Von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs

The Von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship (NABC).

Usually called simply the "Life Master Pairs" or "LM Pairs", this is a six-session pairs tournament open to all players without regard to age, sex, nationality, or membership. It is restricted to Life Masters, now a modest career record in ACBL sanctioned play, which leading players from overseas are able to achieve by attending a few NABC meets. If it remains the most prestigious competition for pairs, that may be because it is older than the parallel spring and fall events, the Norman Kay Platinum Pairs established 2010 and Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs established 1963.

History

The Life Master Pairs is a six-session event with two qualifying, two semi-final and two final sessions. It is restricted to Life Masters. At stake is the Von Zedtwitz Gold Cup. In 1930, Waldemar von Zedtwitz donated the Gold Cup, which was presented to the winners of the Life Master Pairs. The first winners: Von Zedtwitz and P. Hal Sims.

The trophy was initially contested by master players who had qualified by winning a national championship. It was a four-session event, and the field was limited to 64 players so that a complete movement could be played.

The trophy was originally presented on the basis that three wins by one player would secure him outright possession of the trophy. This feat was achieved by Howard Schenken in 1934. Schenken won in 1931 and 1933 with David Burnstine and 1934 with Richard L. Frey. He also won in 1941 with Merwyn Maier and in 1943 with John R. Crawford. The cup, put back into competition by the donor, was stolen in 1954 while in the possession of John Hubbell, who held the LM Pairs title. The theft followed a television appearance during which Hubbell had exhibited the trophy and given the address of his bridge club where the cup was normally displayed.

The trophy was never recovered and the present cup is an exact replica. Mary Jane Farell and Marilyn Johnson are the only pair of women to win the event. Their victory came in 1978.

The record score for the event belongs to S. Garton Churchill and Cecil Head, who won in 1948—scoring 65% as an average for four sessions and 77.4% in a single session.

Winners

The first seven champion "Master Pairs", from 1930 to 1936, and also the 1931 to 1933 runners-up, each comprised two of the nine men named Life Masters #1 to #9 by the American Bridge League when it introduced the title in 1936.

Only one pair has defended its title successfully, the 1971 and 1972 winners Al Roth and Barbara Rappaport.

