9th All India Shree Cement Bridge Championship begins in Kolkata

The championship started with unfancied GUNS`N~ROSE represented by Prakash Easwaran, Anirudh Prakash, Bindiya Naidoo, Priya Ranjan Sinha and Koushik Mukherjee leading the field in the team event of the meet collecting 64.92 (sixty four point nine two) Victory Points (VPs) at the end of the fourth round of the eight- round Swiss league.

GUNS`N`ROSE are followed by SHRI RADHE (60.79), CHALLENGERS (55. 30), MIRACLE (54.89), TEAM KABRA (54.79) and MAHARAJA (54.27).

Last year's champions and favourite FORMIDABLES are lying in 9th spot at the halfway stage with 53.29 VPs.

At the end of eight rounds of the Swiss league top sixteen teams will enter the knoc-out stage.

Around 350 players representing 65 teams from different parts of India are participating at this four-day championship which has now emerged as one of the important and popular events of the mind game in India.

Earlier, Bridge Federation of India (BFI) Secretary Debasish Ray, who is also the Secretary of Corporate Bridge Association of India (CBAI), inaugurated the event in presence of West Bengal Bridge Association (WBBA) President Monica Jajoo and Secretary Arnab Guha.

The Corporate Bridge Association India (CBAI) during the inaugural function felicitated veteran Tournament Director from West Bengal Pranab Bhattacharjee (Ranju) for his contributions towards the game of bridge in the country.

Bhattacharjee, who has been acting as 'tournament director' in various national and international meets since 1990, was presented with gifts and mementos by CBAI Secretary Debasish Ray. 

Bhattacharjee also received a purse of rupees fifty thousand from BFI President Prasad Keni for his dedicated service for this game.