“Le Bridgeur” elimination tournament: interview of the finalists

Władysław

I am greatly impressed by this elimination tournament.

Each round required my full commitment as any failure would have meant the end of the competition for me. I have been particularly excited about the last two rounds (the semifinal against Dolichi and the final against Béatrice). To achieve success, you had to focus entirely both on auction and play, taking into consideration that there were 275 deals played in five and a half weeks.

I have been playing bridge for 40 years and I only take part in regional tournaments. I have held bridge competitions for bridge fans in Tychy and its neighbourhood.

I have played Funbridge since 2006 and I play nearly every day, mainly elimination and daily tournaments. I prefer IMP scoring.

I really like the recent Funbridge Team’s initiative which allows you to log in to your Funbridge account both from your PC/tablet and any other mobile device.

Beatrice1

My impressions of this tournament

I entered the competition, thinking that I would be quickly eliminated since I am an average player. So I started playing without any pressure, I was playing at my own pace.
Then as rounds went by, I got caught up in the game and I started thinking that I might go quite a long way in the tournament because my fixture list was not the most difficult and the very good players had been quickly eliminated.

From the round of 16, I really started suffering… I felt that I was able to beat my opponents.

But as rounds went by, the pressure was increasing when playing first, then while waiting and anxiously checking my opponents’ results. And at last, the PLEASURE of winning and the wait until the name of my next opponent is disclosed…

The quarter final match was awful for me. I got caught up in the game and the competition. I was playing against an American who played at night due to the time difference. He was playing a few deals and was waiting until I played! During two consecutive nights, I woke up and rushed to the computer to see his score versus mine. Fortunately, with the time difference of 6 hours, he had to finish before me and I was able to finish the match while seeing his results as he was playing.

This tension was difficult to live, I was exhausted! I was thinking bridge, dreaming bridge, living bridge!

When I made it to the final, I completely got stressed out. I didn’t know if I was happy or not because I felt so bad. But I couldn’t reason with myself…

It was completely stupid since getting to this stage of the tournament was unhoped-for and I thought that it was too stupid to get there and lose.

I started my match. I played 9 deals, the games I bid went down and my opponent had not started! I was starting to despair and I restrained myself. As a result, I didn’t bid a game going by and I went through a terrible ordeal…

My opponent played and he did very well. He made no mistakes. He well deserved his victory! By the way, I congratulated him. Well done!

In the late morning of Wednesday, I was about 20 points behind. I finished before him by trying moves which proved unsuccessful and I knew that I had lost my match…

At the time I was really disappointed and in the afternoon, I had a 4-player competition. I was physically and nervously exhausted… But I met my friends and luckily, we played well. They listened to my tale of woe lol!

This tournament has been a real marathon for me. Rounds followed one another very quickly and I have spent a lot of time on each deal, writing down the cards played and trying to do my best.

My story with bridge

I discovered this game thanks to a friend about ten years ago. She took me to the Chalon sur Saône Club, being convinced that I would like it. I was very reluctant and I went there to please her as she was insistent.

I knew nothing about this game. I didn’t know that there was a dummy!

I joined this club and immediately enrolled on a class with a group of cheerful sorts who were more interested in having fun than learning…

I stopped the course for one year to dedicate my time to another pastime.

I had 3 bridge teachers who helped me acquire various knowledge and with different teaching skills: Mr Kruger, Mrs Lapré (aka Kora on Funbridge) and Mrs Lafosse. And my adorable president who helps us with card play. I continue taking classes.

I have been taking part in competitions for 2 years only! I play in 3rd series C but I don’t do that often because they take place at weekends and my husband is not a bridge player. He works and has time off at weekends too.

Nevertheless, I am quite proud of having reached 2 league finals in 4-player “espérance” and “promotion” categories as well as 2 league finals in Women Pairs “promotion” category.

This year I play at the club more regularly and luckily, very good players ask me to play with them.

I fear nothing. Very good players don’t impress me at the table.

And I play as a team with my friend who took me to the bridge club for the first time. I never thought that it would be possible. I have a usual partner with whom I get on well. She ridicules our mistakes as I do and we laugh at them, which is very pleasant!

My story with Funbridge

I have been playing on this website which helped me progress since late 2009. I spend a lot of time on Funbridge. Incidentally, far too much time…

From the beginning, I note down all the technical comments made by different commentators on a notebook. I ask questions when something is unclear and there is always someone to answer them.

I work a lot on the deals I lost. I go back over them, I try again and I try to understand how the good players take the overtrick which makes the difference. I read comments carefully and I tirelessly work on card play.

I am able to perform very well in some tournaments with a score of over 60% for 2-3 days and then, there are periods when I can’t achieve 40% due to fluctuating concentration… I don’t manage to have a regular play and it upsets me!

My favourite tournaments are opens, i.e. “gaulois”, “terre de bridge” and “brins de SEF”.
What I prefer most is challenges, preferably with good players.

Funbridge is a very user-friendly game which enabled me to meet people and make friends with people sharing the same passion: bridge!