21st HCL International Bridge Championship Returns to Showcase Elite Bridge Talent

New Delhi September 14th, 2024: The 21st HCL International Bridge Championship is set to take place from September 14 to 22, 2024, at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in New Delhi. With a total prize purse of ₹27 million (USD 325,000), the tournament continues to hold its place as one of the most prestigious bridge championships in the world, boasting the largest prize pool in India and world. The championship is drawing participation from top players globally. This year, the prize money has been increased by an additional ₹1 million, reaffirming HCL’s commitment to promoting the game.

The nine-day event will see participation from over 1,000 bridge players from India and across the globe. Key participating countries include the USA, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Russia, Israel, UAE, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India. This year’s championship introduces an exciting new category – ‘Mixed IMP Pairs’ – designed to provide more dynamic competition for bridge players worldwide. In this category, teams will be made up of both male and female players.

The HCL International Bridge Championship was established in 2003 by Mrs. Kiran Nadar, one of the top Indian competitive bridge players, a gold medalist at the 5th Commonwealth Games, and a 2018 Asian Games Bridge medalist, to promote the sport in India. Speaking about the upcoming 21st HCL International Bridge Championship, Kiran Nadar shared her excitement: “I warmly welcome all players joining us from around the world to compete in this prestigious tournament. As our flagship sports initiative, I have seen the HCL International Bridge Championship grow steadily each year, in terms of scale, participation, prestige, and competitiveness. This year, we’ll be joined by top teams from leading bridge nations, including the US, Israel, Italy and Australia, right here in the national capital, and I look forward to competing against them.”

The previous edition saw over 800 players, including 145 teams from countries such as the USA, Russia, Israel, Australia, and many others. This year is expected to attract even more talent with the introduction of the new Mixed IMP Pairs category.

Tournament Format and Structure:

• Team of Four Gold Event: Open to all. The qualifying round consists of a Swiss League of 10 rounds of 10 boards each to be played on the first two days. In each round of the Swiss league, one team plays 10 boards against another, with the North/South pairs playing against their opponent’s East/West pairs. The top 16 teams after the Swiss League will advance to the knockout stage. The knockout matches will be played over 4 sessions of 14 boards each. The playoff for 3rd place will be played over 3 sessions of 14 boards each. Winners will be awarded the ‘Naresh Tandan Trophy.’
• Team of Four Silver Event: Open to Indian bridge players (participation of foreign teams in this event is subject to clearance by the Technical Committee). The qualifying round consists of a Swiss League of 10 rounds of 10 boards each to be played on the first two days. The top 16 teams after the Swiss League will advance to the knockout stage. The knockout matches will be played over 4 sessions of 14 boards each. The playoff for 3rd place will be played over 4 sessions of 14 boards each. Winners will be awarded the ‘Mohini Tandan Trophy.’
• Open Match Point Pairs: Starting on the third day of the tournament and played over four days, this event will consist of three elimination rounds, with each round consisting of three sessions of 18 boards each. The top 26 pairs from the Elimination-3 round of MP Pairs, along with two sponsored pairs, will qualify for the MP Pairs Gold final, while pairs ranked 27-52 will play in the MP Pairs Silver final. The remaining Elimination-3 qualifiers will be seeded into the IMP Pairs final. The Open Pairs Final will be played over two sessions with the Barometer Howell movement (28 pairs, 54 boards). Winners will be awarded the ‘Neena Bonarji Trophy.’
• IMP Pairs: A two-day event with the elimination round consisting of three sessions of 18 boards each on the fifth day. The IMP Pairs final will be played over two sessions of 24 boards each. Non-qualifiers will be eligible to play in IMP Pairs Strata II.
• Mixed IMP Pairs: This newly introduced category adds excitement to the tournament. Each team will consist of one male and one female player.

In addition, the tournament will culminate with an exclusive Pro-Am Event on September 22, 2024. This event will allow amateur players to partner with professionals in a unique competition.