This year Norberto Bocchi has racked up an outstanding record of success: NEC Cup in Japan, Juans les Pins, two Biarritz trophies, Italian Championships in Salsomaggiore, Italian Club Team Championships with Allegra (Lavazza Torino) and European Championships in Ostend with Blue Team. Before leaving to Philadelphia, Norberto Bocchi has kindly granted to Neapolitan Club a long and well-articulated interview. A number of topics is referred to, each accompanied by a quote, and the Italian Ace has been invited to discuss them. The result can be considered as a little vademecum: Bridge according to Norberto. Here are some abstracts.
Beasts. Alfred Sheinwold said about instinct: “Scientists used to think that animals were guided by instinct and men by reason, but recent experiments reveal that bridge players also rely more on instinct than on thought. Is it possible that bridge players aren’t human?” [from “Classic Bridge Quotes” by Jared Johnson - 1989 Devyn Press].
NC: How much do you rely on instinct?
Norberto Bocchi: This question looks as done for me. I’m an instinctive player. Genius and recklessness: often, although I see the technical manoeuvre, I do something else because I’m an instinctive player. I agree with Sheinwold: the strong players sometimes perceive something that others do not. I play much on the instinct, on opponents’ gesture and demeanour.
NC: Is this what is called “presence at the table”?
Norberto Bocchi: Yes, as I was saying, I often play in an unorthodox manner because my feeling drove me otherwise: I can say that seven times of ten I “guess” right then the partners forgive me the three times when I do not. An instinctive player doesn’t only follow his instinct, of course, but he’s able to feel when he can. The instinct is a gift, and I sometime use it. Another instinctive player is Zia Mahmood, which often makes very original things, outstanding, and “guess” very much.
About systems and partnership. In the system you played with Giorgio Duboin, the opening 1♣ and 1NT were integrated: 1NT varied between 12-14 and 15-17, depending from the situation – love or vulnerable – and from the place; 1♣ “covered” the remaining balanced hands. Playing with Agustin Madala, your new partner, this feature vanished: now 1NT is fixed to 15-17.
NC: Why? We must note that Giorgio Duboin too, in his new partnership with Antonio Sementa, has given up this treatment; however, in their system the opening 1♣ is busy on other tasks.
Norberto Bocchi: I have changed because, only at very high level, the weak no trump could be dangerous. It’s a very aggressive way of bidding, but let me explain better. We Italians are the strongest – as all say – then we don’t need to be very aggressive to win. Let this kind of bridge exits for weaker players. We don’t anymore interest it: we have practiced it because was funny, but now we have got rid of it also because such an intricate system calls for greater concentration: you must always be aware of being love or vulnerable and in what place you’re sitting, because the system changes depending upon the seat and the situation and all become very, very complex. It addedd sacrifices for crummy advantages. About the Duboin-Sementa’s new system, I tell you that we also have many burdens on the opening 1♣, maybe more than they have. We play a very compressed system, so compressed that it has became difficult to find room for new hands.
NC: Are you and Madala planning something new, about systems?
Norberto Bocchi: You know that i’m considered a “system maker” along with Lauria. He’s still working on systems and has many ideas that we often compare with mine. We together have introduced many innovations in the past, but now I'm working long alone. Bridge is always evolving, as all sports. I stress that bridge is a sport, although of the mind. Things are today changed. Today is very important the contested auction, more important than the uncontested one. Today the opponents always “break the boxes” by overcalling and you must have good agreements with the partner and always figure out new ploys against their interferences: they tease you, they overwhelm you, they forestall your calling. This will be the future of bridge. Bridge thought as a bidding system today is clumsy, for not saying it’s dead. I don’t say that all systems are equals, but a good system is worth as another good system. What is worth is agreeing with partner on intelligent conventions. This makes a pair becomes very strong. I’m working with Madala in this direction. Lauria is a great system-analyst, as I was telling you before, and we exchange ideas between us. Ideas, not conventions. You have to know that the ideas on which basis we played seven-eight years ago are today spread worldwide. Most conventions are ideas coming from me and Lorenzo. All the transfers at the one level resulted of our studies eight, maybe nine years ago, and we anticipated all. We won by this ideas: now they have been copied by all and we are looking for new solutions.
Golf. G. Bernard Shaw said: "To play golf it is not necessary to be stupid, but it helps."
NC: How do you comment this aphorism of the famous Irish playwright? Would you tell us a bit on your relationship with golf?
Norberto Bocchi: I think that G. B. Shaw has never played golf. It’s a sport as many, and isn’t to be stupid or not. The aphorism is well known, but has nothing to do with golf. You should play it to understand. It’s a sport that has many links with bridge: you need concentration, discipline, the ability to choose the right action at the right time. In short, on the psychological level it has much in common with the bridge. As you pick out which card to play at the table, as in golf you must choice the right post for get the green. When next to the hole, concentration is all; technique isn’t enough. Before shooting you must study the situation. Then the aphorism is more funny than founded. I’ll tell you, I find in golf as many stupid people as in bridge. But there’s a difference: bridge is a game that leads, at high levels, to be original and as it happens people who play bridge are more fun. But there are fools everywhere.
by Laura Camponeschi for BridgeTopics.com (consultancy by Paolo Enrico Garrisi)
