Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs
|
The Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs (or simply the Blue Ribbon Pairs) national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship (NABC).
The Blue Ribbon Pairs is a six session MP pairs event, two qualifying sessions, two semi-final sessions and two final sessions that takes place over three days. The event typically starts on the first Tuesday of the NABC. The event is restricted to those that have won a blue ribbon qualification. It is generally considered the hardest pairs event on the ACBL calendar.
Along with the Von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs at the summer NABC, the 2010 introduction of six-session Norman Kay Platinum Pairs at the spring NABC provides one pairs championship on the marquee at each of the three annual meets. These three events are open to all players whose past performances qualify them, without regard to age, gender, nationality, or ACBL membership. In addition, the North American Pairs, contested in the spring, is for ACBL members who have qualified in one of its 25 Districts, some of which require qualification in local Units.
[edit] History
The event was introduced in 1963 and ranks with the von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs (Summer NABC) as the most prestigious -- and toughest -- pair events on the ACBL calendar. Like the Life Master Pairs, the Blue Ribbon Pairs is played over three days and includes two qualifying, two semifinal and two final sessions.
Entry is restricted to winners and runners-up in regional championships -- plus high finishers in North American championships, members of current Grand National district championship teams, members of current official teams representing ACBL and the top 100 lifetime masterpoint holders.
The Blue Ribbon Pairs was renamed the Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs in 1999 to honor one of bridge’s all-time great players, writers and administrators. Kaplan was recognized as the world’s foremost authority on the laws of duplicate and rubber bridge. He became co-chairman of the ACBL Laws Commission in 1978 and was co-chairman of the WBF Laws Commission at the time of his death. He was named ACBL Honorary Member in 1993. In 1995 he was inducted into the ACBL Bridge Hall of Fame and the WBF Hall of Fame.
The event is contested for the Cavendish Trophy, awarded for the National Open Pair Championship and donated by the Cavendish Club of New York in 1928. Since 1963, the trophy has been awarded to winners of the Blue Ribbon Pairs.
[edit] Winners
- For the Open Pairs champions 1928 to 1962, see Fall National Open Pairs.
| Year | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | B. Jay Becker, Dorothy Hayden | Harold Harkavy, Cliff Russell |
| 1964 | Bob Hamman, Lew Mathe | Gunther Polak, Robert G. Sharp |
| 1965 | Chuck Henke, John H. Moran | Mike Lawrence, Ron Von der Porten |
| 1966 | Charles Coon, Richard Zeckhauser | Leland Ferer, Gratian Goldstein |
| 1967 | Sami Kehela, Baron Wolf Lebovic | Phil Feldesman, Lew Mathe |
| 1968 | Larry T. Cohen, Richard H. Katz | Bobby Goldman, Mike Lawrence |
| 1969 | Erik Paulsen, Alex Tschekaloff | 2/4: Sami Kehela, Eric Murray 2/4: Tom Hodapp, Robert Morris 2/4: Larry T. Cohen, Richard H. Katz |
| 1970 | Chuck Burger, Ira Rubin | Richard Freeman, Cliff Russell |
| 1971 | Roger Bates, John M. Grantham | Hermine Baron, Mike Lawrence |
| 1972 | Richard Khautin, Warren Kornfeld | Garey Hayden, Mark Lair |
| 1973 | Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey | Kathie Cappelletti, Mike Cappelletti |
| 1974 | Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay | Roger Bates, George Rosenkranz |
