Source: www.lesgogosbridgeurs.com

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Hello Cath,
Thank you to grant this maintenance to me.
You were born on April 3, 1959.
I read some share which you had arrived to France coming from the Close East. Can you specify us of which country of the Close East and was this your birthplace?

Catherine:
I do not know who wrote that but they is false…
I am in Raincy in the Last nine Three… LOL
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_d'Ovidio


(these false infos was rectified on this site after publication of our interview)

Dany:
In your adolescence you were interested in the theatre since you wanted to devote your career to it. Did you sometimes regret this change of course?

Catherine:
Yes and not
I think that the professional theatre is a very surface medium and that to succeed, it is necessary to be ready to compromise myself, which is not my case. I however regret not having to continue the theatre amateur.


Dany:
You discover the bridge in 1978 while going to look at your parents playing in their Club and as of the 1st evening while returning to the house you declare to them: “I will be one Championne day of the World”.
Was this a joke, a sentence which crossed you the spirit but in which you did not believe or, on the contrary, as of this moment, you knew already that you would give yourself the means of arriving there?

Catherine:
That can seem pretentious, but I felt such a passion (thank you Jean Claude André, my professor) as of the first course which I wanted to reach the tops. I was only 19 years old and probably did not give really an account to me of what that represented like numbers of steps to climb


Dany:
You begin with the “Club from Raincy” (Villemomble) where you meetings of qualified people which can locate the gifted players and enable them to progress, which brings you very quickly, since 1985, to take down your 1st qualification in Team of France and your 1st title of Champion of Europe.
How do you explain that in 7 years you made this brilliant course? Or, differently known as, that is what “makes” a Champion? I do not speak about people who surround a Champion, but about qualities necessary: ambition, work, gift. These 3 essential qualities, how are they distributed at home?

Catherine:
I overflow of ambition, I think that I had in the beginning a real gift and I remained during nearly 3 years to reading every night of the books of bridge and playing the every day.
I think that there is no mystery: to reach the most level in any discipline it is necessary to believe and work in it, to work, work. One must form a unit with his subject, not to live more but for him.


Dany:
If you make an average in your life, how long, of hours per day, do you devote to the bridge?
To play?
To work?

Catherine:
Today much of time neither to play nor to work, but I continue to read the bridge which it is about course that I give, of specialized magazines (the such Bridge player or the World Bridge) or of the books (we have at the house a whole part of books of bridge)


Dany:
Which (S) form (S) of work, of drive, privilege you? Your preferred method? Most effective?
Reading of specialized works, discussions with specialists, play with the table with large players?
Which councils would you give the initial players who have the will, if not to become Champion of World, but at the very least to acquire a good level?

Catherine:
I think that it is essential to read much, the visual memory is very important with the bridge. The free part is also an excellent school: one thus plays his money one is more vigilant and one learns how to react vis-a-vis unforeseen situations insofar as one changes without stop of partner and that the system of bidding is very summary. And then especially, one never should give up but to always work still and and to remember that more progress with the bridge is slow more they will profit because the learned things will be well anchored.


Dany:
If you had a book of bridge to advise which would be it?
Which is that which fascinated you the most?
Which is that which helped you the most when you began?
Which is that which you consult most regularly?

Catherine:
The book of bridge that I would advise is that which has me + helped it at my beginnings: Not classified with the expert. I believe to remember that one of the authors is Conti…. I do not know if one can still find it with the shop of the Bridge player. **
That which has me + fascinated it is Adventures in card play (very extremely) the works of Victor Mollo are also excellent especially Bridge in the menagerie which combines technical and humour.
That that I consult it + regularly is “The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge” by Francis and Truscott, it enables me to find all the handlings of color, but it goes back to 1984!


Dany:
When one is Championne of the World of Bridge, in France, can one live comfortably of this discipline?
Of share wages? Services? Premiums? what one receives at the time of the Tournaments or Championships?
By giving courses or while taking part in private parts?
While being made remunerate by a partner?

