Bridge

Q: Is bridge really a sport?

The IOC recognised bridge as a mind sport in 1999, and it has been a demonstration sport at the World Mind Sports Games since 2008. Whether it's a 'sport' in the athletic sense is debated, but it's rigorously competitive.

Q: How is duplicate bridge different from rubber bridge?

In duplicate, every table plays the same pre-dealt hands, then scores are compared across the field — luck is eliminated. Rubber bridge shuffles fresh each hand and scores per rubber (best of 3 games).

Q: What are matchpoints and IMPs?

The two main duplicate scoring methods. Matchpoints reward outperforming other pairs on each board (percentile-based). IMPs measure absolute score differences on a compressed scale — used for team events.

Q: How long to become a competent player?

Learning to bid and play at social level: 2-3 months. Reaching intermediate club level: 1-2 years. National-team level typically takes decades of dedicated study.

Q: Do computers dominate bridge like they do chess?

Not yet at world-class team level — bridge's hidden information and partnership communication remain hard for AI. Top bridge programs (Jack, GIB, Micro Bridge) play well but haven't beaten elite pairs consistently.

Officially Contract Bridge

The world's premier partnership card game — bid to a contract with your partner, then take enough tricks to make it.

👥2 per team⏱~15 min🌤indoor

Photo · Wikipedia

What is Bridge?

Contract Bridge is a four-player trick-taking card game descended from whist, played in two partnerships (North-South vs East-West). Its distinctive feature is a competitive auction: players bid on how many tricks they intend to win and in which trump suit, arriving at a 'contract' that they must then make in the play. Contract bridge was invented on the 1925 SS Finland cruise by Harold Vanderbilt and codified by Ely Culbertson in the 1930s. The game is governed by the World Bridge Federation (WBF), founded in 1958, and recognised as a mind sport by the IOC in 1999. Duplicate bridge — where the same hands are played at every table so luck is eliminated — is the tournament format.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Bid to a contract with your partner that describes how many tricks you'll take (7-13) and in which trump suit (or notrump), then take at least that many tricks in the play — scoring high enough to win the session or match.

Match structure

Each hand: (1) deal 13 cards to each player; (2) an auction proceeds clockwise with bids, doubles, redoubles or passes until three consecutive passes end it; (3) the final bidder's partnership plays the contract, with the partner of the declarer laid out as 'dummy'; (4) the defenders lead first; (5) 13 tricks are played; (6) score is calculated based on whether the contract made and by how many tricks. In a duplicate tournament, every partnership plays the same hands as their opposite direction, and scores are compared across the field.

Rules

Basic rules

The deal
One player deals all 52 cards clockwise, 13 to each player. Dealer bids first.
The auction
Bids specify a number of tricks over 6 (called 'book') and a trump suit — e.g. '1 heart' = 7 tricks with hearts as trump. Bids ascend: 1♣ < 1♦ < 1♥ < 1♠ < 1NT < 2♣ ... 7NT.
Doubling
A player may double an opponent's bid (increasing penalties), and the opponent may redouble (doubling again).
Ending the auction
Three consecutive passes end the auction; the last bid is the 'contract'.
Declarer, dummy and defenders
The first player of the winning side to name the suit becomes declarer. Their partner is dummy — laying their cards face-up after the opening lead. The other two are defenders.
The play
Defender to declarer's left leads. Players follow suit if possible; if not, they may play any card (including trump). Highest trump wins the trick; if no trumps, highest card of the led suit.
Scoring
Points for making the contract (higher for major suits and NT, higher still for slams). Bonuses for game (100+ points in one contract) and slams (12 or 13 tricks). Penalties for undertricks.

Advanced rules

Vulnerability
In duplicate, each side is designated 'vulnerable' or 'not vulnerable' — vulnerable teams score more for making contracts but lose more when defeated.
Slam bonuses
Bidding and making a small slam (12 tricks) scores +500/+750 (nv/vul); a grand slam (13 tricks) +1000/+1500 — huge incentive for accurate slam bidding.
Overtricks and undertricks
Overtricks score a small bonus; undertricks incur escalating penalties, doubled/redoubled if the contract was doubled.
Convention cards
Each partnership must disclose their bidding system on a convention card; the opponents may inspect it at any time.
Alert procedure
Any 'artificial' bid (not showing the natural suit meaning) must be alerted so opponents know its true meaning.

Scoring

Contract score + bonuses (part-score, game, slam) − penalties (undertricks). Duplicate scoring compares raw scores across the field for matchpoints or IMPs.

Action	Points
Minor-suit trick (♣/♦)	20 each
Major-suit trick (♠/♥)	30 each
Notrump — first trick	40
Notrump — each subsequent trick	30
Game bonus (100+ points)	300 (nv) / 500 (vul)
Small slam bonus	500 (nv) / 750 (vul)
Grand slam bonus	1000 (nv) / 1500 (vul)
Undertrick (not doubled)	-50 (nv) / -100 (vul) each

Win condition · Rubber bridge: first partnership to win two 'games' (100+ scoring points). Duplicate: highest total across all boards in matchpoints or IMPs.

