Bridge Cup: Who’s going to stop Fabno?
Summary:
A final four worthy of the event
Exclusive interview with Frédéric Lernoux
The expert’s eye: MKB decodes two decisive deals from the final 🔍
Intense duels and a winner at the summit
The February edition of the Bridge Cup brought together 1,620 bridge players from all around the world in a knockout format. Over several days, this tournament gathered top players ready to do anything to reach the final and grab the title.
The participants faced each other round after round, offering intense matches and memorable turnarounds. Every deal counted and the competition left no room for error.
What were the most memorable matches? Who did well? Find out the highlights, the decisive deals and the name of the big winner of this new edition of the Bridge Cup! 🌟
A final four worthy of the event
Volker Hund-Schulze has not stolen his place in the final four of this edition. Currently ranked 271st in the live world rankings, this German player showed his determination throughout the tournament.
From the outset, he faced some formidable opponents. In the third round, he met Jirka Baláš, aka jirka_B, ranked 52nd in the BP live rankings. Despite the difference in level on paper, Volker kept calm and won. Later, in the sixth round, it was our ambassador Luc Bellicaud who crossed his path. But once again, Volker didn’t give up and won 35-14.
However, it was in the round of 32 that Volker Hund-Schulze achieved his greatest feat. Playing against Mirek Białożyt, aka Mireq B, he found himself 33-0 down on deal 11, but the German bridge player had not said his last word. In just five deals, he turned the situation around, scoring 35 points and winning by a hair’s breadth 35-34.
His unfailing determination made him a formidable semi-finalist, reminding everyone that in the Bridge Cup, nothing is ever decided until the last deal.
Wojciech Romanowski, aka wojrom, proved during this edition that he had real ambitions. With an average of 2.64 IMPs per deal, he stood out for his consistency and efficiency on every deal.
In the fifth round, wojrom crossed paths with Canada’s Ross Taylor, whose impressive average performance (66.58% / 3.66 IMPs) would make many players green with envy. Ross Taylor is a solid and experienced player, capable of changing the course of any match.
But wojrom stood firm. In a one-sided match, he won 46-19, demonstrating his ability to take an early lead and to keep his opponent under pressure.
Fabrice Noilhan aka Fabno, currently 1st in the live world rankings, once again did not disappoint in this edition. With an average performance of 72.93% and an impressive score of 4.25 IMPs, he confirmed his status as one of the key players on Funbridge.
His speciality? The lead. In 27 exercises, he did not lose a single trick, so he was able to take advantage right from the start. Could the king of the BP rankings also be the king of the lead?
His rigour is also reflected in the success rate of his contracts: out of the 100 he declared, he won 86.
Often seen in the Funbridge rankings, Fabno didn’t secure the final victory this time, but his journey remains remarkable. We will be keeping an eye on his performances in future tournaments.
Frédéric Lernoux surprised everyone. Not well-known on the BP circuit, this Belgian player won against battle-hardened opponents, proving that tenacity and strategy can overturn all expectations.
Throughout the competition, he faced players with well-established playing records. Among them was Hylas13, semi-finalist in the autumn French Individual Online Championship, with a solid average performance of 3.82 IMPs. He also challenged Michel Duguet, aka iti61, a former member of the French team and multiple-time Scrabble champion whose average is 3.54 IMPs.
Cocozza65, who reached 3rd place in the very first Bridge Clash tournament, also failed to stop Frédéric Lernoux.
Beyond his results, Frédéric Lernoux stands out for his thoughtful play. He spends an average of 184 seconds on each deal. 🕰️
He is now a player to watch very closely on the BP circuit. His victory in the Bridge Cup could well be the start of a new era. For those who want to find out more about his vision of the game and his story as a bridge player, check out his exclusive interview below. 🎙️
Read our exclusive interview with Frédéric Lernoux, the big winner of this Bridge Cup’s edition!
- Firstly, how did it feel to win this final? Was it a goal you set yourself from the outset?
When you sign up for the Bridge Cup, your initial aim is to go as far as possible and, of course, if things go well, to win the tournament. But to say that my initial “objective” was to win the tournament is a step I don’t take. 10 rounds is long. There are lots of decisions to make, talented opponents and a very solid partner, Argine, but without the granularity of a partner with whom you have a fit and you have worked on certain specific sequences that can make all the difference. As you progress in the tournament, the objectives become clearer, right up to the final, where de facto the aim is to win the tournament. It was a great final. Fabien played well, but – we talked about it – without much inspiration. I played a solid match with the result we all know. I have to admit that this victory also had a special flavour because Hervé Huntz brought the Cup to Belgium in January.
