Frenchman Paul Chemla is 57 years old. He graduated summa cum laude in classical languages and French litterature. He elected to live single. He is a music lover, especially operas, so much so that he knows many operas almost entirely by heart. He also loves reading very much: one might say that he devours books...

His bridge palmares includes three Olympic team titles: 1980, 1992 and 1996, one Bermuda Bowl in 1997, three European Pairs championships: 1976, 1985 and 1999.

His compatriots nickname him L'Enfant Terrible; the Americans just call him "The Cigar."

Which way and how much has bridge changed your life? After graduating in classical languages and French litterature I realised that I was by no means interested to adapt myself to the so-called normal life, the life, to be exact, built up of thousands of responsibilities, obligations, jobs and time tables almost always prescribed by other people. I started to play bridge a little, and apart from giving me pleasure it also brought me another good thing: this way, I could escape becoming a famous professor at a prestigious university and use the bridge as the instrument to flee away from everything that, some way or another, might link me with the ordinary everyday world. For compensation, my relationships are nearly all outside the world of bridge, with few exceptions (e.g. Omar Sharif); I am reading quite a lot and I do not give up many chances to listen to good music, especially operatic. What do you see in the morning, when you are looking in the mirror not yet fully awake?

Paul Chemla

I see a middle-aged man who is neither content nor disappointed about himself.

Do you have to be an intelligent person to be able to play bridge?

After so many years, and after seeing so many stupid persons, I am finally convinced that intelligence, in bridge, might even be sort of a handicap: To become a world class bridge player all you need most probably is a special gene in your DNA.

What should the characteristics be of your ideal partner?

My career has come to a stage now where I do not have the illusion any more to be able to find and create that special feeling, special understanding needed to form a perfect partnership with anyone. I have had this type of partnership for 15 years with Michel Perron. Together, we have won very many events, but we also managed to have a lot of pleasure together. At present, I think that the ideal partner does not exist, even though I am playing with very good players all the time.

What did life teach you so far?

To exploit all the pleasant moments life has in store for me, and to forget the unpleasant ones as quickly as possible. Every day has something good in it; the only thing is to be able to spot it and to cherish it. To put it short, I totally adhere to the philosophy of "Carpe Diem." I am a player who loves taking big risks; when I am winning a lot of money I am happy, of course, but when I am losing, I am succeeding to appreciate the positive aspects of defeat as well, by means of this strange form of masochism common to all the great players.

It is said that you are a little bit arrogant, but have you ever been afraid not to fulfill your ambitions?

In fact, I am a person who is much less certain about himself than many people think. If you only have a minimum of intelligence, you will know that it is impossible NOT to know fear. Only idiots can think they are unbeatable, untouchable and superior to everyone and everything.

To what do you not agree when you are playing?

Bad education. After all these years I have come to a point where it is much more pleasant to build up good relations with partners and opponents than to win at all costs by means of absurd contests and even, as I am beginning to see more and more, by incorrect methods, to say the least. Today, my target is, especially when I am playing against weaker players, to give them the impression, once they have left the table, that they had a pleasant moment being there.

And in real life?

Stupidity and intolerance. These two things are very often tightly linked to each other and, what is more, in our present world, very widely spread.

What sort of crazy things have you been doing in your life so far?

The whole of my life is one big crazy mess, starting when I decided, many years ago, to leave the normal world and to flee into the slightly unrealistic and egoistic world of bridge. If I could start all over again, I would certainly not make the same choice. I would devote my energy to other people, as most of my good friends do, although they often confess to me how envious they are of my way of life. Teaching, law, medicine, politics, all the activities by which you can make your potential, your abilities useful for human society.

Why did you never marry?

Please keep in mind that I am not in a position to take good care of myself, not to speak of a family with children. Also, I do not intend to feel responsible to anyone about what I am doing and I am far too pleased with my independence to put this at stake.