eBridge Cup 2025 : a historic first edition
Summary
Champions of this first edition
A three-stage journey for a unique competition
An unprecedented global event
A staggering volume of play
Rewards worthy of the event
Go further: Highlight boards from the eBridge Cup 2025
For the first time in its history, the bridge community experienced a fully digital global event: the eBridge Cup, jointly organised by Funbridge and Bridge Base Online (BBO).
Over several weeks, thousands of players competed across three successive stages. This inaugural edition marks a historic turning point: international mobilisation, hundreds of thousands of boards played, a record prize pool… and outstanding champions.
In this article, we look back at this first edition with a complete retrospective of the eBridge Cup—from the exceptional player turnout to the key moments of the competition, including the most striking statistics and the overall impact of the event.
For those who wish to relive the eBridge Cup from a more technical perspective, a second article awaits you, featuring board analyses, bidding explanations and expert commentary.
eBridge Cup 2025: Key figures
eBridge Cup : 🥇Bernhard Bussek, 🥈Alain Labaere, 🥉Samuel Leong
eCup2 : 🥇Marc Grandemange, 🥈Olivier Milles, 🥉Tom Craig
Champions of this first edition
After several weeks of intense play, everything came down to the Grand Final.
And as is often the case in major competitions, the story delivered a few surprises.
🥇 At the top of the standings, Bernhard Bussek (Germany) claimed victory with an impressive performance: 61.27% over 100 boards.
Just behind him, 🥈 Alain Labaere, also known as B.B.C. (Belgium) and 🥉Samuel Leong, aka sieong (USA) completed the podium.
The rest of the Top 10 tells its own story: a final where nationalities mixed, styles clashed, and both seasoned players and rising talents stood out.
France, Turkey, Denmark, the United Kingdom… the diversity of this final ranking perfectly illustrates how the eBridge Cup brought together a truly international elite of online bridge.
Winner profile: Bernhard Bussek
« Play with the robot, not against it. »
— Bernhard Bussek
The overall winner of this first eBridge Cup is Bernhard Bussek, a German player based in Berlin. He discovered bridge in the 1980s and never looked back—eventually co-founding the BridgeZentrum Berlin.
A passionate online player, he now plays almost exclusively on Funbridge, where he particularly appreciates Argine’s logic and consistency. His secret? Play with the robot, stay disciplined, and avoid unnecessary risks.
The final, featuring 100 boards and two different engines, was a true marathon. Bernhard remained consistent, avoided costly errors, and made the most of his deep knowledge of Argine. When he completed his final tournament, it became clear that no one could catch him.
He ranks this victory among the five greatest achievements of his bridge career.
A humble, methodical champion.
eCup 2 champions: when a second chance pays off
Because the eBridge Cup offered multiple paths to success, eCup 2 also crowned its own champions. Reserved for players who did not qualify in the first phase, it highlighted profiles that were consistent, determined and highly inspiring.
🥇 Marc Grandemange (France) claimed victory with an excellent 70.61%
🥈 Olivier Milles, known as Biquet69 (France) followed closely with 69.90%, after playing no fewer than 120 tournaments. He recently won the French Online Individual Championship – Performance category (his interview is available here).
🥉 Tom Craig, aka RealityTC (Ireland), completed the podium with 68.85%, also after 120 tournaments.
Behind this trio, many players—from Aaida Abu Jaber to penelope esther — proved that this second chance could lead very far.
eCup 2 delivered a clear message:
consistency and perseverance can also lead to the podium.
eCup 2 winner profile: Marc Grandemang
At 51 years old, Marc Grandemange emerged as the eCup 2 champion.
A certified mathematics teacher, he works in a high school in Annecy and has been playing bridge for 30 years. A member of the Bridge Club du Grand Annecy for the past 8–9 years, he combines rigour, logic and experience—a powerful trio that proved decisive in this competition.
His 70.61% victory crowned a controlled run and a highly methodical approach to robot bridge.
A discreet, analytical champion, perfectly aligned with the spirit of eCup 2: turning a second chance into a real opportunity.
A three-stage journey for a unique competition
Let’s recall the path players followed in their quest to reach the top of the eBridge Cup.
Everything began with the qualification phase, open to all. For several days, thousands of players battled to secure their place in the next stage.
At the end of this first phase, two paths emerged:
- Non-qualified players moved to eCup2, a second chance full of suspense and opportunity.
- The best advanced to the Semi-finals, the final step before the Grand Final, played on both BBO and Funbridge.
An unprecedented global event
From the opening of the qualifications, enthusiasm was immediate: 9,000 players took part in this inaugural edition.
Players joined from all over the world, connected across time zones, eager to compete and share an online bridge experience like no other. A massive turnout that reflects the growing appeal of major digital events.
An international community united
The eBridge Cup reached 131 countries, with some communities particularly standing out.
eBridge Cup 2025: Top 5 most engaged nations
By bringing together so many countries, play styles and profiles, the eBridge Cup confirmed that online bridge can unite a vast and passionate community.
A staggering volume of play: 215,000 boards
The eBridge Cup was also a true marathon of cards: 215,000 boards played, day and night, across global time zones.
Player motivation exceeded all expectations.
Rewards worthy of the event
Beyond participation, the eBridge Cup stood out thanks to a generous prize structure designed to reward all types of players—finalists, juniors, and passionate competitors alike.
Main Event: an exceptional podium
The Grand Final crowned its champions with some of the highest prizes ever awarded in an online bridge competition:
- 1st : $5,000
- 2nd : $2,500
- 3rd : $1,500
But the spirit of the eBridge Cup went beyond the podium.
Players finishing 4th and 5th received $500, those ranked 6th to 10th received $200, and players placed 20th, 30th, 40th… up to 100th received $100 each.
A strong statement recognising performance across the entire field.
Junior Awards: highlighting the next generation
Young players were also celebrated:
The top five juniors (under 26) each won one year of Premium access on Funbridge and BBO.
A symbolic yet meaningful gesture, underlining the shared ambition to support the next generation of bridge players.
eCup2: a second chance that paid off
For players who did not qualify directly, eCup2 was far more than a consolation—it was a real springboard, with attractive prizes on each platform:
- 1er : $1,000
- 2e : $300
- 3e : $150
- 4e / 5e : $50
A format that allowed many players to bounce back and shine despite an early setback.
A gift for all
Finally, to thank all participants for their commitment, every player who completed at least 20 boards received three months of Bridgerama magazine.
A simple but appreciated gesture that beautifully closed this first edition.
Go further: Highlight boards from the eBridge Cup 2025
For those who wish to extend the adventure and understand how the final rankings truly unfolded, the article “The standout deals from the 2025 eBridge Cup” awaits you.
To give you a preview of this in-depth analysis, an excerpt is included below.
A Funbridge ambassador, junior world champion, and a trained statistician, Milan Macura is known for his methodical and educational approach, as well as his strong involvement in the development of bridge.
His videos and analyses have become essential resources for the international community.
Milan has selected two deals for you: the first one where he played well, and the second where he was a bit lucky—but above all, disciplined… Test yourself against one of the most recognizable faces of Funbridge, and of bridge in general!
Conclusion
With nearly 9,000 players, more than 215,000 boards played, a record prize structure and global participation, this first edition of the eBridge Cup marks a decisive milestone in the history of online bridge.
By uniting the Funbridge and BBO communities, the event proved that digital bridge can bring people together, create excitement, and offer a competitive playground of unprecedented scale.
The eBridge Cup lays the foundations for a new era of online bridge—more open, more international and more ambitious.
See you very soon… the adventure has only just begun.
