World Bridge Federation

The International Bridge Federation or WBF is the governing body of the world bridge. Under its jurisdiction, the world championships for bridge, the Bermuda Bowl, the Venice Cup, the Senior Bowl and the World Bridge Olympics are organized. The current president is José Damiani.

The Federation was formed in August 1958 by delegates from Europe, the United States and South America. It is governed under the laws of Switzerland as a non-profit organization.

The WBF currently comprises 103 countries, nearly 700,000 affiliated members participating in local, national and international tournaments. Most of the member nations belong to one of the eight geographic regions determined by the WBF, each with its own organization. The first honorary member of the Federation was Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, since his work helped to the development of the game. Each nation that is a member of the Federation must take advantage of certain requirements imposed by it.

The WBF holds a congress with all member nations, which in turn send a delegate, and this congress is held every two years, in conjunction with the Bridge Olympics and World Championships. The Federation is administered by an administrative council, advised by several committees and consultants.

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