Wroclaw 2016: September 5th

Less than two weeks after the close of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the 15thWorld Bridge Games — once known as the Bridge Olympiad — kicked off in a spirited ceremony that promised a unique opportunity to showcase the world’s best game. To enthusiastic applause in the packed auditorium, World Bridge Federation President Gianarrigo Rona declared the tournament officially open at 8:04 p.m., Sunday September 4. The players of 69 nations clearly are ready to do their best for their countries.

September 5th

As the grind continues towards Saturday – when the knockout phases of the four teams events begin – European teams are occupying most of the top spots in the competition. There are three groups in the Open series, two in the Women’s Series and one each in the Senior and MixedTeams.Taking the top three in each group, that’s 21 places. European teams occupy 16 of those spots. That is 76%. Group leaders in the Open series are Italy, Poland and Austria. In the Women’s, China and France are leading their respective packs. USA has a strong lead in the SeniorTeams.Australia is cruising in the MixedTeams. In the two larger fields – the Open has 54 teams, the Women’s 35 – making the cut for the final 16 teams will be more difficult. In the Senior Teams, 24 teams will be fighting for 16 places.Two thirds of the field will make the cut.The odds are virtually the same in the Mixed Teams, with 23 entries. The round robin concludes on Friday.