North American bridge championship
The Spingold national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship (NABC).
The Spingold is a knock-out team event that attracts the top contract bridge players in the world. The event typically lasts seven days with each day being a round consisting of four sessions of 16 boards. The event is open and seeded .
History
The Spingold Master Knockout Teams, first known as the Challenge Knockout Teams, was contested for the Asbury Park Trophy in the early days. The runner-up team in the regularly scheduled portion of the event had the right to challenge the winners to a playoff. This right was never utilized.
In 1934, 1936 and 1937, the Masters Teams-of-Four and the Asbury Park Trophy were separate events, providing two sets of winners. In 1938 the event became the Spingold Master Knockout Teams and a part of the Summer NABC. At one time, the Spingold was a double elimination event, usually lasting nine or 10 sessions. It was scored by International Match Points and was restricted to players with 100 or more masterpoints. In 1965, the double elimination method was replaced by three qualifying sessions (subsequently reduced to two), followed by single elimination knockout matches. The preliminary qualifying sessions were dropped in 1970.
The Spingold Trophy, donated by Nathan B. Spingold in 1934, is one of ACBL's most highly prized team trophies. The event, which attracts virtually all of the world's best bridge players, is widely considered one of the toughest events in the world. Many bridge aficionados consider the modern day Spingold tougher to win than a World Championship.
Winners
Nick Nickell 's professional teams won the Spingold nine times in 15 years from 1993 to 2007, including four in a row without change in personnel (intact) from 1993 to 1996, and two more 1998–99 after one change. The four-time winners were Nickell, Richard Freeman , Bob Hamman , Bobby Wolff , Jeff Meckstroth , and Eric Rodwell . Paul Soloway replaced Wolff and played on the other five Nickell champions, over ten years.
The champion has defended its title intact on four other occasions, 1965, 1971, 2002, and 2012.
The winners in 2011-12 and the winners and runner up in 2014 and 2015 each had two players who were later disqualified for cheating, this casting doubt on the integrity of those performances.
Asbury Park Trophy teams-of-four (1930–1937)
Year
Winners
Runners-up
1930
Ely Culbertson , Josephine Culbertson , Theodore Lightner , Waldemar von Zedtwitz
Michael T. Gottlieb , Willard Karn, Lee Langdon, P. Hal Sims
1931
David Burnstine , Oswald Jacoby , Willard Karn, P. Hal Sims
S. Garton Churchill, Travers LeGros, Dorothy Roberts, Phillip Stockvis
1932
Michael T. Gottlieb , Oswald Jacoby , Theodore Lightner , Louis H. Watson
B. Jay Becker , Herbert Lent, George Reith, Anne Rosenfeld
1933
David Burnstine , Oswald Jacoby , Richard L. Frey , Howard Schenken
Sam Fry, Edward Hymes Jr., Louis H. Watson , Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1934
Aaron Frank, Jeff Glick , William Hopkins, Charles Porter
Josephine Culbertson , Theodore Lightner , Sonny Moyse , Sherman Stearns
1935
Sam Fry, Edward Hymes Jr., Theodore Lightner , Merwyn Maier, Louis H. Watson
Mitch Barnes , Huber Boscowitz, Charles Lochridge, Johnny Rau
1936
Lewis Bernard, Louis Haddad, Alvin Landy , Matthew Reilly, Philip Steiner
Melvin Goddard, Sidney Silodor , Henry Vogel, Derrick Wernher
1937
David Burnstine , Charles Goren , Oswald Jacoby , Merwyn Maier, Howard Schenken
Phil Abramsohn , Mitch Barnes , Henry Chanin , Morrie Elis , Fred Kaplan
Spingold Trophy teams-of-four, 1934 to present
Year
Winners
Runners-up
1934
David Burnstine , Richard L. Frey , Michael T. Gottlieb , Oswald Jacoby , Howard Schenken
Aaron Frank, Jeff Glick , Louis Haddad, Charles Hall
1936
B. Jay Becker , David Burnstine , Oswald Jacoby , Howard Schenken
Sam Fry, Edward Hymes Jr., Merwyn Maier, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1937
Sam Fry, Edward Hymes Jr., Theodore Lightner , Waldemar von Zedtwitz
Phil Abramsohn , Lewis Bernard, Morrie Elis , Harry Fishbein , Herbert Goldberg
After 1937, the Spingold became a championship of the new ACBL and part of its summer NABC meet.
