47th World Bridge Championships

Herning 2025: The World Bridge Championships

From August 20th to 31st, 2025, the city of Herning, Denmark, will host the world elite of bridge for a new edition of the four major international competitions:

  • Bermuda Bowl (Open)
  • Venice Cup (Women)
  • Wuhan Cup (Mixed)
  • D’Orsi Trophy (Seniors)

Each event will bring together 24 teams among the best in the world, ready to compete for a prestigious world title.

Looking back at the 2023 championships: the defending champions

In 2023, the podiums crowned:

Bermuda Bowl (Open)
🥇 Switzerland – Sjoert Brink, Bas Drijver, Jacek Kalita, Michał Klukowski, Michał Nowosadzki, Pierre Zimmermann, Fernando Piedra npc, Luis Lantarón coach
🥈 Norway – Terje Aa, Christian Bakke, Boye Brogeland, Tor Eivind Grude, Geir Helgemo, Allan Livgård, Tolle Stabell npc, Sten Bjertnes coach
🥉 Italy – Massimiliano Di Franco, Giovanni Donati, Andrea Manno, Giacomo Percario, Antonio Sementa, Alfredo Versace, Alessandro Piana npc

Wuhan Cup (Mixed)
🥇 USA 2 – Amber Lin, Debbie Rosenberg, Michael Rosenberg, Andrew Rosenthal, Chris Willenken, Migry Zur-Campanile, Jeff Aker npc
🥈 France – Bénédicte Cronier, Philippe Cronier, Vanessa Reess, Pierre Schmidt, Laurent Thuillez, Joanna Zochowska, Nicolas Dechelette npc
🥉 Romania – Andreea-Magdalena Boboc, Bogdan Marina, Geta Mihai, Radu Mihai, Marina Stegaroiu, Bogdan Marina captain

Venice Cup (Women)
🥇 Israel – Adi Asulin, Hila Levi, Adel Petelko, Ziv Tottman, Dana Tal, Noga Tal, Israel Yadlin npc
🥈 Türkiye – Asli Acar, Tuna Elmas, Berrak Erkan, Özlem Kandolu, İrem Özbay, Hatice Özgür, M. Gokhan Yilmaaz npc
🥉 China – Huang Yan, Liu Yan, Ran Jing Rong, Yu Xiuting, Zhou Meiling, Zuo Xiaoxue, Wang Yannan npc, Li Xin coach

D’Orsi Trophy (Seniors)
🥇 Denmark – Klaus Adamsen, Jørgen Cilleborg Hansen, Dennis Koch-Palmund, Dorthe Schaltz, Peter Schaltz, Steen Schou, Peter Magnussen npc, Morten Bilde coach
🥈 USA 1 – Drew Casen, Andy Goodman, Venkatrao Koneru, Jim Krekorian, Mike Passell, Pratap Rajadhyaksha, Alex Kolesnik npc
🥉 USA 2 – Neil Chambers, Mitch Duntz, Ross Grabel, Bob Hamman, John Schermer, Peter Weichsel, Petra Hamman npc

🔥 The favorites for the 2025 edition

In the Open category, the burning question is: will Switzerland manage to keep their title for a historic triple after their victories in 2022 and 2023?

With Brink, Drijver, Kalita, Klukowski, Nowosadzki, Zimmermann and Piedra (npc), the team still displays impressive solidity.

Norway with Boye Brogeland, bronze medalist in 2022 then silver in 2023, will aim for gold this time. Alongside Brogeland, we’ll find Bakke, Grude, Helgemo, Kvangraven, Tundal, Stabell (npc) and Bjertnes (coach) – a lineup that combines experience, technique and fighting spirit.

Italy remains true to its rank among the best nations: Di Franco, Donati, Manno, Percario, Sementa, Versace and Giubilo (npc) form a formidable team, capable of beating anyone on a good day.

It’s also impossible to ignore the American armada, with two powerful teams.

  • USA 1: Bathurst, Adam Grossack, Hurd, Kaplan, Kolesnik, Wold, Morris (npc)
  • USA 2: Ginossar, Zachary Grossack, Michael Rosenberg, Rosenthal, Silverstein, Willenken, Barrington (npc)

Sweden also joins the list of contenders with a solid and homogeneous team: Cullin, Michielsen, Nystrom, Mikael Rimstedt, Ola Rimstedt, Upmark and Kronmarker (npc).

In the Seniors category, the anticipated duel pits the United States – multiple world medalists – against an experienced France that won bronze in Buenos Aires and in Europe in 2024.

In the Mixed category, the field is so strong that it’s difficult to designate a favorite: Poland, Sweden, United States, Israel and France all have the means to aim for the title.

Finally, in the Women’s category, Norway, current European champions, will have to be wary of USA 1, Turkey and France, three top-tier opponents who also aim for the highest step of the podium.

⭐ Championship stars… coming soon to Funbridge!

Several players present in Herning for the World Championships will soon arrive on Funbridge in a new tournament format: “Beat the Star”.

📅 Launch: September 13th, 2025
🗓️ Frequency: one tournament per week, from Saturday to Monday
🎯 Objective: beat the star on 10 deals and win 25 diamonds!

Open Category in Herning

France – Thomas Bessis, world vice-champion, multiple European champion and winner of many prestigious American tournaments; including the Vanderbilt trophy. Jérôme Rombaut, European champion and world vice-champion with a classic and precise style; and his son Léo Rombaut, U21 world champion, a very offensive and promising player.

United States – Finn Kolesnik, nicknamed “The Machine”, U26 world champion and Soloway winner; Zach Grossack, U26 world champion, multiple North American Champion and the youngest Grand Life Master in ACBL history.

Sweden – Mikael Rimstedt, U26 world champion and winner of the 2018 World Open Pairs with his brother Ola.

New Zealand – Michael Whibley, 2nd in the WBF World Tour 2024, passionate about trail running, hiking, and of course winning bridge tournaments.

Italy – Giovanni Donati, a stalwart on the Italian open team, a silver medalist at the World Bridge Games and bronze medalist at the 2023 Bermuda Bowl.

Women’s & Mixed Categories in Herning

France – Vanessa Reess, triple world champion and key figure in women’s and mixed teams; Anne-Laure Tartarin, European Women’s vice-champion 2024; Margaux Kurek-Beaulieu, European vice-champion in Women’s and European champion in Girls category in 2024.

United States – Anam Tebha, U26 world champion and European mixed champion at the Winter Games; Olivia Schireson, rising star, bronze medalist at the 2024 World Bridge Games.

These “Beat the Star” tournaments will be an opportunity to extend the excitement of the World Championships. And an opportunity to see where you measure up to the best in the world.

Follow the results live on the blog!

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