The World Bridge Federation (WBF) is the international governing body for duplicate bridge. The WBF is responsible for world championship competitions, most of which are conducted at multi-event meets on a four-year cycle. The most prestigious championships are those for national teams in Open, Women, Seniors and Mixed categories: the Bermuda Bowl, Venice Cup, Senior Bowl and Wuhan Cup (jointly the biennial “World Teams Championships”), and the quadrennial World Team “Olympiads”, now called the World Bridge Games, incorporated in the World Mind Sports Games beginning 2008.

The World Bridge Federation was founded August 1958 by delegates from Europe, North America, and South America (now Zones 1 to 3). It is incorporated under the laws of Switzerland as a non-profit organization. Harold Stirling Vanderbilt was made the first honorary member of the WBF for his work developing the game. The current President is Jan Kamras, elected in 2022.

WBF membership now comprises 103 National Bridge Organizations (NBOs) with about 700,000 affiliated members, most of whom participate in bridge competitions locally and many of whom compete nationally and internationally. The NBOs belong to the “zonal organization” in one of eight geographic zones. Each NBO agrees to fulfil certain requirements, such as opening its ranks to all its citizens and residents and upholding a standard of ethics acceptable to the WBF.

The WBF holds a Congress to which each NBO is entitled to send one delegate. The Congress takes place every second year, at Team Olympiads and at World Championships. The WBF is administered by an Executive Council which is assisted by the various Committees and Consultants it appoints.