List of contract bridge people
This list is a compilation of contract bridge players, writers, administrators and personalities who have been recognized for their skills, achievements or contributions to the game as identified by various specific sources.
Contents
People recognized by bridge organizations
American Contract Bridge League
Hall of Fame
The first bridge Hall of Fame was inaugurated by The Bridge World in 1964 and invested nine members between then and 1966 after which it ceased sponsorship. The American Contract Bridge League adopted the concept to recognize the achievements and contributions of those residing in its territory (USA, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda) and inaugurated its own Hall of Fame[4] in 1995 by accepting the original nine and adding eight others that year.[5] From 1996 new members have been added annually in as many as three categories that are designated by three nominal ACBL Hall of Fame Awards.
- Open Award – "living individuals who have achieved prominence in the game of bridge and have an outstanding tournament record"[6]
- von Zedtwitz Award – "living or deceased individuals who have achieved prominence in the game of bridge and have an outstanding tournament record but who may not have been in the limelight for a significant period of time"[6] (20 people in 19 years to 2014)
- Blackwood Award – "individuals who have contributed greatly to the game of bridge without necessarily being world class players"[6] (19 people to 2014)
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Nominees in the Open category must have attained the age of 60 by 1 January of the year of the induction ceremony. The primary basis for consideration in the Open and von Zedtwitz categories is the player's North American and international record and achievements as a member and representative of the ACBL. An individual's personal history, whether good or bad, should be considered in nominating candidates or selecting recipients.
— ACBL Hall of Fame charter, Foundation for the Preservation and Advancement of Bridge ACBL. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
In 2008, ACBL established the Foundation for the Preservation and Advancement of Bridge (FPAB) "to support the preservation of bridge history, to recognize individuals for their excellence and service to the game of bridge and to inspire the participation of youth through scholarships and grants."[7]
Most influential personalities
In 2012, the American Contract Bridge League celebrated the 75th anniversary of its creation by the merger of the American Bridge League and the United States Bridge Association in October 1937.[9] In partial recognition, the League published a list of the 52[lower-alpha 1] most influential personalities during its history.[8]
Criteria included:
- contributions to bidding theory that have stood the test of time;
- contributions to bridge literature of enduring importance;
- contributions to law, regulation or administration making bridge more accessible or more fun;
- charisma that has broadened the appeal of bridge to non-players.
Selections were not limited to ACBL members or North American residents.
Player of the Year
Year | Name |
---|---|
2014 | Bobby Levin |
2013 | Martin Fleisher |
2012 | Zia Mahmood |
2011 | Joel Wooldridge |
2010 | Brad Moss |
2009 | Jeff Meckstroth |
2008 | Eric Rodwell |
2007 | Roy Welland |
2006 | Bob Hamman |
2005 | Zia Mahmood |
2004 | Jeff Meckstroth |
2003 | Michael Rosenberg |
2002 | Larry Cohen |
2001 | Ralph Katz |
2000 | Zia Mahmood |
1999 | John Mohan |
1998 | Paul Soloway |
1997 | Bart Bramley |
1996 | Zia Mahmood |
1995 | Fred Stewart |
1995 | Steve Weinstein |
1994 | Mike Rosenberg |
1993 | Bob Hamman |
1992 | Jeff Meckstroth |
1991 | Zia Mahmood |
1990 | Bob Hamman |
The Player of the Year[10] is awarded to the ACBL player accumulating the most platinum masterpoints[11] in the calendar year.
Canadian Bridge Federation – Hall of Fame
Year inducted |
Name | Citation link |
---|---|---|
2010 | Bruce Elliott | [145] |
2010 | Sam Gold † | [146] |
2010 | Sami Kehela | [147] |
2010 | Eric Murray | [148] |
2010 | Percy Sheardown † | [149] |
2011 | Diana Gordon | [150] |
2011 | Eric Kokish | [151] |
2011 | George Mittelman | [152] |
2011 | Doug Drew | [153] |
2011 | Ralph Cohen † | [154] |
2012 | William Anderson † | [155] |
2012 | Boris Baran | [156] |
2012 | Mark Molson † | [157] |
2012 | Peter Nagy † | [158] |
2013 | Joey Silver | [159] |
2013 | Audrey Grant | [160] |
2013 | Francine Cimone | [161] |
The Canadian Bridge Federation (CBF) is the national bridge organization for Canada and established the CBF Hall of Fame in 2010 to recognize the achievements and contributions of Canadian bridge personalities.
European Bridge League – Awards and Distinctions
The European Bridge League (EBL) is a confederation of national bridge organizations for European countries, established 1947.
