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New Delhi, October 15, 2026: The 23rd HCL International Bridge Championship concluded in New Delhi on Sunday, bringing together leading bridge players from India and across the world for 10 days of high-level competition. Held from October 2 to 11 at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, the championship featured a total prize purse of ₹28.5 million (approximately USD 310,000) across its various events.
The championship saw participation from players representing several leading bridge-playing nations, 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, reinforcing the event’s position as an important fixture on the international bridge calendar.
The 23rd edition featured a diverse programme of competitions, including Team of Four Gold and Silver, Open Pairs, Mixed IMP Pairs, IMP Pairs, Board-A-Match and the Pro-Am Pairs Tournament.
The Team of Four Gold event saw Team Mavericks Gold emerge victorious, while Team Gladiators secured the Team of Four Silver title. The winners were awarded the Naresh Tandan Trophy and Mohini Tandan Trophy, respectively. Team Wham and Team Capa bagged the second position in Team of Four Gold and Team of Four Silver respectively.
The IMP Pairs title was won by Anuradha Bakshi and Soumitra Das, who received the N. K. Gupta Trophy. The competition also featured a Silver final and Mixed IMP Strata event, providing opportunities for players across different levels of competition.
The championship also featured the IMP Pairs and Board-A-Match Team events, adding further variety to the tournament programme. The 10-day championship concluded with the Pro-Am Pairs Tournament, which brought amateur players together with recognised professional players in a competitive format.
The tournament carried a total prize purse of ₹28.5 million, distributed across the various team, pairs and special events.
The championship also continued its focus on encouraging younger participation, with a 50% concession on entry fees for teams or pairs comprising entirely of players below 30 years of age.
The HCL International Bridge Championship has over the years developed into one of India’s prominent bridge tournaments, attracting leading Indian players as well as international participants. The 2026 edition further strengthened its role in bringing together the global bridge community in India and providing a platform for competitive bridge at an international level.