The following are the programs that are featured in the challenge:

• Micro Bridge 8 (Japan), Tomio Uchida & Yumiko Uchida.
• Bridge Baron 8 (U.S.), Don Farwell & Thom Throop, Great Games Products.
• Meadowlark Bridge (U.S.), Rodney Ludwig, Meadowlark Software.
• Q-Plus Bridge (Germany), Johannes Leber, Q Plus Software.
• GIB (U.S.), Matt Ginsberg, University of Oregon.
• Blue Chip Bridge (England), Mike Wittaker & Ian Trackman, Blue Chip Ltd.
• Bridge Genii (U.S.), Rolf Wilson

Competing in the bidding contest only:

• BridgeMate 3 (U.S.), Bob Richardson, BridgeMate.

Up to recently, beginning and intermediate players have used these programs either as a diversion - playing when alone, or to learn from lesson hands, or to just practice. While many of the programs on the market have good graphics, allow for storage of favorite hands, and contain built-in lessons, published reviews have rated the best of them as playing no better than at an intermediate level.

In order to promote computer bridge activities that might accelerate the development of these programs and to generate greater interest in computer bridge playing, a 'World' computer championship competition was initiated. At my request, the ACBL approved an official 'Championship' to take place at an NABC once a year. I then organized and ran the Baron Barclay World Computer Bridge Championships at the 1997 summer NABCs in Albuquerque. With bragging rights and cash prizes at stake, the competition attracted the leading programs from around the world. Bridge Baron 7 was declared the champion beating out Q-plus Bridge on the last few boards of the finals.

This year's championships, held at the Chicago NABCs, were sponsored by Baron Barclay Bridge Supplies and OKbridge. Participants representing seven programs came from around the world to compete. Tomio and Yumiko Uchida, from Japan, entered Micro Bridge 8. Hans Leber, from Germany, entered Q-plus Bridge. Michael Whittaker, from England, entered Blue Chip Bridge. From the USA, Rodney Ludwig entered Meadowlark Bridge, Don Farwell entered Bridge Baron 8, Matt Ginsberg entered GIB, and Rolf Wilson entered Bridge Genii.

All rules, conditions of contest, and formats of competition were discussed and agreed upon in advance by all the participants. Official conditions of contest included the types of computers to be used and computer 'thinking' time allowed per deal. Also, all Convention Cards were exchanged in advance. Isn't e-mail wonderful?! I acted as the official Coordinator during the week long activities, coordinating conditions of contest, schedules of events, and overseeing all activities. Sol Weinstein was the Director, supplying all the hand records in a new computer file format that was specifically created for this contest and will be the standard for future activities. A three-judge panel, consisting of Chip Martel, John Solodar, and Kit Woolsey, was established to settle all 'appeals' that might arise.

The contest began on July 24th with a 10-board/match round robin scored on a 20 Victory Point scale, with the top four programs advancing to the semifinals.The four programs surviving the round robin were:

GIB             95
Q-plus Bridge   78
Bridge Baron 8  71
Micro Bridge 8  60

Dlr: West
Vul: NS
                K 4
                K Q 9 3 2
                J 10 7
                8 4 2

   10 7                    A J 9 6 5
   10 8 7                  A 6
   K 9 6 5 3 2             A 4
   A K                     J 10 7 6

                Q 8 3 2
                J 5 4
                Q 4
                Q 9 5 3

West       North      East       South
MicroBr1   GIB1       MicroBr2   GIB2
Pass       Pass       1 S        Pass
2 D        Pass       2 S        Pass
3 S        Pass       4 S        All Pass

                K
                K Q 9 3 2
                ---
                ---

   ---                     A 9 5
   10 8 7                  A 6
    6 5 2                  ---
   ---                     10

                8 3 2
                J 5
                ---
                9

In the 48 board semifinals GIB defeated Bridge Baron, 147-64, and Q-plus Bridge defeated Micro Bridge 8, 145-71.Sometimes in bridge, as in golf, when you make a mistake, you can still make your par result by scrambling. Witness the following hand played by Micro Bridge 8 in its semifinal match against Q-plus Bridge.

Dlr: North
Vul: EW
                ---
                A J 10 8
                9 8 6
                A K J 9 7 2

   A Q 9 7                 J 10 6 5 3
   7 5 4 3                 6
   Q 10 4                  J 7 5 3
   54                      Q 10 6

                K 8 4 2
                K Q 9 2
                A K 2
                8 3

West       North      East       South
Q-plus1    MicroBr1   Q-plus2    MicroBr2
           1 C        Pass       1 H
Pass       3 H        Pass       4 NT
Pass       5 H        Pass       6 H
All Pass

GIB performed very well as it defeated Q-plus, 181-118, in a 64 board final match.Here is a hand from the final match in which GIB made a fine defensive play.

Dlr: South
Vul: Both
               J 8 2
               J 10 7
               A 7 6 5 2
               Q 6

   K 5 3                   Q 7 4
   K 5 3                   6 4 2
   J                       9 4 3
   J 10 9 4 3 2            K 8 7 5

               A 10 9 6
               A Q 9 8
               K Q 10 8
               A

West       North      East       South
GIB1       Q-plus1    GIB2       Q-plus2
---        ---        ---        1 C (1)
Pass       1 D        Pass       1 NT
Pass       3 NT       All Pass

(1) 17 or more HCPs

A separate bidding contest took place, with hands and datum coming from top level international play. Larry Cohen was kind enough to supply the hands and data. It was surprising to see the results, as it was not expected any program would come close to having a positive result (average is zero IMPs). But, GIB, using 2/1 game forcing methods, won with a score of +2 IMPs, second was Blue Chip Bridge, using ACOL, with -30 IMPs, and third was Q-plus, using Precision, with -57 IMPs.