The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Ep. 87 Tuva Nilsmark: BridgeQueen
Today’s guest is Tuva Nilsmark, who goes by BridgeQueen on YouTube. As a bridge lover and social media user, Tuva saw a gap in the YouTube landscape for bridge videos that are light, short, easy to understand, and fun to watch. She fills that gap with her tutorials and weekly Funbridge Friday videos, hoping to inspire new players to hone their skills.
Bridge isn’t just community for Tuva – it’s a part of her family. Tuva’s boyfriend is Simon Ekenberg, whom she met through bridge. She also picked up bridge as a teenager to play with her grandparents, whom she promptly abandoned for stronger players.
Boye Brogeland suggested I interview Tuva for this episode. You can listen to my conversation with Boye here: https://www.thesettingtrick.com/https/thesettingtricklibsyncom/ep-84-boye-brogeland-bridge-at-the-edge-and-in-person
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You can follow Tuva on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bridge.queen/?hl=en
Tuva’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@bridgequeen
Episode Highlights:
2:00 – Tuva is in a fantasy football league with her boyfriend Simon Ekenberg other bridge players: “Really good bridge players; they suck at fantasy football though.”
4:58 –Tuva started her YouTube channel recently, to a largely positive reception. You can watch her videos here: https://www.youtube.com/@bridgequeen
8:14 – How Tuva got started in bridge
11:19 – Tuva’s father is the captain of the Swedish Open
12:48 – The first time Tuva saw Simon
15:14 – As if her bridge-playing family wasn’t enough, you might also know of Tuva’s mother, Catrin Nilsmark, who is a golfer and two-time captain of the European Solheim Cup Team.
22:15 – With her Funbridge Fridays series, Tuva hopes to show a different side of bridge. She wants to counter the overly serious image that bridge can have.
29:17 – Tuva and Simon played a bridge and golf event and beat Ola Rimstedt.
36:30 – Tuva’s first partner was her father
42:32 – The BridgeQueen YouTube channel has a video called “Learn Bridge in only Three Minutes:” https://youtu.be/MxWO8EFujbw?feature=shared
49:01 – The most pressure Tuva has felt playing bridge so far
55:04 – Tuva’s ultimate goal is to win the Venice cup
58:55 – Another long term goal of Tuva’s is beating Simon