The Reisinger Board-A-Match Teams starts Friday, Dec. 6 at the Fall NABC in Phoenix. This will mark the 48th time the event has been contested for the Reisinger Trophy and the 82nd time the event has been played — it was the Chicago Board-A-Match Teams from 1929 to 1964.
The Reisinger is contested in six sessions — two qualifying, two semifinal and two final sessions. Board-A-Match events are considered by most experts to be the toughest type of event in tournament bridge.
A team plays a small number of boards against one opponent – usually two, three or four boards – then moves on to take on another opponent. The movement is set up in such a way that a team plays boards against opposing pairs of the same team. After play is finished and the teams compare scores, one matchpoint is awarded for each board won, and half a matchpoint for each board tied. The margin of difference on any board is of no consequence — winning a board by 10 points is the same as winning a board by 4000. A win on a board = 1. Every board is equally important and a high degree of concentration is necessary throughout every board of a session.
The Reisinger Memorial Trophy was donated by the Greater New York Bridge Association in memory of Curt H. Reisinger. Reisinger was a principal patron of contract bridge and the American Contract Bridge League. A man of great wealth, Reisinger was often called upon, and never failed, to help with a loan or an outright gift when there was a struggle to meet the modest payroll of the ACBL in its infancy. His support made possible several early contract bridge tournaments, clubs and books.
Bob Hamman holds the record for the most wins in the Reisinger having won 12 times. Three wins were ties (1962, 1970 and 1979). He won again in 1978 and 1988 and seven times as a member of the Nickell Team.
The Nickell Team –— Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Bobby Wolff, Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell –— has more Reisinger titles than any other team and were one of three teams to win the event three years in a row. They won in 1993, 1994 and 1995 and then –— with a slightly different roster –— fell just short of doing it again in 2006 after winning 2004 and 2005 and again in 2010 after claiming the title in both 2008 and 2009.
John Crawford claimed 10 victories when it was the Chicago Board-A-Match Teams. His team comprised of Sally Young, Helen Sobel Smith and Charles Goren was another team that won three in a row 1937, 1938 and 1939. B. Jay Becker was also a member of the team in 1939.
Another notable three-peat was performed by the team of Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Bill Root and Richard Pavlicek in 1982, 1983 and 1984. Oswald Jacoby at age 81 was a member of the 1983 team.
In 2012, the Cayne Team –— Jimmy Cayne, Giorgio Duboin, Lorenzo Lauria, Michael Seamon, Antonio Sementa and Alfredo Versace –— was looking to three-peat, having claimed the title in 2010 and 2011, but fell short landing in ninth place.
Eric Rodwell and Jeff Meckstroth have both earned nine Reisinger titles. Charles Goren and B. Jay Becker each won eight times.
On six occasions the Reisinger has ended in a tie; the two most notable were in 1947 and 1984.
In 1947, the first and only all-female team to win the event — Sally Young, Paula Bacher, Jane Jaeger and Kay Rhodes — shared the victory with the team of John R. Crawford, Theodore A. Lightner, George Rapee and Samuel M. Stayman and the team of Robert Appleyard, Morris Berliant, Malcolm A. Lightman and Simon Rossant.
1984 saw a four-way tie for the title. The winning teams that year were: Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Richard Pavlicek and Bill Root; Mike Smolen, Allan Stauber, Fred Stewart and Steve Weinstein; Saul Bronstein, Richard Reisig, Samuel M. Stayman and George Tornay; Ross Grabel, Jim Robison, Stelios Touchtidis and Jon Wittes.
Finals of this year’s Reisinger will be shown on BBO vugraph on Dec. 8. For local times please visit http://www.bridgebase.com/vugraph/schedule.php.
