Golden Rise tournament: the results!
Summary:
Qualifying: the climb to the top
The qualifying phase of the Golden Rise tournament ended on Thursday 27 June after four days of fierce competition.
In this arena where the battle raged, 3,098 bridge players took up the challenge, determined to secure their place in the final by achieving an average score of at least 60%. But with such a high level of play, many saw their journeys end at the gates of the ultimate test…
Players who are already shining ✨
831 bridge players have managed to cross the finish line of the qualifying phase and made it to the final of the Golden Rise tournament, that is 27% of participants. Congratulations to them on this great performance as well as to all the players who participated in this competition! 👏
Three players particularly stood out during the qualifications:
🥇 The Israeli Timour Khachtchevatsky aka Timour (12th in the Live rankings) with an impressive average of 77.72%.
🥈 The French Philothée (82nd in the Live rankings) who finished brilliantly with an average of 77.02%.
🥉 The Manx Bridge4Tune (454th in the Live rankings) with an average of 75.80%.
These champions, coming from various backgrounds and rankings, once again demonstrated that the Golden Rise event isn’t just for players from the top 10 of the Live rankings. Have they been able to maintain this impressive level of play during the final and prevail over formidable opponents? 🤔
Many familiar faces among the finalists
With ten times more Bridge Points up for grabs, the Golden Rise tournament generated a real buzz within the Funbridge community. Players turned out in force to try to secure their place in the final and climb up the rankings.
Among the qualified are many familiar faces on the Bridge Points Circuit: players regularly at the top of the Live rankings, recognised ambassadors, Team Funbridge members, and even some staff representatives. All driven by the same ambition: shine in this exceptional tournament and leave their mark on the history of the circuit.
The golden final 🏆
After three days of intense competition, the final of the Golden Rise tournament ended on 29 June.
The 825 qualifiers set out to tackle this ultimate challenge, determined to shine until the end and win one of the most prestigious podiums on the Bridge Points Circuit.
Discover the big winner of the Golden Rise tournament, the outstanding performances, and an overview of the strategies that made the difference in this tough final!
Surprises in the rankings
During the qualifications, three players have particularly distinguished themselves, dominating the rankings brilliantly and suggesting a great performance in the final.
But in this golden final, where the elite of the circuit had gathered, the competition reached an exceptional level.
Despite their brilliant initial journey and undeniable tenacity, these contenders for victory failed to convert the try in the final phase. They missed the podium… but their performance remains a brilliant feat in the Golden Rise tournament.
The Israeli Timour Khachtchevatsky aka Timour finished 38th with an average of 58.54%.
The French Philothée finished 644th with an average of 45.07%.
The Manx Bridge4Tune finished 51st with an average of 57.94%.
Several big names on Funbridge came close to victory, managing to nearly reach the top without, however, managing to take first place.
Our ambassador and leader of the BP live rankings Dominique Fonteneau distinguished himself by winning a beautiful 9th place with a score of 62.55%.
For his part, Steven De donder, 7th in the Live BP rankings and known as Pikarek, finished 4th with 63.79%.
Well done to them for their results in a very competitive final!
A resounding victory
The big winner of this edition of the Golden Rise tournament may not be a Bridge Points Circuit figure yet… but he is far from being unknown on Funbridge.
A regular on the platform, this experienced player knew how to seize the chance and deliver a remarkable performance in the final. With a solid and controlled play, he won against very high-level opponents and achieved one of his finest victories to date.
Thanks to this triumph, he also achieved a significant jump in the Live rankings, where he is now ranked 10th. A progression which confirms his rise to power on the circuit.
🥇 Congratulations to Barrois Xavier, winner of the Golden Rise tournament with a score of 68.35%!
Behind him, two players also stood out and completed this golden podium:
🥈 The German Bernhard Bussek with 66.87%
🥉 The Turk Alpay Ari aka Alpayge with 64.34%
Congratulations to them on their superb performances in this tough final!
Read the exclusive interview with the big winner of the Golden Rise tournament! 🎙️
First, how did it feel to win such a prestigious tournament as a BP1000? Was this a goal you set for yourself from the start?
I approached this BP1000 tournament with the goal of achieving a good score. Indeed, a friend of mine recently told me he was impressed that I was so high in the FB rankings. And I knew that to secure my place, I had to play well in this big tournament. But I never imagined I could win it! 😊
What is your bridge background? How did you discover this game and what led you to this point?
I’m from the North, from a family where it was common to play bridge with friends. I think I started learning to play around the age of 10. There were seven of us children, so it was easy to be four to play.
I discovered bridge books (Jais-Lebel) and competitive bridge during my engineering studies. I finished 9th in the French Junior Championships in 1980 or 1981. I met my wife through bridge. We even had the opportunity to play two deals against the Omar Sharif-Paul Chemla pair in Juan Les Pins.
Then, with my professional life and children, I stopped competing. Regretfully.
Funbridge allowed me to get back into a form of competition without the time constraints, spending all my weekends playing, etc. From this point of view, Funbridge is great!
In this Golden Rise tournament, is there a particular game or situation that stood out to you or that you think was decisive for your victory?
On Funbridge I have a rather aggressive bidding style and when I start badly, I try to recover by being even more aggressive, which is often not a good idea.
Here I was lucky to get off to a good start on the first deals. So, I applied myself. I played more slowly than usual, trying to count the hands carefully. As Argine is reliable in its signalling, it’s important to look carefully at the small cards!
And I had some luck too. I remember one deal towards the end where I felt a slam was in sight. I raised my partner in spades when I only had two. This allowed me to start slam bids and sign off in 6NT. I was missing the ace and king of spades, but Argine obviously didn’t lead a spade and I was able to make 12 tricks for a near top. 😊
More generally, how do you manage stress and decision-making in such crucial moments? Do you have a particular approach to keeping calm during competitions?
Since my only bridge competitions are on Funbridge, it’s easier. When I make several bad decisions in a row, I stop and come back later in the day. Overall, I’m not really stressed out. I stay calm quite naturally.
Do you regularly play Funbridge tournaments? What are your favourite game modes and what do you like most about these formats?
I am a long-time player on Funbridge.
I really like the team tournament where I’m lucky to be in a friendly and good team. I also play a few private tournaments. Thank you to the organisers (Guy Delaye, Philipo and Aramis Aramis).
And I also like pairs tournaments where I can be « imaginative »—my partner Argine never gets angry even when things go wrong—and IMP tournaments where I try to be more reasonable.
Bridge is about transmission. What advice would you give to the participants of our next BP1000 tournament?
Tips for a BP1000?
There are 48 deals, which is long to play. So you have to stay calm and focused even if you make some mistakes. And in this tournament, as in the others, you have to pay attention to all the cards played by Argine. So I think it’s easier to maintain a good level of concentration by not playing too many deals in a row.
And, of course, you need luck, but here I don’t have a method to recommend.
What are your goals for the future on Funbridge? Are you now aiming for the top of the Bridge Points rankings?
Indeed, we get a taste for it. It would be great to get into the top 5, but I’ll try to stay around the 10th place. 😊
Check out the analysis of the final by Kai Eckert aka BridginWithKai! ♣️
Thank you to all participants!
This BP1000 Golden Rise tournament was once again a success thanks to you. Your commitment, performances and enthusiasm set the pace for this competition and gave life to a final that was as intense as it was memorable. ✨
💬 We would love to hear from you!
What did you think of this edition? What were your favourite moments?
And of course, feel free to tell us what you thought of this article in the comments.
See you soon for other competitions on Funbridge!
