In the period from October 31 to November 6, 2023, the 20th HCL International Bridge Championship was held in New Delhi, India, marking a major milestone for the event in the Far East.
The competition consisted of several tournaments: the main team event, the pair event (for those eliminated from the main team tournament), and a Pro-Am tournament held on the last day, where professional bridge players partnered with amateurs.
The team tournament was divided into two divisions: Gold (52 teams) and Silver (93 teams). The Gold division was for more experienced and skilled players, while the Silver division was designed for amateurs. Of course, the teams from our foundation were involved in the Gold division.
The foundation’s players participated in two teams: Poland (Przemysław Janiszewski, Wojciech Strzemecki, Jacek Pszczoła, Krzysztof Buras, Rafał Jagniewski, and Wojciech Gaweł) and AZS Bubosławia (Patryk Patreuha, Jakub Patreuha, Kamil Nowak, and Piotr Marcinowski). Both teams competed in the highly competitive Gold division, which was filled with bridge stars of the world stage, including Zia Mahmood, Boy Brogeland, and Geir Helgemo, who have achieved almost everything in the game.
The tournament had two stages: the qualifying rounds and the playoff phase. After the initial phase, both of our teams advanced comfortably (Poland in first place and AZS Bubosławia in fifth), securing spots in the top 16. In the following days, both teams continued their successful streak, winning their matches in the round of 16 and in the quarterfinals, which unfortunately led to them facing each other in the semifinals.
This was described by fans as a „premature final.” After an intense and spirited battle, AZS Bubosławia emerged victorious and advanced to the final. Poland prepared for the match for third place. The next day could not have gone better, as both teams won their respective matches. Congratulations to AZS Bubosławia for winning the tournament (and earning a $54,000 prize) and to Poland for securing third place. It had been 20 years since any Polish team had achieved such success in this tournament.
The goal for next year is set – to have the foundation’s teams meet in the final!
You can check out the results here: HCL Bridge Results 2023.