- Honorary Titles
- Plaques
- Medals. Since 1975, the EBL recognizes distinguished bridge people.[12]
Name | Nationality | Year |
---|---|---|
Aubry, Yves | France | 2008 |
Bardach, David | Israel | 1994 |
Beineix, Jean-Claude | France | 2010 |
Butler, Geoffrey R. | England | 1975 |
Damiani, José | France | 1995 |
De Pauw, Marc | Belgium | 2010 |
Jensen, Nils E. | Sweden | 1987 |
Kielbasinski, Radoslaw | Poland | 2006 |
Kooijman, Ton | Netherlands | 2010 |
Magerman, Paul | Belgium | 2002 |
Melander, Micke | Sweden | 2010 |
Oliveira, Jose Manuel de | Portugal | 2003 |
Ortiz-Patiño, Jaime | England | 1983 |
Pencharz, Bill | England | 1999 |
Rona, Gianarrigo | Italy | 2010 |
Torlontano, Anna Maria | Italy | 1999 |
Name | Nationality | Year |
---|---|---|
Bardach, David | Israel | 1989 |
Blanken-Burgers, Marijke | Netherlands | 2010 |
Boekhorst, Andre | Netherlands | 1989 |
Frenkiel, Marian | Poland | 1989 |
Gerontopoulos, Panos | Greece | 1991 |
Helm, Emmy van der | Netherlands | 1989 |
Helm, Harry van der | Netherlands | 1989 |
Hodler, Marc | Switzerland | 1979 |
Jensen, Nils E. | Sweden | 1977 |
Kramer, Jut | Netherlands | 1979 |
Kunin, Reuben | Israel | 1985 |
Latala, Slawek | Poland | 2011 |
Levy, Eitan | Israel | 2012 |
Melander, Micke | Sweden | 2004 |
Oliveira, Jose Manuel de | Portugal | 1999 |
Parnis-England, Margaret | Malta | 1999 |
Pencharz, Bill | England | 1989 |
Rohan, Karl | Austria | 1989 |
Torlontano, Anna Maria | Italy | 1991 |
Zabel, Gunnar | Denmark | 1977 |
Name | Nationality | Year |
---|---|---|
Auken, Sabine | Germany | 2010 |
Dix, Mario | Malta | 1999 |
Gruber, Hans | Austria | 1992 |
Mattsson, Goran | Germany | 2010 |
Resta, Guido | Italy | 2010 |
Schroeder, Dirk | Germany | 2010 |
Szappanos, Geza | Hungary | 2010 |
Yanes, Aureliano | Spain | 2001 |
World Bridge Federation – Awards and Distinctions
The World Bridge Federation (WBF) is the world governing body for bridge, established in 1958.
- Women Stars
- WBF Master Point Records including titles such as "World Grand Master" (directory; some lists maintained infrequently or not at all)
- Medals (to 2006)
- Hall of Fame[dead link] (inactive)
- Plaques & Trophies (to 2006)
- Youth Awards (to 2006)
People recognized in bridge books
Numerous biographical entries are contained in the Encyclopedia of Bridge[13] (1935), the various editions of the The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge (1964–2011), The Bridge Players' Encyclopedia[14] (1967), and in the British Bridge Almanack (2004).[15]
In addition, the following books provide biographical information about bridge people as of the date of publication.
Aces All by Guy Ramsey (1955)
In the Foreword of Aces All,[16] Ramsey writes that "it is a book about some, though by no means all, of the leading players of today and the immediate yesterday..." He presents biographies of the following (all either British or playing in Britain):
The Bridge Immortals by Victor Mollo (1968)
The Bridge Immortals[17] gives brief biographies of the "greatest bridge people living today", listed here in alphabetical order.
World Class by Marc Smith (1999)
World Class: conversations with the bridge masters[18] features "the crème de la crème of the world of bridge" in their own words. Here is Smith's classification of his interviews.
All-time Greats: |
Women Stars: |
Rising Stars: |
Star Writers: |
British Bridge Almanack by Peter Hasenson (2004)
The Editor's Choice[19] nominations are listed alphabetically as follows:
Point leaders
American Contract Bridge League
Grand Life Masters (GLM) defined by lifetime ACBL master points (MP), with some condition on major achievements
Players of the Decade – defined by ACBL platinum master points
- 1990s
- 2000s
- 2010s – Leaders, 2010 to present
European Bridge League
Lists of the top European Master Points (EMP) holders in various categories and for various periods
World Bridge Federation
The World Bridge Federation measures achievement in tournament play by a dual system of Master Points and Placing Points[20] and provides ranked lists in Open, Women, and Seniors categories.[21] Short colloquialisms like "Fulvio Fantoni is number one in the world" refer to the WBF Open Ranking. It ranks by Master Points those all-time players whose Placing Points accord "World Grand Master" status. MPs decay but PPs do not, so retired and deceased World Grand Masters remain on the list but drift toward the bottom.