Catherine:
It is sad of saying that in France that does not have for the moment anything changed
Not more pupils nor of proposal but I do not despair… On the other hand, we already had several contacts with Americans to play sponsored.


Dany:
The French Federation of Bridge is very important with its 120.000 members and a large budget.
Which are its top priority?
Which should they be?
Does the Federation put it works all the means necessary of them to help its champions?
To live bridge so that they can be devoted to the competitions?
With their material and psychological comfort at the time of the Championships?

Catherine:
I believe it that its current objective is to reach 120.000 members. But I am not convinced that it gives itself the means of them.
the Federation does not do ANYTHING for us!!!!!
The bridge of the elite does not interest it or if little… I think that it is an error: we are supposed being the “window” of our federation and so that its rows grow bigger, it is important that we obtained results. It should thus all implement to enable us to involve itself peacefully rather than to treat us as least that nothing (I do not exaggerate)


Dany:
The system of French bidding proved reliable through your course and that of other large French players. It is however called in question by some, criticized, disputed. There are all the levels of play among gogosbridgeurs, like all the age brackets. What you would say to the young beginners, or to the intermediaries which wish to progress and which are lost a little in front of these debates: SEF or not SEF?
Don't you think only when one plays in France it is preferable to adopt the standard of his country, leaves, then, when one has a good control of it, to test itself with other systems?

Catherine:
Your last sentence translates perfectly my way of thinking: when one built a house one must make solid foundations if it is wanted that it holds upright. The bridge it is similar. The French educational system is VERY GOOD. And once it is controlled, nothing prevents a player from being directed towards an artificial, semi system artificial or naturalness but with much more gadgets…


Dany:
Which is your best memory related to the Bridge?

Catherine:
My first qualification in team of France: during one week I felt on a cloud…


Dany:
The worst?

Catherine:
The championship of Europe 2002 in Salsomaggiore, without comment….


Dany:
When your level was reached, that one very gained, (23 international medals) which hopes, which goal, which objective does one still have?

Catherine:
To obtain a place in team of Open France…


Dany:
Which regrets will keep you? (if you have some)

Catherine:
The statute of woman in this medium so much mysogine


Dany:
You have a very in vain pseudo “emotion” under which the gogosbridgeurs know you:
What can you precisely say to us on these emotions which cross you?
Dany: With the bridge?

Catherine:
You will have certainly evil to believe in it but when I came on BBO and still today if one asks me to play I start to perspire and I am submerged by the fear! When I play an important competition I tremble during all the first gives, the trac also exists with the bridge.


Dany:
In your life?

Catherine:
I am somebody of entirety, I laugh and I cry very easily and I believe being reached of hyper emotivity, that surely looks after myself but I am happy like that! I can also put myself in anger rather easily I hate the injustice, the meanness and the lie ........


Dany:
Which (S) quality (S) seems essential to you at a partner?

Catherine:
Combativeness


Dany:
Which (S) defect (S) you hate more at one partner?

Catherine: I do not support the partners who play softened on the chair the sunken shoulders….
It is an attitude of looser .....


Dany:
The PLAYER who you fascine more?
The PLAYER who you fascine more?

Catherine:
At the men, it is about a pair, more than of a player: Zia Mahmood and Michaël Rosenberg: one for its creativity and the other as analyst the pair does not have in my opinion the results which it deserves!
At the ladies, Judy SKINFLINT: by its perspicacity and its speed of analysis


Dany:
Do you wish to tackle another subject? Or statement something of important that I didn't ask?

Catherine:
I once again make a point of thanking all those which have us and which continues to support us by their messages of encouragements and congratulations, that made hot in the middle.


Dany:
I thank you infinitely, in the name of all impassioned bridge in general and gogosbridgeurs in particular, to have taken of your time to better do to us to know which is our Champion of the World and to have delivered a little you to us even.