World Grandmaster
Jacek Pszczoła
He learned the rules of bridge by accident during a summer camp in elementary school at the age of 12. In high school, he became fascinated with the game and participated in his first bridge tournament a week after his high school graduation. Soon after, he qualified for the Polish junior national team. During his first year of university, Jacek formed his first bridge team, Young Boys Lublin. He quickly advanced to the Second League and later to the top league.
At the age of 22, he won his first Polish Championship in the Open category (in bridge, the junior age limit is up to 25 years). Forty years ago, access to bridge literature was very limited, and many books were photocopies. Jacek read every copy he was able to find.
World Pairs Champion (Open)
In 1997, he made his debut in the Polish Open Team at the European Championships in Montecatini. Two years later, he won the World Championship in the Open Pairs category in Lille, France.
There, he gained a nickname that still exists today. In the bridge room (a type of bridge theater where famous players and journalists comment on plays during competitions), his surname Pszczoła was too difficult to pronounce. Thus, his nickname Pepsicola was born, which was later shortened to Pepsi. He also participated in the Buffet Cup match Europe versus America, where Europe emerged victorious.
Bridge Tournaments Around the World
A true bridge globetrotter, he has played in tournaments in dozens of countries around the world, winning on every continent except Antarctica, simply because no competitions have been held there yet. He once played for a record 11 weeks without a single day off.
Jacek Pszczoła is one of the few bridge players who reads books while playing. As a result, during his numerous travels, his luggage is filled with a stack of books.
In addition to bridge, Jacek, as a former athlete, is also a sports enthusiast, particularly of basketball and the NBA league.
Key Achievements
Jacek Pszczoła’s most important achievements include the following titles:
- World Champion in Pairs
- World Champion Bermuda Bowl
- World Champion Transnational Teams
- World Champion Mixed Teams
- 1997 World Transnational Teams, Hammamet [3rd place]
- 2000 World Bridge Olympiad, Maastricht [2nd place]
- 2001 European Team Championships, Tenerife [3rd place]
- 2001 World Team Championship Bermuda Bowl, Paris [3rd place]
- 2002 IOC Grand Prix, Salt Lake City [2nd place]
- 2002 World Bridge Championship Teams, Montreal [3rd place]
- 2009 World Transnational Teams, Sao Paulo [2nd place]
- 2011 European Transnational Open Teams Championship, Poznań [1st place]
- 2011 European Transnational Mixed Teams Championship, Poznań [3rd place]
- 2012 World Transnational Mixed Teams, Lille [1st place]
- 2013 World Transnational Teams, Bali [1st place]
- 2014 World Mixed Pairs Championship, Sanya [2nd place]
- 2017 World Team Championship Bermuda Bowl, Lyon [1st place]
- 2020 European Championship BAM, Monaco [1st place]
- 2023 European Championship BAM, Strasbourg [1st place]
- 2024 European Teams Winter Championship, Huez [2nd place]
Other Victories
Among other distinctions, Jacek Pszczoła is also a two-time winner of the Cavendish Invitational Pairs and holds one title in the Cavendish Invitational Teams.
He is a multiple-time Polish Team Champion and Champion of Polish Teams.
In addition to actively participating in games, Jacek is also a multiple-time World Champion as a coach or non-playing captain of the USA teams.
