First online bridge championships slated

Some 1,000 people from 31 countries Monday will start punching on their computer key boards to take a shot at becoming the first world online bridge champion. The online tournament, organized by Internet bridge site Okbridge, brings together some 175 teams. The teams, consisting of four to six players, will compete under the auspices and rules of the World Bridge Federation and the American Contract Bridge League. Bridge - often seen as a staid card game played by pensioners - has taken quite a flight on the Internet. The teams will first compete for country or U.S. state titles and then for regional titles. Eight regional winners will play each other in knock-out rounds over the summer. The two winning teams, which will both receive $5,000, will square off in Boston in November, during the North American Bridge championships. The Internet has proven an effective tool of bringing together players. Internet company Yahoo Incfor example, regularly draws 1,000 people to its free http://games.yahoo.com site. OKbridge, which set up the first online bridge site in 1994, has grown to 15,000 members in five years.