1938
B. Jay Becker , David Burnstine , Oswald Jacoby , Merwyn Maier, Howard Schenken
Mitch Barnes , Morrie Elis , Fred Kaplan , Charles Lochridge
1939
Oswald Jacoby , Theodore Lightner , Merwyn Maier, Robert McPherran, Howard Schenken
John R. Crawford , Myron Fuchs, Charles Goren , Charles Solomon, Sally Young
1940
Oscar Brotman, Bertram Lebhar Jr. , Samuel Katz, Alvin Roth
Sam Fry, Myron Fuchs, Edward Hymes Jr., Charles Lochridge, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1941
Mitch Barnes , Sam Fry, Edward Hymes Jr., Waldemar von Zedtwitz
B. Jay Becker , Oswald Jacoby , Theodore Lightner , Merwyn Maier, Howard Schenken
1942
Sigmund Dornbusch, Richard L. Frey , Lee Hazen , Sam Stayman
Jay Feigus, Charles Harvey, Samuel Katz, Edward Marcus
1943
John R. Crawford , Charles Goren , Edward Hymes Jr., Howard Schenken , Sidney Silodor
B. Jay Becker , Harry Fishbein , George Rapée , Alvin Roth , Helen Sobel
1944
B. Jay Becker , George Rapée , Helen Sobel , Sam Stayman
Simon Becker, Edward Ellenbogen, Stanley Frenkel, Peggy Golder
1945
Sam Fry, Edward Hymes Jr., Oswald Jacoby , Theodore Lightner , Howard Schenken
Harry Fishbein , Lee Hazen , Alvin Roth , Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1946
William Christian, Mark Hodges, Sol Mogal , Margaret Wagar
Jeff Glick , Arthur Goldsmith, Alvin Landy , Elmer Schwartz
1947
B. Jay Becker , Charles Goren , Lee Hazen , Helen Sobel , Waldemar von Zedtwitz
John R. Crawford , George Rapée , Howard Schenken , Sidney Silodor , Sam Stayman
1948
John R. Crawford , George Rapée , Howard Schenken , Sam Stayman , Margaret Wagar
Julius Bank, Arthur Glatt, Robert Halpin, Oswald Jacoby , Ralph Kempner
1949
Jeff Glick , Arthur Goldsmith, Bruce Gowdy, Alvin Landy , Sol Mogal
Henry Chanin , David Clarren, Oswald Jacoby , Jack Krause, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1950
John R. Crawford , Oswald Jacoby , George Rapée , Howard Schenken , Sam Stayman
B. Jay Becker , Charles Goren , Sidney Silodor , Helen Sobel , Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1951
Myron Field , Charles Goren , Sidney Silodor , Helen Sobel
Ambrose Casner, Charles Hall, Allen Harvey, Frank Weisbach
1952
B. Jay Becker , John R. Crawford , George Rapée , Howard Schenken , Sam Stayman
Jeff Glick , Arthur Goldsmith, Alvin Landy , Sol Mogal , Edwin Smith
1953
Clifford Bishop, Milton Ellenby , Don Oakie, William Rosen , Doug Steen
2/5. Ed Burns, David Clarren, Bertram Lebhar Jr. , Sam Katz, Albert Weiss 2/5. F. Ayres Bombeck, David Carter , John W. Hubbell , Arthur Kincaid, Bobby Nail 2/5. Harold Harkavy , Edith Kemp , Alvin Roth , Tobias Stone , Waldemar von Zedtwitz 2/5. Ivan Erdos , Edward Frischauer, Lew Mathe , Meyer Schleifer
1954
Clifford Bishop, Milton Ellenby , Lew Mathe , John Moran, William Rosen
2/4. F. Ayres Bombeck, David Carter , John Gerber , John W. Hubbell , Harold Rockaway 2/4. Eddie Burns, Ambrose Casner, Allen Harvey, Cliff Russell 2/4. Sidney Lazard, Cyrus Newman, Lewis Rosen, Julius Rosenblum, Robert Rothlein
1955
