Category: 75thanniversary

Think about it – 50,000 masterpoints. Even in an age when critics argue that masterpoints are inflated and easy to obtain, it is still a stupendous achievement. In late September 1998, Paul Soloway, the expert who topped the masterpoint list since the death of Barry Crane in 1985, propelled himself past a masterpoint milestone that
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Under certain special circumstances the ♦7 is known as the beer card. If declarer wins trick 13 with the ♦7 in a successful contract, he claims, “Beer Card!” and his partner must buy him a beer. You cannot claim “Beer Card!” if you go down. If a defender wins the last trick with the ♦7
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In 1998, longtime partners Bob Hamman and Bobby Wolff called it quits. Here is the story written by Brent Manley that appeared in The Bulletin that year: For nearly three decades, Bob Hamman and Bobby Wolff have made up one of the most feared partnerships in the world. When the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams ended at
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George Simon Kaufman was an American playwright, theatre director and producer, humorist, and drama critic. In addition to comedies and political satire, he wrote several musicals, notably for the Marx Brothers. One play and one musical that he wrote won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama: You Can’t Take It With You, and Of Thee I
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Maury Braunstein: A divine story By Alfred Sheinwold Reprinted from The Bulletin (8/89) Only a few hundred experts have ever heard of Maury Braunstein. A few thousand more may recall a short, trim man directing top championships for the ACBL and the WBF. When friends celebrated Braunstein’s 74th birthday during the World Team Olympiad in
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“The Reisinger final is probably the toughest tournament in the world,” Zia said. “You play in the last stages against nine teams, each of which could win any world championship.” Team members knew they were headed for victory when they won 21out of 27 boards in the first final session. But at one point during
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Four players, all from different nations and all of different faiths, joined together to score a resounding victory in the 1987 Reisinger Board-a-Match Teams. The only drawback to their triumph was that they were not eligible to compete in the U.S. International Team Trials because only two of the players resided in the United States.
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After lying dormant for nearly 30 years, the Bridge Hall of Fame was re-established in 1995 with the election and induction of eight new members. In ceremonies, just prior to the 1995 Spring NABC in Phoenix, the Bridge Hall of Fame added three living members – Edgar Kaplan, Alvin Roth and Bobby Wolff. They were
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This event formerly contested by universities and colleges throughout the United States and Canada was organized by Geoffrey Mott-Smith, 1949-1960, William Root, 1961-1965, Lawrence Rosler and Jeff Rubens, 1966-1967, and subsequently by representatives of the Association of College Unions-International and the American Contract Bridge League. When the Charles Goren Foundation offered financial assistance in 1969
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The first time bridge appeared on television was October 7, 1943. William McKenney and his wife Marguerite played Al Sobel and Helen Sobel on Station WRGB, Schenectady NY. Albert H. Morehead analyzed the bidding and the play. The match, designed as an experiment, was arranged by J. Walter Thompson Co. for the American Playing Card
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One of the largest total purses ($200,000) up to that point in the history of bridge was at stake when the Omar Sharif World Individual bridge tournament took place in Atlantic City NJ May 7-10, 1990. It was the first time the ACBL sanctioned a cash-prize tournament. The winner of the $40,000 first-place prize in
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In June 1959, The Bulletin published a crossword puzzle for the enjoyment of its readers and asked the readers to let them know if they wanted more. The following month a request for original bridge limericks appeared in The Bulletin. The Bulletin provided the first line and readers were asked to provide the next four.
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Dwight D. Eisenhower, born 122 years ago on October 14, left his mark on the world. Besides distinguishing himself as commander of Allied troops in Europe during World War II, he served two terms as President of the United States. Less well known about Ike was his love for bridge. From his early years in
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In 1987, J.T. Britton of Albuquerque NM gave himself a challenge: to play bridge in all 50 states. It took him seven months and cost him $8000, but he did it. As great as the trip was, Britton said, there was something missing. He didn’t win points in every state. To make up for that,
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The fourth and final showdown between big business and big government occurred on May 9, 1996 at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington DC. It was a far more difficult match for Congress than Corporate America. It was a busy day on Capitol Hill, so Congress had moments when fielding four players was a challenge.
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Congress made its third attempt to defeat Corporate America on July 22, 1993 at the Sheraton Washington in conjunction with the Summer NABC. Trailing by 3 IMPs going into the last hand, Corporate America’s Jimmy Cayne and Rita Shugart bid to a heart game which they made with an overtrick, while the Congress pair rested
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