Let's raise our virtual glasses in celebration of Silviu Iovescu, the Romanian bridge player known as "usla" on BBO, who has recently claimed the title of the all-time top BBO Points Winner - the BBO Ace.

Silviu has been playing competitively since 1995, at national and European levels. He's won several National Championships, but mentioned that having a National Teams Champion title remains his ultimate goal for now. In terms of international results, he won the Sport Accord World Mind Games Online Tourney in 2014 and also finished third in BBO's Bridge International Championship in 2021.

We asked him for his reaction to being the number one player on BBO and he said, "I definitely feel good, but you know, rankings are both objective and subjective. Personally, I have been playing for two hours a day, every day, but always with pleasure. When I lose the pleasure of playing, it is better for me to pause rather than continuing to play out of obligation."

Silviu credits BBO as an excellent resource for skill improvement. "You can practice with robots, discuss with your regular partner about your system, and participate in high-level bridge tournaments hosted by the ACBL.", he says.

His favorite game on BBO are robot tournaments due to the dynamic gameplay. He said, "I can play a board per minute, they help me improve my individual bridge skills as sometimes the robots make impressive plays.". However, for him, the ACBL is the place to play when it comes to partnerships.

He makes an effort to improve his gameplay every day. "Robot tournaments help me enhance my speed in bidding and card play, while ACBL tournaments allow me to test my system and compete alongside my regular partner. And, the Vugraph provides an opportunity to observe and learn from numerous skilled players. I am confident that all bridge players who play on BBO can enhance their bridge skills over time."

The number of points he accumulated before achieving the Ace rank was through his participation in club games. He also earned points through ACBL tournaments and robot rewards, as well as daylong tournaments. He advises, "If your goal is to earn points, playing daylong tournaments is recommended, where speed is not a crucial factor. However, in robot reward tournaments, being a fast player is advantageous."

Talking about the games, Silviu prefers to strike a balance, enjoying a moderate level of intensity that keeps the game engaging yet enjoyable. For him, bridge is not simply a pastime; it is a passion that fuels his daily routine.

When it comes to competitive play he admits that he admires a select group of players on BBO. "I hold great admiration for Timothy, Claire, Leo, Fred, Eugene, David, Mugur, Lucian, Valeriu, Gabriel, and many others. When Bocchi plays at Vugraph, I never miss the opportunity to watch him in action. There are also numerous other players that I am delighted to observe their gameplay on Vugraph."

He also has interesting advise to share, "Play the game for pleasure, find a partner at your level, improve together. Treat bridge as a sport, strive for progress. Whether you play against robots or humans doesn't matter, but starting with human tournaments can improve your partnerships. Once you're ready, try robot tournaments to elevate your personal skills."

Once again, here's to Silviu Iovescu! Congratulations, and may your bridge journey continue to be filled with joy, success, and the thrill of the cards!