1929 1. Max M. Cohen, Louis J. Haddad, Robert W. Halpin, Nils M. Wester
2. Carlton R. Drake, James Kelly, Paul D. Parcells, Charles Rilling
1930 1. William K. Barrett, W. James Carpenter, Ely Culbertson, Johnny Rau
2. Mary Clement, Dorothy Rice Sims, P. Hal Sims, Waldemar K. von Zedtwitz
1931 1. Elizabeth Banfield, Cmdr. Winfield S. Liggett, Jr., Frances Newman, George Unger
2. David Burnstine, Oswald Jacoby, Willard S. Karn, P. Hal Sims
1932 1. B. Jay Becker. S. Garton Churchill, George Reith, Waldemar K. von Zedtwitz
2. Ely Culbertson, Michael T. Gottlieb, Oswald Jacoby, Theodore A. Lightner
1933 1. Charles A. Hall, Albert Steiner, Philip Steiner, Richard M. Wildberg
2. B. Jay Becker, S. Garton Churchill, P. Hal Sims, Waldemar K. von Zedtwitz
1934 1. Henry S. Dinkelspiel, Jr., Lewis M. Jaeger, Bernard Rabinowitz, Maurice Seiler
2. Theodore A. Lightner, Merwyn D. Maier, Jean P. Mattheys, Sherman Stearns
1935 1. F. Roland Buck, Joseph E. Cain, Lawrence J. Welch, Edson Wood
2. Ely Culbertson, Josephine Culbertson, Richard L. Frey, Albert H. Morehead
1936 1. Marge Anderson, Donald G. Farquharson, Mrs. J. A. Faulkner, Percy E. Sheardown
2. Arthur Glatt, Laura Heiner, John R. Smith, Albert Weiss
1937 1. John R. Crawford, Charles H. Goren, Charles J. Solomon, Sally Young
2. Oscar J. Brotman, William Perry, Alvin Roth, S. S. Vorzimer
1938 1. John R. Crawford, Charles H. Goren, Charles J. Solomon, Sally Young
2. A. Mitchell Barnes, Mary Clement, Benedict Jarmel, Waldemar K. von Zedtwitz
1939 1. B. Jay Becker, John R. Crawford, Charles H. Goren, Charles J. Solomon, Sally Young
2-4. Jack Cushing, Seymour Kaplan, Al Leibowitz, Edward N. Marcus
2-4. Oswald Jacoby, Merwyn D. Maier, Robert A. McPherran, Waldemar K. von Zedtwitz
2-4. Henry Auslander, Joseph Davis, Jacob D. Lindy, Catherine W. Samberg
1940 1. Harry Feinberg, Jeff Glick, Maury J. Glick, Louis Newman
2. Alfred R. Dick, C. William Potts, James Sheern, Edward R. Thomas
1941 1. Peter A. Leventritt, Simon Rossant, Helen Sobel, Margaret Wagar
2. A. Mitchell Barnes, S. Garton Churchill, Lee Hazen, Charles S. Lochridge, Waldemar K. von Zedtwitz
1942 1. B. Jay Becker, Charles H. Goren, Sidney Silodor, John R. Crawford
2. S. Garton Churchill, Harry Fishbein, Lee Hazen, Waldemar K. von Zedtwitz
1943 1. B. Jay Becker, Charles H. Goren, Sidney Silodor, Helen Sobel
2. Samuel Katz, Bertram Lebhar, Jr., Peter A. Leventritt, Simon Rossant
1944 1. Simon Becker, Peggy Golder, Ruth Sherman, Charles J. Solomon
2. B. Jay Becker, Charles H. Goren, Sidney Silodor, Helen Sobel
1945 1. Lee Hazen, George Rapee, Samuel M. Stayman, Waldemar K. von Zedtwitz 2. Ambrose Casner, Harold Harkavy, Ralph Hirschberg, Harold Ogust, Jack Shore
1946 1. A. Mitchell Barnes, John R. Crawford, Alvin Roth, Edith Seligman