Von Zedtwitz Gold Cup, 1930 to present
YearWinnersRunners-up
1930 P. Hal Sims, Waldemar von ZedtwitzEly Culbertson, Josephine Culbertson
1931 David Burnstine, Howard SchenkenMichael T. Gottlieb, Theodore Lightner
1932 Michael T. Gottlieb, Theodore LightnerDavid Burnstine, Howard Schenken
1933 David Burnstine, Howard SchenkenP. Hal Sims, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1934 Richard L. Frey, Howard SchenkenWalter Malowan, Sydney Rusinow
1935 B. Jay Becker, Theodore LightnerLouis Haddad, Charles Hall
1936 David Burnstine, Oswald JacobyRobert Appleyard, Isadore Epstine
1937   S. Garton Churchill, Charles Lochridge   Doris Fuller, Henry Vogel
1938 Morrie Elis, Sherman StearnsJohn R. Crawford, Charles Solomon
1939 Robert Appleyard, Harry Fishbein  Oswald Jacoby, Waldemar von Zedtwitz  
1940 Harry Fishbein, Morrie ElisSam Fry, Myron Fuchs
1941 Merwyn Maier, Howard SchenkenJohn R. Crawford, Oswald Jacoby
1942 Charles Goren, Helen SobelPhilip Abramsohn, Tobias Stone
1943 John R. Crawford, Howard SchenkenSidney Silodor, Margaret Wagar
1944 Samuel Katz, Peter Leventritt Ambrose Casner, Ralph Hirschberg
1945 Robert Appleyard, M. A. Lightman Bertram Lebhar Jr., Simon Rossant
1946 Sidney Silodor, Charles Solomon Lee Hazen, Ruth Sherman
1947 Allen Harvey, Frank Weisbach John R. Crawford, Theodore Lightner
1948 S. Garton Churchill, Cecil Head Erik Coon, Vincent Remey
1949 Ruth Gilbert, Leo Roet Arthur Glatt, Albert Weiss
1950 Manuel Sherwin, C. W. Yorke Edward Marcus, Sam Stayman
1951 Richard Kahn, Peter Leventritt Ned Drucker, Edgar Kaplan
1952 William Jackson, William Joseph 2/3. John R. Crawford, Howard Schenken 2/3. Arthur Glatt, Albert Weiss
1953 Milton Ellenby, William RosenCharles Goren, Helen Sobel
1954 David Carter, John Hubbell Victor Mitchell, Ira Rubin
1955 Ben Fain, Paul HodgeVictor Mitchell, Ira Rubin
1956 Al Roth, Tobias StoneJohn R. Crawford, Sidney Silodor
1957 H. Sanborn Brown, Martin Cohn Francis Begley, Louis Kelner
1958 1/2. Charles Goren, Helen Sobel 1/2. Wilson Landley, Louis Levy
1959 Ed Rosen, Dan RotmanSidney Aronson, Larry Weiss
1960 Helen Portugal, Morris Portugal Curtis Smith, Bobby Wolff
1961 Phil Feldesman, Marshall MilesPaul Kibler, Robert Reynolds
1962 Phil Feldesman, Ira RubinEdith Kemp, Albert Weiss
1963 Lew Mathe, Edward Taylor Ira Rubin, Curtis Smith
1964 B. Jay Becker, Dorothy HaydenBruce Elliott, Percy Sheardown
1965 Victor Mitchell, Sam StaymanAl Roth, Tobias Stone
1966 Hermine Baron, Meyer SchleiferMorrie Freier, Robert Reynolds
1967 Phil Feldesman, Lew MatheDiana Schuld, Frank Schuld
1968 Billy Eisenberg, Bobby GoldmanJim Jacoby, Bobby Wolff
1969 Sami Kehela, Eric MurrayChuck Burger, Jimmy Cayne
1970 Paul Heitner, Michael MossRobert Freedman, James Mathis
1971 Al Roth, Barbara RappaportJim Jacoby, Minda Brachman
1972 Al Roth, Barbara RappaportAlan Sontag, Peter Weichsel
1973 Jack Blair, Paul SwansonChuck Burger, Jimmy Cayne
1974 Gerald Michaud, Bobby NailWalter Walvick, Thomas Weik
1975 Roy Fox, Eugene O'Neill Mike Becker, Ahmed Hussein
1976 Bobby Lipsitz, Neil Silverman Garey Hayden, Mike Passell
1977 Alan Sontag, Peter WeichselKen Cohen, Bobby Lipsitz
1978 Mary Jane Farell, Marilyn JohnsonRon Feldman, David Sacks
1979 Ralph Katz, Ken Schutze Dan Morse, Bobby Nail
1980 Bob Hamman, Eric RodwellDon Caton, Homer Shoop
1981 Fred Stewart, Steve WeinsteinPaul Lavings, Bob Richman
1982 Ron Andersen, Tommy Sanders Bobby Lipsitz, Ron Sukoneck
1983 Bob Hamman, Eddie KantarJeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell
1984 Mike Lawrence, Peter WeichselSteve Sion, Alan Sontag
1985 George Steiner, Darryl Pedersen David Siebert, Allan Siebert
1986 Douglas Simson, Eric RodwellTom Kniest, Karen Walker
1987 David Berkowitz, Larry N. CohenPeter Boyd, Steve Robinson
1988 Marty Bergen, Larry N. CohenJohn Carruthers, Howard Weinstein
1989 Richard Katz, Bobby LevinHoward Weinstein, Ralph Katz
1990 Mike Becker, Ron RubinJohn Mohan, Kay Schulle
1991 Doug Simson, Eric RodwellSteve Sion, Clint Morrell
1992 Bob Hamman, Hemant LallZia Mahmood, Hugh Ross
1993 Dan Morse, John SutherlinTom Clarke, Alan Lebendig
1994 Bobby Levin, Jeff Wolfson Steve Sion, Eddie Wold
1995 Joe Kivel, Allan SiebertBill Root, Richard Pavlicek
1996 David Berkowitz, Larry N. CohenTony Forrester, Geir Helgemo
1997 Steve Garner, Howard WeinsteinTony Forrester, Geir Helgemo
1998 Eric Greco, Geoff HampsonRichard Pavlicek, Rich Pavlicek Jr.
1999 John Mohan, Sam LevBrad Moss, Fred Gitelman
2000 Zia Mahmood, Michael RosenbergJohn Mohan, Sam Lev
2001 Bobby Levin, Steve WeinsteinGary Cohler, Ralph Katz
2002 Tobi Sokolow, Leni Holtz Lynn Deas, Curtis Cheek
2003 Nick Nickell, Richard FreemanMichael Rosenberg, Ralph Katz
2004 Waleed El Ahmady, Zia MahmoodReese Milner, John Mohan
2005 Stephen Gladyszak, Pat McDevitt Waleed El Ahmady, Zia Mahmood
2006 Bart Bramley, Björn Fallenius Marty Fleisher, William Pollack
2007 Zia Mahmood, Chip MartelRenee Mancuso, Howard Weinstein
2008 Jan Jansma, Ricco van ProoijenEric Greco, Geoff Hampson
2009 Michał Kwiecień, Roald Ramer Nikolay Demirev, Hemant Lall
2010 Boye Brogeland, Erik Sælensminde Norberto Bocchi, Guido Ferraro
2011[1]Per-Ola Cullin, Peter Bertheau Zia Mahmood, Tarek Sadek
2012 Alan Sontag, Alan Osofsky Zia Mahmood, Marty Fleisher
2013 Mark Itabashi, Ross GrabelKevin Bathurst, Steve Weinstein
2014[2]Doug Doub, Frank Merblum Giorgio Duboin, Zia Mahmood
2015 Jean Quantin, Cedric Lorenzini Zia Mahmood, Giorgio Duboin
2016 Mike Passell, Chris ComptonRalph Katz, Steve Garner
2017 Joel Wooldridge, John Hurd Espen Lindqvist, Boye Brogeland
2018 Michael Roche, John Carruthers Peter Bertheau, Frederic Wrang
2019 Vincent Demuy, Brad MossGary Soules, Edward Nagy
2020 Cancelled (COVID-19) Cancelled (COVID-19)
2021 Cancelled (COVID-19) Cancelled (COVID-19)
2022 Nick Nickell, Ralph Katz[3]Steve Weinstein, Eric Greco
2023 Zia Mahmood, Ola RimstedtAgustin Madala, Alon Birman

See also

References

  1. ^Swedes win Life Master Pairs. Bridge Winners. Archived October 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^"Summer 2014 NABC: Life Master Pairs". 21 July 2014. Neapolitan Club (http://neapolitanclub.altervista.org/eng). Retrieved 2014-07-21.
  3. ^Linxwiler, Paul (July 18, 2022). "American Contract Bridge League"(PDF). Daily Bulletin. 92 (4).
Other sources
  • 2009 winners, Page 1. Daily Bulletin(PDF), vol. 81–4, July 27, 2009, archived from the original(PDF) on January 31, 2015, retrieved December 7, 2009
  • "Search Results: Von Zedtwitz LM Pairs". ACBL. Visit "NABC Winners"; select a Spring NABC. Retrieved 2014-06-05.