| 1975 | Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey | Ron Andersen, Hugh MacLean |
| 1976 | Jay Apfelbaum, Bill Edelstein | Jim Jacoby, David Berkowitz |
| 1977 | Lou Bluhm, Tommy Sanders | Kathie Cappelletti, Mike Cappelletti |
| 1978 | Ron Andersen, David Berkowitz | Ted Horning, Peter Nagy |
| 1979 | Bobby Levin, Ron Smith | James Bennett, Chet Davis |
| 1980 | Warren Rosner, Allan Stauber | Dan Morse, Bobby Nail |
| 1981 | Larry N. Cohen, Ron Gerard | Chip Martel, Lew Stansby |
| 1982 | Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell | 2/3: Bob Blanchard, Drew Casen 2/3: Peter Boyd, Steve Robinson |
| 1983 | Marty Bergen, Larry N. Cohen | Peter Weichsel, Mike Lawrence |
| 1984 | 1/2: Jack Kennedy, Bobby Wolff 1/2: David Funk, Mark Lair |
|
| 1985 | Walter Johnson, Eric Rodwell | Ed Manfield, Kit Woolsey |
| 1986 | Bob Hamman, Ron Von der Porten | Ed Manfield, Kit Woolsey |
| 1987 | Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein | Bobby Levin, Kerri Shuman |
| 1988 | Marty Bergen, Larry N. Cohen | Bobby Levin, Ron Smith |
| 1989 | Mark Molson, Robert Lebi | Gaylor Kasle, Roger Bates |
| 1990 | Ed Manfield, Kit Woolsey | Brian Glubok, Sam Lev |
| 1991 | Bob Hamman, Nick Nickell | Mark Tolliver, Marc Zwerling |
| 1992 | Haig Tchamitch, Adam Wildavsky | Brad Moss, Ravindra Murthy |
| 1993 | Bob Hamman, Michael Rosenberg | Martin De Bruin, Steve Price |
| 1994 | Mark Lair, Alexander Weiland | Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein |
| 1995 | David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen | Paul Kiefer, Jerry Helms |
| 1996 | Bob Blanchard, Jim Krekorian | David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen |
| 1997 | Allan Falk, Adam Wildavsky | Tony Forrester, Geir Helgemo |
| 1998 | Zia Mahmood, Howard Weinstein | Eric Rodwell, Marty Seligman |
| 1999 | Jill Meyers, John Mohan | Russ Ekeblad, John Sutherlin |
| 2000 | Richard Coren, Marc Jacobus | Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein |
| 2001 | Salvador Assael, Nafiz Zorlu | Pratap Rajadhyaksha, Steve Landen |
| 2002 | Bart Bramley, Sidney Lazard | Fred Stewart, Kit Woolsey |
| 2003 | Geir Helgemo, Michael Seamon | Eric Greco, Geoff Hampson |
| 2004 | Tarek Sadek, Walid Elahmady | Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein |
| 2005 | Jenny Ryman, Gavin Wolpert | Daniela von Arnim, Sabine Auken |
| 2006 | Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes | Drew Casen, Jim Krekorian |
| 2007 | Steve Landen, Pratap Rajadhyaksha | Ernesto Muzzio, Alejandro Bianchedi |
| 2008 | Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell | Martin de Knijff, Frederic Wrang |
| 2009 | Bart Bramley, Björn Fallenius | John Hurd, Joel Wooldridge |
| 2010 | Jay Borker, Jan Jansma | Sjoert Brink, Bas Drijver |
| 2011 | Joshua Donn, Roger Lee | Billy Cohen, Brad Moss |
[edit] See also
- Fall National Open Pairs —1928 to 1962, continued by the Blue Ribbon Pairs
- Von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs, often simply referred to as the Life Master Pairs.
- Norman Kay Platinum Pairs, established 2010.
[edit] Sources
"ACBL - NABC Winners". acbl.com. ACBL. http://www.acbl.org/play/nabc-winners.html. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
List of previous winners, Page 8 (PDF) Daily Bulletin, 81-5, November 25, 2008, http://www.acbl.org/nabc/2008/03/bulletins/db5.pdf
2008 winners, Page 1 (PDF) Daily Bulletin, 81-8, November 28, 2008, http://www.acbl.org/nabc/2008/03/bulletins/db8.pdf
Qualification rules (PDF) ACBL web site, http://www.acbl.org/assets/documents/play/Conditions-of-Contest/Appendix-R.pdf