2. Simon Becker, Stanley Fenkel, Fred Karpin, Louis Newman
1947 1-3. Paula Bacher, Jane Jaeger, Kay Rhodes, Sally Young
1-3. John R. Crawford, Theodore A. Lightner, George Rapee, Samuel M. Stayman
1-3. Robert Appleyard, Morris Berliant, Malcolm A. Lightman, Simon Rossant
1948 1. J. George Boeckh, C. Bruce Elliott, Agnes Gordon, Charlotte Sidway
2. John R. Crawford, George Rapee, Sidney Silodor, Samuel M. Stayman
1949 1. Lee Hazen, Larry Hirsch, Richard Kahn, Peter A. Leventritt, Jack Shore
2-3. Sidney Aronson, Emily Folline, Benjamin O. Johnson, Ludwig Kabakjian, Edward N. Marcus
2-3. Jeff Glick, Arthur S. Goldsmith, Alvin Landy, Sol Mogal, Elmer I. Schwartz
1950 1. B. Jay Becker, Myron F. Field, Charles H. Goren, Sidney Silodor, Helen Sobel
2. John R. Crawford, George Rapee, Edward N. Marcus, Howard Schenken, Samuel M. Stayman
1951 1. Corti Boland, C. Bruce Elliot, Micky M. Miller, Percy E. Sheardown
2. B. Jay Becker, Charles H. Goren, Myron F. Field, Sidney Silodor, Helen Sobel
1952 1. Harold Harkavy, Edith Kemp, Alvin Roth, Tobias Stone
2. Edward H. Cohen, Jeff Glick, Arthur S. Goldsmith, Elmer I. Schwartz
1953 1. B. Jay Becker, John R. Crawford, George Rapee, Samuel M. Stayman
2. Harry Fishbein, Peter A. Leventritt, Ruth Sherman, Charles J. Solomon, Peggy Solomon
1954 1. B. Jay Becker, John R. Crawford, George Rapee, Sidney Silodor
2. Israel Cohen, Paul Kibler, Alvin Roth, William Seamon
1955 1. Ben Fain, George Heath, Paul Hodge, Jim Jacoby, Oswald Jacoby
2. William V. Lipton, Victor Mitchell, W. Miller Nelson, Joseph G. Ripstra
1956 1. B. Jay Becker, John R. Crawford, George Rapee, Sidney Silodor
2. Ben Fain, Paul Hodge, Oswald Jacoby, Dick Sutton
1957 1. Charles H. Goren, Harold Ogust, Bill Root, Howard Schenken, Helen Sobel
2. Robert Y. Barrett, Ben Fain, Harry Fishbein, John Gerber, Paul Hodge
1958 1. Leonard B. Harmon, Ralph Hirschberg, Edgar Kaplan, Alfred Sheinwold, Ivar Stakgold
2. Arthur M. Miller, John H. Moran, David Strasberg, Jay Wendt
1959 1. Lewis L. Mathe, Donald A. Oakie, Meyer Schleifer, Edward O. Taylor
2. Harry Fishbein, John Gerber, Paul Hodge, Charles J. Solomon
1960 1. Ollie Adams, William Hann, Sidney H. Lazard, Lewis L. Mathe
2. Oswald Jacoby, Mervin Key, Bobby Nail, Curtis K. Smith
1961 1. John R. Crawford, Norman Kay, Alvin Roth, Sidney Silodor, Tobias Stone
2-3. Charles Coon, Robert F. Jordan, Eric R. Murray, Arthur G. Robinson
2-3. Harold Guiver, Carol Sanders, Thomas K. Sanders, Mike Shuman
1962 1-2. Paul Allinger, Harold Guiver, Lewis L. Mathe, Ron Von der Porten, Erik Paulsen, Edward O. Taylor
1-2. Bob Hamman, Eddie Kantar, Donald P. Krauss, Marshall Miles, Billy Eisenberg
1963 1. Charles H. Goren, Peter A. Leventritt, Harold Ogust, Howard Schenken
