Over 140 Teams with 850 players and 350 Pairs are expected to compete in Team of Four & Pair events for a prize purse of ₹28.5 million (~USD 310,000) in the 23rd HCL International Bridge Championship, lets’ find out more
23rd HCL International Bridge Championship to Bring Together Elite Bridge Talent from Across the World
- Over 140 Teams with 850 players and 350 Pairs are expected to compete in Team of Four & Pair events for a prize purse of ₹28.5 million (~USD 310,000)
- International participation from leading bridge-playing nations, including the USA, Italy, Israel, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, South Africa, Latvia, Kenya & Bangladesh
- Championship to feature Team of Four Gold and Silver, Open Pairs, Mixed IMP Pairs, IMP Pairs, Board-A-Match and an exclusive Pro-Am event
New Delhi, September 29, 2026: The 23rd HCL International Bridge Championship is set to take place from October 2 to 11, 2026, at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, New Delhi.
With a total prize purse of ₹28.5 million (approximately USD 310,000), the championship continues HCL’s long-standing commitment to promoting bridge in India and bringing some of the world’s leading bridge players to the country.
The tournament has established itself as one of India’s premier bridge championships, with previous editions witnessing participation from over 1,000 players representing 185 teams.
23rd HCL International Bridge Championship Includes International Players
The 10-day championship will bring together top bridge talent from India and across the world. International teams and players from countries including the USA, Poland, Italy, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Israel, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, South Africa, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Croatia, Denmark, Romania, Japan, Thailand, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Bangladesh have participated in recent editions, underlining the international stature of the championship.
The 2026 edition will feature a diverse line-up of competitive events, including the Team of Four Gold, Team of Four Silver, Open Pairs, Mixed IMP Pairs, IMP Pairs, and a one-day Board-A-Match Team event.
The championship will also culminate in an exclusive Pro-Am Pairs Tournament, giving amateur players the opportunity to partner with professional players in a unique competitive format. The Pro-Am event will have a maximum of 28 pairs.
The Team of Four Gold and Silver events will begin with a 10-round Swiss League, comprising five rounds each on October 5 and 6, with the top 16 teams in each category progressing to the knockout stage.
The knockout rounds will lead to the semi-finals and finals, with the winners of the Gold and Silver events being awarded the Naresh Tandan Trophy and Mohini Tandan Trophy, respectively.
The Open Match Point Pairs event will feature three elimination rounds, followed by Gold and Silver finals. The top 26 pairs from the third elimination round will qualify for the Open Pairs Gold final, while pairs ranked 27th to 52nd will compete in the Silver final.
The remaining qualifiers will be seeded into the IMP Pairs final. The Open Pairs Gold final will be played using Barometer scoring, with the winner receiving the Neena Bonarji Trophy.
The Mixed IMP Pairs event, which has become an important feature of the championship, will be played over October 2 to 4, with 10 sessions of 10 boards each in the elimination round.
The top 25 pairs, along with one sponsored pair, will qualify for the Mixed IMP Pairs Gold final, while pairs ranked 26th to 51st will compete in the Silver final.
The remaining participating pairs will be eligible for the Mixed IMP Strata event. The winner of the Mixed IMP Pairs Gold event will be awarded the N. K. Gupta Trophy.
The IMP Pairs event will feature an elimination round followed by a two-session final, while non-qualifiers will have the opportunity to participate in the IMP Pairs Strata event. The championship will also feature a one-day Board-A-Match Team event on the last day, adding another competitive format to the tournament programme.
Tournament Date & Final Prize
The tournament will culminate on October 11, 2026, with the Pro-Am Pairs Tournament, followed by the prize distribution. The Pro-Am event with IMP scoring will provide amateur players with an opportunity to partner with recognised professional players from across the World.
The championship carries a total prize purse of ₹28.5 million, distributed across the various team, pairs and special events.
The prize structure includes substantial awards across the Team of Four Gold and Silver events, Open Pairs Gold and Silver, IMP Pairs, Mixed IMP Pairs Gold and Silver, the respective Strata events, the Pro-Am event and the Board-A-Match competition.
The 2026 championship will also provide opportunities for younger players and bridge enthusiasts through its range of events and participation categories. The organisers have announced a 50% concession on entry fees for teams or pairs comprising entirely of players below 30 years of age.
The championship will be conducted in accordance with the World Bridge Federation (WBF) 2017 Laws of Duplicate Bridge. For the complete tournament schedule, registration, participation guidelines and other details related to the 23rd HCL International Bridge Championship, please visit www.hcl-bridge.com.
About HCL Group
Founded in 1976 as one of India’s original technology start-ups, HCL Group has grown into a global conglomerate with businesses and institutions across technology, software, healthcare, education, semiconductors, nature, arts and culture.
HCL builds institutions with an entrepreneurial mindset – choosing areas that matter and staying committed long enough for impact to compound. HCL Group represents over US$40 billion in enterprise value, with 230,000 people operating across 60 countries.
For further information, visit: www.hcl.com
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