A few Belgian friends on Funbridge had put the pressure on to keep the Cup in Belgium. A few nice, quirky messages of encouragement, right in our DNA, were an extra incentive.
- Can you tell us about your bridge journey?
I started playing bridge in 1996. I played 3 seasons in the championship for my local club, Namur, then two seasons in the first division for the Perron Club in Liège with a partner who was as talented as he was patient. 🙂 Two-time silver medallist in the Belgian championship. Then my professional career and family took over. I think the last time I sat down – seriously – at a bridge table was in 2003. I hardly ever played again until I discovered Funbridge in 2022. The platform is super user-friendly – I’m not getting paid to write that 🙂 – and I started playing more regularly again. I even won the French Individual Championship in October in the Performance category. When you love this game, you quickly fall back into your addictions!
- What an incredible journey! 🌟 What was the most memorable or decisive moment for you during this competition?
The last deal of the third round. 3NT played from the right hand and a good reading of the cards. It was about time because 7NT for -1 instead of 7H (even though my opponent stopped in 6H) for -17 IMPs on the third deal, that puts a bit of pressure on you.
- Speaking of pressure, when you reached the final, were you rather impatient to face Fabno, currently No. 1 in the BP live rankings, or did you feel a little apprehensive?
At this stage of the competition, all your opponents “hold their cards”. I knew it was going to be a great match and I had to be solid. I had to make the right decisions and not to play too agressively. Fabno never lets an opportunity go by. I played quite solidly. One big mistake out of 16 deals in a contract of 3NT that was almost impossible not to give away and the result was there. But it’s clear that I didn’t start with the odds in my favour.
- Do you regularly participate in Funbridge tournaments? What are your favourite game modes and what do you like most about these formats?
I much prefer IMP tournaments, safety games, formulating hypotheses of necessity, etc.
- If you had to give one piece of advice to future Bridge Cup participants, what would it be?
Take one match at a time, without putting too much pressure on yourself, and above all, believe in yourself right to the end. One last piece of advice, or rather a suggestion, a little message after a match is really nice. Playing online with Argine doesn’t prevent you from doing so. That’s what the chat is for. It makes things more convivial.
The expert’s eye: MKB decodes two decisive deals from the final 🔍
For this thrilling final, Margaux Kurek-Beaulieu, aka MKB, got out her magnifying glass and notebook. Here she takes a look at two of the key deals that changed the course of the final. Strategies and crucial choices, discover her analysis and see the game from a different angle!
Deal 7:
Fabrice let play in 2♠ -1 and cashed 100, while Frédéric took nine tricks in 3NT for +600.
The difference was in the opening bid. Sitting South, Frédéric decided to open 1♥ in first hand, despite vulnerability and the fact that he only had eleven points. The reasons for opening: no wasted points in the doubleton spade, and if the opponents find a spade fit, it will become difficult to describe your long hearts.
So Frédéric was able to bid 3NT in an uncontested auction, which won provided that you ducked the heart lead twice. That said, as he opened 1♥, he received another lead which allowed him to play his contract more serenely.
For Fabrice, it became impossible to get into the bidding after the opponent opened 1NT.
+11 IMPs for Frédéric, who battled out for them by opening more aggressively.
Deal 15 (penultimate deal):
Again, Frédéric proved his aggressiveness and desire to win this Bridge Cup by bidding the small slam, whereas for his part Fabrice timidly passed over 3NT.
The start of the sequence was the same at both tables, 1♦ opening bid followed by 2♥ over 2♣ to describe a 5-4 two-suiter of at least 16 points. Over 2♥, Argine bid 3NT with a minimum hand and no fit known. Frédéric then upgraded his sixth diamond, which still left a fit possibility, as well as his 16 nice points. He only had one loser in diamonds, and he held ace-king of hearts in the side suit and the king-doubleton in clubs in his partner’s suit. These elements prompted him to bid again after 3NT, naturally describing his hand with the 4♦ bid.
Argine could calm the game with the 4NT bid, which was not a Blackwood in this situation but a negative and non-forcing bid. Here it directly bid 6♦, the contract it wanted to play, also having good news: two aces, a doubleton heart and a fit in diamonds.
