by a few well wishersÂ
Sunil Samuel Varghese, a fairly well known bridge personality, breathed his last in Chennai on the 18th of June this year. While he was not very active on the Indian bridge circuit, he was a larger than life personality in Chennai.
Sunil did his engineering at Trivandrum Engineering College followed by an MBA at IIM Ahmedabad. Along the way, he developed a flair for both bridge and magic, which formed an integral part of his non-commercial life. Sunil had been a national IMP pairs champion, along with his wife Srihari and had also been a leading bridge player in Tamil Nadu.
His other activities prevented from giving as much time to playing playing bridge as he himself would have liked.
Who can forget his public prediction of the seats that BJP would win in 2014?
I had personally known Sunil for over 40 years albeit intermittently. He unwittingly played a major part in shaping my life when he introduced me to a facet of my personality which had never struck me; something I have always been grateful to him for. I recall visiting Chennai for a summer nationals; I was just returning to bridge when I spoke to him and he so graciously invited both my partner and I to stay with him. Not only that, he also performed some magic up close and personal at home for the both of us.
Apart from being an active player in the local circuit, he worked very hard to promote the game at all ages. His bridge academy Mastermind Bridge states that he as conducted over 500 courses to teach people.
We present a short story of his life and what he meant to a few of us. We welcome your memories of him as comments on this post.
Here are a few lines by one of his students, Priyanka Gulati
From acting in a movie to making intricate mind maps, Sunil was a man of many talents—always bursting with energy, curiosity, and a deep hunger to learn and live fully. His enthusiasm was infectious, and his zest for life never failed to inspire those around him.
It’s incredibly hard to find the right words when someone so full of life suddenly leaves us. The news of Sunil’s passing has left us shaken, heartbroken, and full of disbelief.
Sunil was our bridge guru, our bundle of energy, our relentless optimist, and someone who never did anything half-heartedly. Everything about him—his enthusiasm, his warmth, his infectious drive to learn and excel—left a mark on everyone who had the good fortune of knowing him.
It was Sunil who nudged me in, guided me patiently, and played my first Nationals team event with me. We not only played, we qualified—and for that, the memory will always sparkle with pride and gratitude.
To Srihari, his beloved wife, to his mother, and all his family—We cannot imagine your pain, but we pray for strength, for you and for all of us, to carry forward his memories and light.
His absence leaves a silence that’s hard to put into words, but his spirit—his laughter, his drive, his generous heart—will echo with us always.
Rest in peace, dear Sunil. I’m sure you are teaching bridge in heaven. We’ll miss you more than words can say.
Sunil Varghese - whose personality and voice adorned all the bridge platforms, state, national and international including the Bermuda Bowl at Chennai.
A speaker of outstanding class, A bridge player and teacher par excellence and an ameteur magician with a magic wand to win hearts.
That was Sunil Varghese.
I still can hear him fondly calling me " Hello Shakespeare " and in turn I reply " Yes Magic man "!
The effervescent baritone has fallen silent. The epitome of energy came to a rest. The magic man did a
Houdini act without a warning.
How can one write an obituary for a man who still lives in our hearts and minds?
Words fail me to say more for a man who painstakingly wrote a foreword for my book.
Adieu my friend
Rest in peace
Disclaimer : All opinions are entirely those of the author and are no reflection of the views of the BridgeFromHome Team.