Interview to Charlie Bucknell (EBU – English Bridge Union Juniors) run to Laura Camponeschi for Peace&Bridge Journal.
Laura Camponesch: How long have you been playing bridge?
Charlie Bucknell: I’ve been playing Bridge for 12 years, I learned from my father when I was 11 in Italy!
LC: Where did you learn?
CB: In Genoa, we were on a family holiday to celebrate my brother’s exam results and we accidentally found a hotel in a non touristy bit, so dad taught us bridge and poker. I don’t play much poker.
LC: What has been your best achievement to date?
CB: I think I would say winning a bronze in White House Juniors 2019. I haven’t been on the competitive scene long so any podium finish is great!
LC: Will you introduce Engand Juniors Team engaged in Peace&Bridge Transnational Open Teams?
CB: Of course! We have quite the lineup with four flexible pairs and a floater.
Jono and Kripa are our most experienced and established partnership and pride themselves on excellent system knowledge and theory. Our Italian translator, Jono (like most of our team) has a particular penchant for squeeze play, but arguably our floating player, Stephen Kennedy, the most decorated on our team and the author of “Crocs on Squeeze Play” must claim the medal for squeeze theory – it is a remarkable book (or three).
Aaron and Oliver exhibit a system now fondly known as “Powell Standard”, a very popular method in the u26 squad which any pickup pair tends to play – it focuses on transfer Walsh.
Ewa is a PhD student at Oxford doing computational drug discovery, and has been playing Bridge in Poland before coming and joining us here, her greatest mistake is obviously choosing to partner me though.
Eshan and Filippos are a solid reliable partnership who newly formed last year. Filippos can often be seen helping teammates in the post mortem whilst Eshan is a bit more relaxed, making them a great balance to one another.
LC: What’s your view about RealBridge?
CB: I like it – I do find the background noise annoying sometimes so if you ask me a question and I don’t hear it, that might be why! I like being able to communicate so easily with the players at the table and I think RealBridge is best when it is using screens.
LC: Will you explain us which is EBU’s policies about Juniors?
CB: I work for the EBU so I better get this right! The EBU is incredibly proactive for Juniors and tends to offer at least 50% as a minimum discount for all tournaments.
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Orignally posted on Peace&Bridge Transnational Open Teams Journal Day 3