The 6♦ contract looked very good and only went down here on the lead of the ace of diamonds followed by a diamond, to prevent South from ruffing a heart in the dummy. The clubs couldn’t be established with queen-ten-fifth sitting over ace-jack.
This overbid allowed Frédéric to win 12 IMPs and destroyed Fabrice’s last hopes of winning this final.
Funbridge faces put to the test
Among them, MKB made an impression from the start. She scored an impressive 71-0 in her first match against Wieslaw Wruck, aka Wiktorjan. The latter, a true Funbridge expert, has been remarkably assiduous, playing an average of 54 deals a day since registering on the platform.
Margaux continued her progress until the fifth round, when she crossed paths with Mireq B. This player, already winner in the Elite series, is often seen at the top level. Despite a promising journey, Margaux lost to this experienced opponent, but her play and consistency remain a model for the other members of Team Funbridge.
Among the new faces on Team Funbridge, Ronald Goor showed that he wasn’t afraid of taking risks in this tournament. This young player did not hesitate to try his luck, bidding six slams in his three rounds, with an impressive success rate of five out of six. Is this the ardor of youth or simply an excellent mastery of the game?
Ronald doesn’t just play well, he plays fast too. With an average of 80 seconds per deal, he ranks among the 20 fastest players in the competition. A real rocket!
Despite his energy and boldness, his journey came to a halt in the fourth round. But his promising performance suggests that he has a bright future with Team Funbridge.
Among the Funbridge ambassadors, Nikolas Bausback went the furthest this time. His journey came to an end in the round of 32, after a tournament marked by close matches and great consistency.
But his adventure could have ended much sooner. In the round of 64, he faced Westcott Bay in a hotly contested duel. The two players finished on a perfect 17-17 tie, and in the end it was the stopwatch that decided the final outcome.
Nikolas Bausback also distinguished himself by his precision in slams. He bid seven of them throughout the tournament, making them all without exception.
Suspense à la carte: the key moments of this edition
The Bridge Cup was a competition full of surprises! As is often the case with this type of event, each match offered its share of unforgettable moments, and this edition was no exception. We have followed every match, every deal and noted all the essential information to capture the essence of this competition.
- As in the previous edition, this one saw an impressive number of perfect ties, with 25 cases where the players’ fate was decided by the stopwatch, settling the tie in very tight conditions. Also, 51 matches ended with the smallest gap: 1 point.
- At the top of the rankings of the most represented countries in this Bridge Cup, we find France with 552 participants, closely followed by Poland and Norway. 🌍
- A special mention goes to Alexandre Lormeau, aka Le Chacal Vert, who put in an impeccable performance with 17 contracts made out of 17 bid. A lucky number for this intrepid bridge player! 🍀
Let’s now move on to the memorable matches of this edition, those which saw players with notable performances go head-to-head.
A gala match ⭐
In the round of 64, the match between Bulgaria’s Sergey Ivanov, aka Dao Ph, and Britain’s Grazhaz lived up to all expectations. Both players put in impressive performances, with Dao Ph averaging 64.26% and Grazhaz 64.41%, the latter also averaging an impressive 4.06 IMPs!
The duel was particularly hotly contested, with each deal providing its dose of suspense. In the end, Grazhaz won by a hair’s breadth on a score of 38-36. It was an intense match in which both players didn’t give up right up to the last deal.
David beat Goliath 👏
A Series 9 player with an average performance of 43%, Tim Jansen, aka Tim J, was not necessarily expected to be among the favorites. However, in his very first match, he surprised everyone with a 33-18 victory over Diamond7, an Elite series player with over 142,000 deals to his credit. This match perfectly illustrates that all levels can compete in this competition, sometimes resulting in unexpected turnarounds and memorable games.
A historic comeback 📈
In the fourth round, our ambassador Jérôme Rombaut achieved an impressive comeback against Jonathan Lai. Led 28-3 until deal 12, Jérôme never gave up and geared up towards the end of the game.
In just four deals, he turned the tide, scoring 28 points. The match ended on a score of 31-28, giving Jérôme a last-minute victory.
Thank you to all the participants!
This edition of the Bridge Cup was once again a success, thanks to you. Your performances, commitment and passion set the pace for this competition and offered some memorable matches. ⚔️
We would love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments. What did you think of this edition? What were your favourite moments? And of course, tell us what you think of this article.
See you soon for more competitions on Funbridge!
A very interesting and informative report. It captures the potential excitement and thrills this cup format produces.