Direct Line With Norberto Bocchi

Mabel Bocchi's direct line today is with another of the Italian superstars, Norberto Bocchi.

40 year-old from Parma. World Life Master and European Grand Master. Number one in the individual ranking in Italy for the past ten years with seven team championship victories and five in the Coppa Italia. Playing for Italy he has won three European Team Championship golds ('97 - '99 - 2001), a silver in the European Pairs ('99) and gold in the Olympiad (2000). Other gold medal victories include two in the MEC Pairs ('89 - '96), two in the American Nationals (Reisinger 2000 and Spingold 2001), one in the Politiken World Pairs (2000), Forbo Teams and the Australian Summer NOT (2001). Die-hard supporter of Juventus, he loves sport in general, good food and flashy cars. Addicted to stock market dabbling, with varying fortune... For love I'd be willing to give up ...? Everything, absolutely everything. And to win this world championship? Almost everything. If you weren't a bridge player, what would you like to be? A journalist, in fact, to be more precise, a special envoy who follows important world events from the front line. Knowing you rather well, I don't think you'd have a very great future in that.

Norberto Bocchi, Italy

I wouldn't say so. You just have to know how to write, and I suppose I'm not too gifted on that score; you must have no fear of death and that's something which terrifies me; and get on and off planes as if they were buses... I'd go by car. In fact I'd be a "very special" envoy.

To what extent do these six adjectives apply to you: sensitive, superficial, good-natured, tolerant, lazy, selfish?

Nice choice! Well, I am very lazy and very good-natured (maybe too good-natured, to the point of being a fool), superficial and sensitive to an average extent, and not at all selfish or tolerant.

On the subject of being good-natured, I've the feeling that recently this quality leaves a little to be desired...

My good nature is the same as always, it's my tolerance and patience which have been a bit lacking lately.
And when something really pisses me off big time, which fortunately is a rare occurrence, I just go crazy...

Yes, I've seen you in action and can vouch for that. But why this deterioration?

Until just a short time ago I deluded myself that my life was like a fairytale where everyone is good and cares for one another. Although realising that life in general isn't like that at all (just watch the news on t.v.), I naively thought that I'd created my own circle of friends and relationships that went beyond all that. Then some unexpected betrayals broke the spell and my blind faith in humanity was transformed into great diffidence.

What do you see in your future?

Death... I forgot to mention that I'm also pessimistic. No, I'm joking, because fortunately for me I'm certainly not a pessimist and it's just my hypochondria which gets to me now and then.

Now and again!?

Well, maybe often, but I am improving. But let's get back to my future where I see myself with two beautiful sons, actually I'd prefer daughters, and preferably accompanied by their splendid mother to share the dream with me.

It's said that money doesn't bring happiness? So what does it bring?

That's true, you can't be happy with money alone, but you must admit that it does help. In fact if you don't have enough, this can sometimes ruin the good things you do have, such as love, serenity, health.

And with money you can surround yourself with beautiful cars, comfortable houses, designer clothes... all things that you love.

Purely aesthetical reasons or something else?

Let me immediately crush those doubts that some may have about me being interested in particular status symbols because that's totally untrue and actually something I detest. The answer is very simple: I like beautiful things because they help me to improve my life, making things more convenient, because almost always the superior quality of material goods, and also services, means a higher cost. I must also add that I'm not at all mean, a bit of a spendthrift in fact...

And what if your financial situation, today more than comfortable, were to change for some reason?

I'd adapt without too much trouble.

What do you look for in a woman?

Understanding and complicity, qualities I've rarely found.

And in a friend?

Disinterest and continuity.

What would you like to change about yourself?

I'd like to be less presumptuous and moody: my relations with those dear to me would certainly be better, and Giorgio Duboin's life too!

Being so presumptuous, do you know your own limits?

What limits?