Other listings
Video interviews
The American Contract Bridge League has published at YouTube audio-video interviews of numerous players including almost 30 members of its Hall of Fame. These listings include some other videos of bridge personalities published at YouTube. (Those marked "ACBL Hall of Fame" may be interviews conducted by Audrey Grant, as are the ones so marked.)
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|
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Others not listed above
Bridge in fiction
|
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Famous people and bridge
|
See also
Notes
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External links
- Bridge People at the World Bridge Federation website.
- Warren Buffett and Bill Gates playing bridge
- The All Time Bridge Greats on the Claire Bridge website
- Bridge Greats on the Bridge Guys website
- ↑ "von Zedtwitz Award". FPAB. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
- ↑ "Open Award". FPAB. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
- ↑ "Blackwood Award". FPAB. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
- ↑ "Hall of Fame". ACBL (acbl.org). Retrieved 2014-12-15.
- ↑ "ACBL Hall of Fame". Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 [ACBL Hall of Fame Charter]. "American Contract Bridge League Hall of Fame Operating Procedures". ACBL. March 2011. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
- ↑ Foundation for the Preservation and Advancement of Bridge. FPABridge.org. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 The ACBL announced its selections in four issues of its membership magazine Bridge Bulletin. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. February 2012, pp. 22–25. March 2012, pp. 22–25. April 2012, pp. 14–17. May 2012, p. 63.
- ↑ Morehead, Albert (10 October 1937). "LEAGUES MERGE: Many Tournaments May Be Affected by the New Combination". The New York Times.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Points awarded in national-rated events with no upper masterpoint limit.
- ↑ "Medals". European Bridge League (EBL). Retrieved 2014-12-13.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Master Points. WBF.
- ↑ Classifications. WBF.
- ↑ Synopsis of Moonraker with its famous bridge hand, in The Times [162]. Retrieved 7 April 2011. (subscription required)
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Gambling". 007: the james bond dossier (TBJD.co.uk). Retrieved 3 October 2011.
- ↑ Hall, Morduant (29 August 1930). The New York Times. "Movie Review: Animal Crackers". Retrieved 2015-01-10.
- ↑ Agatha Christie's 1936 novel Cards on the Table features detective Hercule Poirot and a bridge game.
"Cards on the Table". Stories. AgathaChristie.com. Retrieved 7 January 2015. - ↑ The 1950 Hollywood feature film Sunset Boulevard features a bridge game hosted by the former silent film star Norma Desmond.
Hennigan, Adrian (11 March 2003). "Exploring Sunset Boulevard". Movies. BBC.co.uk. Archived(?) 28 October 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2011. - ↑ 27.0 27.1 Charles M. Schulz, creator of the comic strip Peanuts, was a "bridge enthusiast" and Peanuts sometimes featured bridge. A series of strips during May 1997, among others, featured a table constituted by the dog Snoopy, Woodstock, and other bird friends.
Truscott, Alan (10 July 2000). "BRIDGE; Snoopy's Finest Card Game (Trump That, Red Baron!)". The New York Times. [163]. Retrieved 2015-01-10. - ↑ 28.0 28.1 Moorem, Martha (19 December 2005). "Billionaires bank on bridge to trump poker". USAToday. [164]. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Truscott, Alan (21 August 2004). "World's Best-Known Player? His Daughter Enjoys It Too". The New York Times. [165]. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
- ↑ Morehead, Albert (13 June 1955). "Ike's Favorite Bridge Hand". Sports Illustrated. [166][dead link]. Table of Contents. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 Alder, Philip (18 January 2009). "Eisenhower's Other Title: Bridge Player in Chief". The New York Times. [167]. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
- ↑ Walker, Karen (June 2009). "D-Day Memories of the Bridge Player in Chief". [ACBL] District 8 Advocate (Illinois, in part; online at comcast.net/~dist8adv). [168]. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
- ↑ Buster Keaton Rides Again (1965). Documentary: Biography. IMDb. [169]. 2006 clip at YouTube: "Buster playing bridge and signing autographs". Retrieved 2015-01-10.
- ↑ Championship Bridge with Charles Goren and Alex Dreier. 2012 clip at YouTube: "Championship Bridge with Chico Marx (1960) Part 1". Retrieved 2015-01-10.
- ↑ Navratilova has said, "'No matter where I go, I can always make new friends at the bridge table." She wrote the foreword to an elementary textbook in the ACBL Bridge Series, The Club Series: An Introduction to Bridge Bidding by Audrey Grant (1990; revised 1993).
"Famous Bridge Players". Fun Trivia (funtrivia.com). Retrieved 2015-01-10. - ↑ Product Details: The Club Series (revised 1993; ISBN 9780943855004. Powell's Books (powells.com). [170]. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
- ↑ Dowling, Tim (22 March 2004). "Knave of Hearts". The Guardian. [171]. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
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