Myron Field , Lee Hazen , Richard Kahn , Charles Solomon, Sam Stayman
B. Jay Becker , John R. Crawford , George Rapée , Howard Schenken , Sidney Silodor
1956
1/3. Charles Goren , Peter Leventritt, Boris Koytchou, Harold Ogust , William Seamon , Helen Sobel 1/3. Harold Harkavy , Victor Mitchell , Alvin Roth , Ira Rubin , Tobias Stone 1/3. Robert Abeles, Kalman Apfel, Francis Begley, Louis Kelner, Ronald Rosenberg
1957
B. Jay Becker , John R. Crawford , George Rapée , Alvin Roth , Sidney Silodor , Tobias Stone
Milton Ellenby , Ivan Erdos , Emmanuel Hochfeld , Jim Jacoby , Oswald Jacoby , Ira Rubin
1958
Paul Allinger, William Hanna, Sidney Lazard, Cyrus Neuman, Robert Rothlein
Harry Fishbein , Sam Fry, Leonard Harmon , Lee Hazen , Ivar Stakold
1959
William Grieve , Oswald Jacoby , Victor Mitchell , Ira Rubin , Morton Rubinow, Sam Stayman
Richard Freeman , Andy Gabrilovitch, Frank Hoadley, Mike Michaels, Jan Stone, Richard Walsh
1960
Charles Goren , Peter Leventritt, Boris Koytchou, Harold Ogust , Howard Schenken , Helen Sobel
B. Jay Becker , William Grieve , Ralph Hirschberg, Norman Kay , George Rapée , Sidney Silodor
1961
Andy Gabrilovitch, Eddie Kantar , Marshall Miles , Bill Root
John R. Crawford , Norman Kay , Alvin Roth , George Rapée , Sidney Silodor , Tobias Stone
1962
Leonard Harmon , Eddie Kantar , Marshall Miles , Ivar Stakgold
David Carter , John W. Hubbell , Jim Jacoby , Gerald Michaud , Bobby Nail
1963
Russ Arnold , Harold Harkavy , Edith Kemp , Alvin Roth , Cliff Russell, William Seamon
Sami Kehela , Richard Kahn , Bill Root , Tommy Sanders, Tobias Stone , Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1964
Bruce Elliott , Sami Kehela , Eric Murray , Percy Sheardown
Marvin Altman, Bruce Gowdy, Fred Hoffer, Ray Jotcham
1965
Bruce Elliott , Sami Kehela , Eric Murray , Percy Sheardown
B. Jay Becker , Dorothy Hayden , Norman Kay , Edgar Kaplan
1966
Bill Root , Alvin Roth , Ira Rubin , Curtis Smith
William Grieve , Sidney Lazard, Paul Levitt, Harold Ogust , George Rapée
1967
Edgar Kaplan , Norman Kay , Bill Root , Alvin Roth
John Gerber , Paul Hodge , Dan Morse , George Rosenkranz , Bobby Wolff
1968
Sami Kehela , Edgar Kaplan , Norman Kay , Sidney Lazard, Eric Murray , George Rapée
Steve Altman, B. Jay Becker , Mike Becker , Dorothy Hayden
1969
Billy Eisenberg , Bobby Goldman , Bob Hamman , Mike Lawrence , Jim Jacoby , Bobby Wolff
Phil Feldesman , William Grieve , Victor Mitchell , Ira Rubin , Sam Stayman , Jeff Westheimer
1970
Steve Altman, Tom Smith, Dave Strasberg, Joel Stuart, Peter Weichsel
Billy Eisenberg , Bobby Goldman , Bob Hamman , Jim Jacoby , Mike Lawrence , Bobby Wolff
1971
Steve Altman, Eugene Neiger, Tom Smith, Joel Stuart, Peter Weichsel
Edgar Kaplan , Norman Kay , Don Krauss, Lew Mathe
1972
B. Jay Becker , Mike Becker , Andy Bernstein, Jeff Rubens
Pat Brennan, Byron Greenberg, Edith Kemp , Cliff Russell, Curtis Smith, Albert Weiss
1973
Larry T. Cohen , Billy Eisenberg , Eddie Kantar , Richard H. Katz , Bud Reinhold
Minda Brachman, Sidney Lazard, Jim Jacoby , Paul Soloway , John Swanson
