Bridge

The World Wide Bridge Contest

The Glencoe Club will compete internationally for the third time in the World Wide Bridge Contest this summer.

by Nancy Klym, Bridge Instructor

The World Wide Bridge Contest is one of the premier events for bridge players. Everyone participating plays the same hands on the same day and the results are compared across the world. In 1987, the contest was recognized as the biggest sporting event in the world. It has made the Guinness Book of Records on three different occasions.

The competition is hosted by the World Wide Bridge Federation, formed in 1958 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1999. As a result, bridge was a demonstration sport in the 2002 Olympic Games, with Canada winning the only Olympic Gold Medal (demonstration) ever awarded in bridge.

The competition begins with countries in the Pacific Ocean near the International Dateline and ends in Hawaii. Last year 133 countries participated, including some you wouldn’t expect. Countries such as Tahiti, Sri Lanka, Italy, Iceland, Botswana and Columbia — as well as Canada and the United States — were among the participants in this truly international event.

At the Club level, it’s “business as usual” in terms of how the game is run. All players are welcome and the game proceeds the way it usually does on a Wednesday afternoon. After hands are played, results are posted online and players can assess outcomes. The final tally is performed once all countries have played their hands and results are submitted. Players’ results are reported in terms of club, country and world rankings.

One of the more interesting aspects of the contest is that commentary on play is provided by internationally acclaimed experts. Upon completion of play, a booklet outlining suggested outcomes is provided to each player.

The Glencoe Club has been wellrepresented in the contest. In 2015, Nancy Klym and her guest partner, Diane Campbell, placed 58th in the world. In 2016, Mary and Ed Porter were 70th in the world.

Interested in getting in on the action? Look for more information on upcoming bridge activities online as well as in The Glencoe Club’s Fall Brochure. A