Bridge Humor: A Paul Chemla’s Story By Norberto Bocchi

Source: Bocchi & Madala Big Bang Bridge

Paul Chemla, Olympic and World Champion, is undoubtedly one of the strongest French players. However, he believes to be the strongest in the world and so, from his alleged or actual position of supremacy, he does not lose opportunity to laugh with his “terrible” friends-enemies. In his way to a tournament in Morocco in the company of Michel Lebel, another great champion of the Alps, while filling in the required forms for customs formalities, he realized that his travel companion under the heading “profession” wrote: “Professional and Bridge writer “.

Once on the ground, when it comes time to present the forms, the passport checker looks at Chemla (over one hundred pounds of weight) with a surprised air and says, “You claim to be a Ballerina of the Opera of Paris …?!? “. “Certainly,” replies Paul quickly (pointing to his enemy friend) if Mr. Lebel is a professional bridge writer, I am a Ballerina of the Opera. “