by | World Bridge Federation (WBF), The Laws of Duplicate Bridge 2017 |
| International federation | World Bridge Federation (WBF) |
| In India | Bridge Federation of India: recognised, on the MYAS list for 2026 |
Where and when it is played
At tables of four, with the deals in numbered boards. The big events: the Bermuda Bowl, Venice Cup and World Team Championships every two years and the World Bridge Games.