How
did you start playing bridge?
I
was twelve. One day I went to my
father's house when he was having a
bridge lesson with a teacher and I
watched... when they finished I told my
father I wanted to learn...
At
the time I used to play tennis and there
was rubber bridge at the club. I started
playing with my dad as partner...
At
14 I played my first tournament in
addition to the junior championships,
and at 17 I partnered up with the star
of the Torino tennis club, Italo Santiah.
That
same year I was invited to join the
"Lavazza" team, a selection to play the
common market tournament, and I
classified to play in the Italian
official team, we lost in the quarter
finals...
In
1980 I continued with "Lavazza", my
partner was Giorgio Belladona for three
years, and as a junior I played with
Giorgio Duboin... It was a great team.
With
the junior team in 1984 we lost against
France, by individual match, almost at
the end we were way ahead, but we lost
the
last
two matches 24 to 6 against France and
Denmark... a tragic experience... our
partners were Vittorio Golfarelli and
Norberto Bocchi...
What happened afterwards?
The
following year I moved on to men's but
was not selected to play in the official
team...
Until 1999, when I played with Dano
Defalco and we won the European
Championship. After that we played the
Bermuda Bowl and lost in the quarter
finals against the U.S. by 5 IMPs after
discounting a carry-over of 13.
In the year 2000 you played in the team
that won the Olympics... what can you
tell us about that?
In
2000 in Maastricht we won the first
Olympics against Poland by 11 IMPs after
making two consecutive doubled contracts.
That year we also won the European
tournament in Tenerife.
In
2002 we lost the semifinals of the World
Championship against Norway by 5 IMPs
and I retired...
But that retirement has not been
final... Lately you have teamed up with
an Argentine player... How did you start
playing with Agustin Madala?
I
met him at the Paris World Tournament in
2001, he played for Argentina when he
was only 15... We watched him play and
realized he was very good. When we were
chatting I told him bridge was his
calling... And at 17 we invited him to
join the Lavazza team as my partner.
Can a player at 17 reach that level?
Yes.
His carding was already perfect, only
his bidding needed improvement. The
truth is he studied little but
understood everything. My role was to
prepare him to play with Antonio Sementa.
We
played very well together in the Japan
tournament which we won very easily. In
Amsterdam we played and easily won the
White House... playing excellent
bridge...
We
also played professional in the U.S.
with a sponsor...
Which bridge book would you recommend?
Forquet's book "Play bridge with the
Blue Team", I think it's the best bridge
book of all times.
To
me he was the best player ever, even
today Pietro plays very well, I play
with him twice a year.
At present, who do you think is the best
player?
Right now the best players are: Jeff
Meckstroth of the U.S., Alfredo Versace
from Italy and Marcelo Castello Branco
from Brazil...
What can you tell us of Castello Branco?
When
I met him I was impressed... not only by
his talent and regularity at the table,
but he makes no mistakes playing the
cards, his carding is wonderful...
What is your favourite convention?
I
like natural bridge, I think all
conventions are bad, I don't have a
favourite...
How are men's and women's games
different?
In
synthesis, it's like competing in the
triumph arch race with a donkey... the
big difference is in the play of the
cards, I don't understand why they
declare well and fail in the carding...
What would you advise youngsters that
want to dedicate themselves to bridge?
Try
something else. It is very difficult to
be a pro, you see the best 10 making
lots of money but behind them there are
hundreds just surviving.
Besides you not only have to play well,
you need a marketing backup promoting
you and that's very difficult...professional
bridge is pure marketing!!!
The
life of a pro is very hard, if I had
children I would tell them to play
sports, and choose another career...
Now that you are retired again, what
would you like to do for bridge?
Right now I would like to coach but
outside of Italy...I would like to work
in South America...
I
like the weather and more relaxed
lifestyle in South America... and
especially the women...
How do you see the future of bridge?
Right now bridge is a seniors' game, the
young play poker rather than bridge...
When I was 14 there was none of that,
technology is killing bridge...
Another reason is that the federations
lack a comprehensive promotion policy...
In
Italy bridge is taught at school, but it
doesn't work out because the bridge
instructor is the geography or math
teacher and it is impossible to believe that
anyone who doesn't know bridge can teach
it...
What do you think of the Italian method
of appointing the selection?
That
it is tops!!! Except for a year (1998)
we have always had a Captain doing the
selection, which guarantees that we
always have the best possible team...
Our experience proves it...At present
Maria Teresa is the only one selecting,
and if you look at the results, it's the
best way...
What do you think of the seniors
category?
Competitive but more relaxed and much
more fun. I have 11 years to go... By
2020 we already have a program with the
same team, Golfarelli, Duboin, Bocchi
and myself...
Is there any cheating in bridge?
I'm
not sure, most of it is legend, there
were only 5 or 6 pairs in history...
Which hand keeps you awake at night?
In
the Bermuda Bowl quarter finals, I
missed a card, I had QJ2 of trump but I
didn't see the 2... Nickel played the A
and K and I discarded the J and Q and
all of a sudden the 2 appeared, and we
lost by 5 IMPs; the hand cost us 12
instead of giving us 11 IMPs and a swing
of 23 IMPs... What do you think? ...
Many nights I don't sleep...
What are your goals in life?
Playing golf till the very end....
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