History

*  Before 1960 Bridge was played in houses and clubs. In 1960, the  Cyprus Bridge Federation was formed in the sameyear as Cyprus gained its independence. In 1960 the Federation had 2 member clubs; today it has 8 member clubs.

 

*  In 1980 the Cyprus Bridge Federation became a member of the European Bridge League and of the World Bridge Federation.

 

*  In December 1992, the Cyprus Sports Organisation admitted Bridge and Chess in the category of mind games. In 1993, the Cyprus Bridge Federation applied for full membership of the Cyprus Sports Organisation eventually becoming a full member in 1994 with three member clubs (Nicosia, Limassol and Paphos). After that, the Cyprus Bridge Federation became a full member of the Cyprus Olympic Committee and since then it is based at the Olympic Building.

 

*  In 1990 the first national team of Bridge was formed and participated for the first time in the World Bridge Olympiad that took place in Rhodes, Greece. Since then, Cyprus was represented in several European Championships and European Small Federations Games with the most recent participation in 2012 being very successful.

 

*  In 2008, two young bridge players participate for the first time in the World Mind Games in Beijing securing high positions.

 

*  In 2010, Bridge is introduced for the first time and very successfully in the evening classes programme of the Ministry of Education of Cyprus.

 

*  Since 2010 the Cyprus Bridge Federation has taken steps to improve the level of the players offering advanced lessons on the internet with the assistance of foreign coaches that trained the players interested to be in the national team.

 

*  The objective of the Cyprus Bridge Federation is the increase of the number of people that play bridge particularly younger ones. Many Universities around the world include bridge within their students’ extracurricular activities and in many European Countries Bridge is taught as early as the primary school.

 

*  Every year since 1960, an International Bridge Festival is organised in Cyprus with the participation of famous players from Greece, the Middle East and the whole of Europe.