Le Bridgeur July / August 2016

Army to defeat

France is European champion in open teams. A first for thirty-three years (Wiesbaden, 1983)! This victory, acquired even before the last match, finally puts our nation at the top of European bridge. Dominant, the France team has left little hope for the usual legitimate contenders. Built as much on the “big teams” (20-0 against Monaco, Norway and Germany!) As against the less seasoned, this triumph results from a combination combining a game of very good quality, an irreproachable state of mind , a foolproof mind and a zest of luck. This team is above all six friends. Thomas Bessis, François Combescure, Cédric Lorenzini, Jérôme Rombaut, Frédéric Volcker and I hoped from the start (first round of the Selection in September 2015) to experience a common adventure. Consolidated by mutual affection and mutual respect, the French team was then armed to "survive" a trying and nervously exhausting championship. Carried by the strength of the youth of Cédric, Frédéric and Thomas, we therefore became a formidably effective formation and very difficult to beat.