1974
Lou Bluhm , Larry Gould , Steve Goldberg , Richard Shepherd
Harlow Lewis, Lew Mathe , Peter Pender, Bill Root , Harry Stappenbeck, Arthur Waldman
1975
Grant Baze , John Fejervary, Lew Stansby , Piyush Vakil, Ron Von der Porten
Ira Cohen, Harold Guiver, Marty Shallon, Bill Sides
1976
Roger Bates , Larry T. Cohen , Richard H. Katz , John Mohan , George Rosenkranz
David Berkowitz , Mark Blumenthal, Jim Jacoby , Mike Lawrence , George Rapée , John Solodar
1977
Lou Bluhm , Dan Morse , Cliff Russell, Curtis Smith, Tommy Sanders, Eddie Wold
Ken Cohen, Larry Gould , Larry Kozlove, John Sheridan
1978
Malcolm Brachman , Bobby Goldman , Eddie Kantar , Mike Passell , Paul Soloway
Steve Altman, Edgar Kaplan , Norman Kay , Richard Pavlicek , Bill Root , Tom Smith
1979
Fred Hamilton , Bob Hamman , Ira Rubin , Bobby Wolff
Ed Manfield , Steve Robinson , Eric Rodwell , John Sheridan, Kit Woolsey
1980
Mike Becker , Kyle Larsen , Ron Rubin , Alan Sontag , Ron Von der Porten , Peter Weichsel
Rich Freisner, Brian Glubok , Mike Lawrence , George Rapée , Michael Rosenberg , John Solodar
1981
Larry N. Cohen , Ron Gerard , Ralph Katz , Warren Rosner, Allan Stauber , John Sutherlin
Bart Bramley , Rich Freisner, Ed Manfield , Kit Woolsey
1982
Ron Rubin , Mike Becker , Bob Hamman , Bobby Wolff , Alan Sontag , Peter Weichsel
Mark Molson , Billy Cohen, Eric Kokish, Peter Nagy
1983
Malcolm Brachman , Bobby Wolff , Bobby Goldman , Bob Hamman , Paul Soloway , Ron Andersen
Luella Slaner, Marty Bergen , Larry N. Cohen , Brian Glubok , Mark Cohen, Jerry Goldfein
1984
George Rosenkranz , Eddie Wold , Marty Bergen , Larry N. Cohen , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell
Alan Sontag , Allan Cokin, Jim Sternberg, Bernie Chazen , Steve Sion
1985
Tom Mahaffey , Jack Denny , Bill Passell , Russ Arnold , Ira Rubin , Chuck Burger
Ron Rubin , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell , Mike Lawrence , Peter Weichsel
1986
Malcolm Brachman , Bobby Goldman , Ron Andersen , Mike Passell , Mark Lair , Paul Soloway
Brian Glubok , Billy Cohen, John Schermer , Neil Chambers
1987
Brian Glubok , Dan Rotman , Harry Stappenbeck, Jaggy Shivdasani
Tom Mahaffey , Jack Denny , Russ Arnold , Bernie Chazen , Roy Fox, Michael Seamon
1988
Jim Mahaffey , Ron Andersen , Paul Soloway , Bobby Goldman , Eric Rodwell , Jeff Meckstroth
Ron Rubin , Mike Becker , Peter Weichsel , Bart Bramley , Bobby Levin , Lou Bluhm
1989
Jimmy Cayne , Chuck Burger , Bob Hamman , Bobby Wolff , Mike Passell , Mark Lair
Jon Wittes, Ross Grabel , Mark Cohen, Mark Feldman
1990
Jimmy Cayne , Chuck Burger , Chip Martel , Lew Stansby , Bob Hamman , Bobby Wolff
Jim Mahaffey , Paul Soloway , Bobby Goldman , Ron Andersen , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell
1991
Zia Mahmood , Michael Rosenberg , Seymon Deutsch , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell
Cliff Russell, Peter Weichsel , Bobby Levin , Sam Lev , Alan Sontag , Eddie Kantar
1992
Mike Becker , Ron Rubin , Russ Ekeblad , Ron Sukoneck, Bobby Levin , Peter Weichsel
