Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs

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.

History

The Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs was introduced in 1963 and ranks with the von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs (Summer NABC) as one of the most prestigious -- and toughest -- pair events on the ACBL calendar. Like the LM 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, administrators and the authority on the laws of the game.

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.

Winners

Winners of Blue Ribbon Pairs

Year	Winners	Runners-Up
1963	B. Jay Becker, Dorothy Hayden	Harold Harkavy, Cliff Russell
1964	Robert D. Hamman, Lewis L. Mathe	Gunther Polak, Robert G. Sharp
1965	Chuck Henke, John H. Moran	Michael S. Lawrence, Ron Von der Porten
1966	Charles Coon, Richard Zeckhauser	Leland Ferer, Gratian Goldstein
1967	Sami R. Kehela, Baron Wolf Lebovic	Phil Feldesman, Lewis L. Mathe
1968	Larry T. Cohen, Richard H. Katz	Bobby Goldman, Michael S. Lawrence
1969	Erik Paulsen, Alex Tschekaloff	2-4. Sami R. Kehela, Eric R. Murray; 2-4. Tom Hodapp, Robert F. Morris; 2-4. Larry T. Cohen, Richard H. Katz
1970	Chuck F. Burger, Ira S. Rubin	Richard Freeman, Cliff Russell
1971	Roger Bates, John M. Grantham	Hermine Baron, Michael S. 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 E. Andersen, Hugh C. MacLean
1976	Jay Apfelbaum, Bill Edelstein	James Jacoby, David Berkowitz
1977	Lou Bluhm, Thomas K. Sanders	Kathie Cappelletti, Mike Cappelletti
1978	Ron E. Andersen, David Berkowitz	Ted Horning, Peter Nagy
1979	Robert Levin, Ron Smith	James Bennett, Chester Davis
1980	Warren Rosner, Allan Stauber	Dan Morse, G. Robert Nail
1981	Larry N. Cohen, Ron Gerard	Chip Martel, Lew Stansby
1982	Eric Rodwell, Jeff Meckstroth	2-3. Robert 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	Eric Rodwell, Walter Johnson	Kit Woolsey, Ed Manfield
1986	Bob Hamman, Ron Von der Porten	Kit Woolsey, Ed Manfield
1987	Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein	Kerri Shuman, Robert Levin
1988	Marty Bergen, Larry N. Cohen	Robert Levin, Ron Smith
1989	Mark Molson, Robert Lebi	Gaylor Kasle, Roger Bates
1990	Kit Woolsey, Ed Manfield	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	Jim Krekorian, Bob Blanchard	Larry N. Cohen, David Berkowitz
1997	Adam Wildavsky, Allan Falk	Geir Helgemo, Tony Forrester
1998	Zia Mahmood, Howard Weinstein	Eric Rodwell, Marty Seligman
1999	Jill Meyers, John Mohan	John Sutherlin, Russ Ekeblad
2000	Richard Coren, Marc Jacobus	Robert Levin, Steve Weinstein
2001	Salvador Assael, Nafiz Zorlu	Pratap Rajadhyaksha, Steve Landen
2002	Sidney Lazard, Bart Bramley	Kit Woolsey, Fred Stewart
2003	Michael Seamon, Geir Helgemo	Eric Greco, Geoff Hampson
2004	Tarek Sadek, Walid Elahmady	Robert Levin, Steve Weinstein
2005	Gavin Wolpert, Jenny Ryman	Sabine Auken, Daniela von Arnim
2006	Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes	Drew Casen, Jim Krekorian
2007	Steve Landen, Pratap Rajadhyaksha	Ernesto Muzzio, Alejandro Bianchedi
2008	Eric Rodwell, Jeff Meckstroth	Martin De Knijff, Frederic Wrang

Sources

List of previous winners, Page 8 Daily Bulletin (PDF), vol. 81–5, November 25, 2008

2008 winners, Page 1 Daily Bulletin (PDF), vol. 81–8, November 28, 2008

Qualification rules ACBL web site (PDF)

External links

• ACBL official website