Equipment

Standard 52-card deck
Four suits (♠, ♥, ♦, ♣); no jokers. Duplicate events use pre-dealt boards.
Bidding box
Set of pre-printed bidding cards used in tournament play to prevent voice inflection giving information.
Bridge tables
Square table with players seated N, S, E, W.
Bridge scoresheet or duplicate boards
For recording scores; duplicate events use boards that preserve the deal for every table.

Officiating

In duplicate events a tournament director enforces rules, adjudicates infractions (misinformation, revoke, lead out of turn) and assigns adjusted scores. Rubber bridge is self-officiated.

Tournament director (TD)
Vugraph operator (major events)
Scorer

Strategies

Bidding systems
Learn a natural system (Standard American / SAYC or Acol) or a strong-club system (Precision) for accurate description of your hand.
Counting
Track opponents' distribution and points from the auction and play — every world-class player counts every hand.
Declarer play
Plan the play at trick 1: count losers/winners, plan trump management, and identify entries to each hand.
Defensive signals
Attitude signals (like/hate the suit), count signals (odd/even), and suit-preference signals to guide partner.
Preemptive bidding
Bid aggressively with a long weak suit to block opponents' auction and constrain their information.

Terminology

Contract: The final bid, specifying number of tricks and trump suit.
Declarer: The player who first named the trump suit in the winning contract — plays both their own and dummy's cards.
Dummy: Declarer's partner, whose hand is laid face-up on the table after the opening lead.
Slam: A contract for 12 tricks (small slam, 6-level) or 13 (grand slam, 7-level).
Notrump (NT): A contract with no trump suit — highest card of the led suit always wins the trick.
Vulnerable / non-vulnerable: A designation for duplicate scoring that scales bonuses and penalties.
Overtrick / undertrick: Winning more (over) or fewer (under) tricks than contracted for.
Finesse: A play that tries to win a trick with a lower card when a higher one is expected in a specific opponent's hand.
Squeeze: A play that forces an opponent to unguard one of two threats.
Convention: An artificial bid whose meaning is agreed by the partnership (Stayman, Blackwood, transfers).
Matchpoints / IMPs: The two main duplicate scoring methods — matchpoints reward outperforming other pairs on each board; IMPs measure absolute score differences.

Major competitions

Bermuda Bowl (World Team Championship)
biennial · worldwide · since 1950
Venice Cup (Women's World Team Championship)
biennial · worldwide · since 1974
World Bridge Games (formerly Olympiad)
quadrennial · worldwide · since 1960
World Bridge Series
quadrennial · worldwide · since 1962
European Bridge Championships
biennial · Europe · since 1932

Where it is played

Governing bodies

World Bridge FederationWBF
Founded 1958 · Lausanne, Switzerland
Official site ↗
American Contract Bridge LeagueACBL
Founded 1937 · Horn Lake, Mississippi, USA
Official site ↗
English Bridge UnionEBU
Founded 1954 · Aylesbury, UK
Official site ↗

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Charles Goren
Ely Culbertson
Omar Sharif
Zia Mahmood
Bob Hamman
Benito Garozzo
Lorenzo Lauria
Geir Helgemo
Nikolas Bausback

Records

Most Bermuda Bowl wins (nation)
Italy — 16 (2019)
Most WBF world championship medals (male)
Bob Hamman (USA) — 12 golds (2010)
Longest reign as world's #1
Bob Hamman — Ranked #1 for over 20 years (2005)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Trick-taking basics
Learn how tricks are won (follow suit; trump wins; highest card of led suit) — play a hand of whist or hearts first.
2
Point count
Count high-card points: A=4, K=3, Q=2, J=1. Learn hand valuation.
3
Opening bids
Learn Standard American / SAYC — when to open 1 of a suit, 1NT, 2NT, or preemptive.
4
Responses and rebids
Basic partner-response structure; when to raise, invite, or bid a new suit.

intermediate

1
Slam bidding
Learn Blackwood (ace-asking) and Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKCB).
2
Common conventions
Stayman, Jacoby transfers, negative doubles, weak twos.
3
Declarer play techniques
Establishing suits, ruffing losers, hold-up plays, avoidance plays.
4
Defensive fundamentals
Opening leads (fourth-best, top of sequence), signalling, breaking new suits.

advanced

1
Squeeze play
Recognise simple squeezes (BLUE), double squeezes, and progressive squeezes.
2
End-play technique
Throw-ins, elimination plays, and dummy reversals.
3
Bidding theory
Study Precision or 2/1 game-forcing systems; understand relay bids.
4
Tournament experience
Play in weekly clubs, sectional and national tournaments; qualify for national teams.

Frequently asked

Is bridge really a sport?+