Steve Robinson , Peter Boyd , Lew Stansby , Kit Woolsey , Neil Silverman, Chip Martel
1993
Nick Nickell , Richard Freeman , Bob Hamman , Bobby Wolff , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell
Zia Mahmood , Michael Rosenberg , Seymon Deutsch , Hemant Lall , Chip Martel , Lew Stansby
1994
Nick Nickell , Richard Freeman , Bob Hamman , Bobby Wolff , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell
Jimmy Cayne , Chuck Burger , Mark Lair , Mike Passell , Paul Soloway , Bobby Goldman
1995
Nick Nickell , Richard Freeman , Bob Hamman , Bobby Wolff , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell
Zia Mahmood , Michael Rosenberg , Chip Martel , Lew Stansby
1996
Nick Nickell , Richard Freeman , Bob Hamman , Bobby Wolff , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell
Richard Schwartz, Paul Soloway , Bobby Goldman , Steve Robinson , Alan Sontag , Ron Smith
1997
Grant Baze , Tipton Golias, Marek Szymanowski, Marcin Leśniewski, Cezary Balicki , Adam Żmudziński
Jimmy Cayne , Chuck Burger , Mike Passell , Michael Seamon , Mark Feldman, Alan Sontag
1998
Nick Nickell , Richard Freeman , Bob Hamman , Paul Soloway , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell
Grant Baze , Michael Whitman, Marek Szymanowski, Marcin Leśniewski, Cezary Balicki , Adam Żmudziński
1999
Nick Nickell , Richard Freeman , Bob Hamman , Paul Soloway , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell
John Onstott , Steve Beatty , Billy Eisenberg , Garey Hayden
2000
Rose Meltzer , Peter Weichsel , Alan Sontag , Chip Martel , Lew Stansby , Kyle Larsen
Roy Welland , Brad Moss , Marc Jacobus , Fred Gitelman , Magnus Lindkvist , Peter Fredin
2001
George Jacobs , Ralph Katz , Norberto Bocchi , Giorgio Duboin , Lorenzo Lauria , Alfredo Versace
Mike Moss, Fred Chang, Kerry Smith, Jeff Schuett
2002
George Jacobs , Ralph Katz , Norberto Bocchi , Giorgio Duboin , Lorenzo Lauria , Alfredo Versace
Mike Moss, Martin Schifko, Allan Graves, Bryan Maksymetz
2003
Roy Welland , Björn Fallenius, Zia Mahmood , Michael Rosenberg , Cezary Balicki , Adam Żmudziński
Rose Meltzer , Peter Weichsel , Kyle Larsen , Alan Sontag , Chip Martel , Lew Stansby
2004
Nick Nickell , Richard Freeman , Bob Hamman , Paul Soloway , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell
Mark Feldman, Billy Cohen, Ron Smith, Gavin Wolpert , Warren Spector, Vincent Demuy
2005
Russ Ekeblad , Ron Rubin , Eric Greco , Geoff Hampson , Fred Gitelman , Brad Moss
Tom Carmichael, Michael White, Joel Wooldridge , John Hurd, Bryan Maksymetz, Dan Gerstman
2006
Nick Nickell , Richard Freeman , Bob Hamman , Paul Soloway , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell
James Cayne , Michael Seamon , Fulvio Fantoni , Claudio Nunes , Lorenzo Lauria , Alfredo Versace
2007
Nick Nickell , Hemant Lall , Bob Hamman , Paul Soloway , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell
Alexander Dubinin, Andrei Gromov, Cezary Balicki , Adam Żmudziński
2008
Alexander Dubinin, Andrei Gromov, Cezary Balicki , Adam Żmudziński
Roy Welland , Brian Glubok , Steve Garner , Howard Weinstein , Billy Cohen, Ron Smith
2009
Jan Jansma, Louk Verhees, Ricco Van Prooijen, Russell Ekeblad, Matt Granovetter , Ron Rubin
Rose Meltzer , Kyle Larsen , Alan Sontag , David Berkowitz , Larry N. Cohen , Tor Helness
2010
Eric Greco , John Diamond , Geoff Hampson , Brian Platnick, Brad Moss , Fred Gitelman
Rose Meltzer , Kyle Larsen , Alan Sontag , David Berkowitz , Fulvio Fantoni , Claudio Nunes
2011
Pierre Zimmermann , Franck Multon , Fulvio Fantoni , Claudio Nunes , Tor Helness , Geir Helgemo
Nick Nickell , Ralph Katz , Bob Hamman , Zia Mahmood , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell
2012
Pierre Zimmermann , Franck Multon , Fulvio Fantoni , Claudio Nunes , Tor Helness , Geir Helgemo
Nick Nickell , Ralph Katz , Jeff Meckstroth , Eric Rodwell , Bobby Levin , Steve Weinstein
2013
Wojciech Gawel, Rafal Jagniewski, Jacek Kalita , Michal Nowosadzki
Leslie Amoils , Peter Bertheau , Thomas Bessis , Joe Grue , Jacob Morgan , Brad Moss
2014
Richard Schwartz, Allan Graves, Lotan Fisher , Ron Schwartz , Boye Brogeland , Espen Lindqvist
Pierre Zimmermann , Franck Multon , Fulvio Fantoni , Claudio Nunes , Tor Helness , Geir Helgemo
2015
Vacated.[ 1] The original winners were James Cayne , Michael Seamon , Lotan Fisher , Ron Schwartz , Lorenzo Lauria , Alfredo Versace . The title was forfeited.
Vacated.[ 2] The original second place team was Pierre Zimmermann , Franck Multon , Fulvio Fantoni , Claudio Nunes , Tor Helness , Geir Helgemo . The place was forfeited.
2016
Martin Fleisher , Chip Martel , Sabine Auken , Roy Welland , Brad Moss , Joe Grue
Pierre Zimmermann , Franck Multon , Tor Helness , Geir Helgemo , Krzysztof Martens
2017
John Diamond , Boye Brogeland , Espen Lindqvist , Brian Platnick
Dennis Bilde , Norberto Bocchi , Giorgio Duboin , Antonio Sementa , Agustin Madala, Alejandro Bianchedi
2018
Pierre Zimmermann , Piotr Gawrys , Michal Klukowski, Franck Multon , Geir Helgemo , Tor Helness
Andrew Rosenthal , Aaron Silverstein, David Berkowitz , Migry Zur Campanile , Eldad Ginossar , Chris Willenken
2019
Josef Blass (npc), Sjoert Brink , Bas Drijver , Jacek Kalita , Michal Nowosadzki , Jacek Pszczoła
Pierre Zimmermann , Piotr Gawrys , Tor Helness , Michal Klukowski, Krzysztof Martens , Franck Multon
2020
Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021
Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic [ 3]
2022
Pierre Zimmerman, Michal Klukowski, Piotr Gawrys, Sebastiaan Drijver, Sjoert Brink, Fernando Piedra[ 4]
Paul Street, Nicolas L'Ecuyer, Ron Pachtmann, Piotr Pawel Zatorski, Andrea Manno, Massimiliano Di Franco
2023
Marty Fleisher, Chip Martel, Cedric Lorenzini, Antonio Sementa, Alfredo Versace, Thomas Bessis
Leif Bremark, Johan Upmark, Simon Hult, Antonio Palma, Fredrik Nystrom, Frederic Wrang
See also
References
Other sources
List of previous winners, Pages 10, 11. Daily Bulletin (PDF) , vol. 80– 4, July 21, 2008, archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015
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