2. Donald R. Faskow, William L. Flannery, Herbert Sachs, Paul Swanson
1964 1. John Gerber, Paul Hodge, Mervin Key, Harold Rockaway
2. Harold Harkavy, Edith Kemp, Cliff Russell, Curtis K. Smith, Bobby Wolff, Waldemar K. von Zedtwitz
1965 1. Eddie Kantar, Mike Lawrence, Marshall Miles, Lew Stansby
2. Michael Engel, Phil Feldesman, Richard Freeman, Ira Rubin
1966 1. Robert F. Jordan, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Arthur G. Robinson
2-3. Gerald Bare, Harold Guiver, Lewis L. Mathe, Mike McMahan, Erik Paulsen, Hugh Ross
2-3. Bill Root, Alvin Roth, Bee Schenken, Howard Schenken
1967 1. Robert F. Jordan, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Arthur G. Robinson, Bill Root, Alvin Roth
2. Steve Altman, Mike Becker, Charles Peres, Dan Rotman
1968 1. Kyle Larsen, Erik Paulsen, Peter A. Pender, Hugh Ross, Howard Schenken
2. Billy Eisenberg, Bobby Goldman, Bob Hamman, Eddie Kantar, Sidney H. Lazard, George Rapee
1969 1. Phil Feldesman, William Grieve, Ira Rubin, Jeff Westheimer
2. Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Sami R. Kehela, Sidney H. Lazard, Eric R. Murray, George Rapee
1970 1-2. Billy Eisenberg, Bobby Goldman, Bob Hamman, Jim Jacoby, Mike Lawrence, Bobby Wolff
1-2. Grant Baze, Antonio H. Dionisi, William Grieve, Harlow S. Lewis, Peter A. Pender, George Rapee
1971 1. William Grieve, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Donald P. Krauss, Lewis L. Mathe, George Rapee
2. Grant Baze, Antonio H. Dionisi, Harlow S. Lewis, Peter A. Pender
1972 1. Lou Bluhm, Steve Goldberg, Steven J. Parker, Steve Robinson
2. William Grieve, Sami R. Kehela, Eric R. Murray, George Rapee
1973 1. Larry T. Cohen, Dr. Richard H. Katz, Bud Reinhold, Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel
2. Jack Blair, Byron L. Greenberg, Thomas K. Sanders, Paul Swanson
1974 1. Fred Hamilton, Erik Paulsen, Hugh Ross, Ira Rubin
2. Stephen Goldstein, Marc Jacobus, J. Merrill, Steve Sion, Judi Solodar
1975 1. Fred Hamilton, Erik Paulsen, Hugh Ross, Ira Rubin
2. Richard E. Doughty, Frank Hoadley, Jack LaNoue, Sidney H. Lazard
1976 1. Malcolm Brachman, Billy Eisenberg, Bobby Goldman, Eddie Kantar, Mike Passell, Paul Soloway
2. Matt Granovetter, Robert H. Lipsitz, Steven J. Parker, Samuel M. Stayman
1977 1. Jimmy Cayne, Alan Greenberg, Jim Jacoby, Kyle Larsen, Mike Lawrence
2. Matt Granovetter, Robert H. Lipsitz, Neil Silverman, Samuel M. Stayman
1978 1. Ira G. Corn, Jr., Fred Hamilton, Bob Hamman, Ira Rubin, Bobby Wolff
2. Allan Graves, Gaylor Kasle, Mark Lair, George Mittelman, Barney O’Malia, Ron Smith
1979 1-2. Russ Arnold, Bobby Levin, Jeff Meckstroth, Bud Reinhold, Eric Rodwell
1-2. Ira G. Corn, Jr., Fred Hamilton, Bob Hamman, Ira Rubin, Bobby Wolff
1980 1. Ron Andersen, Malcolm Brachman, Bobby Goldman, Eddie Kantar, Mike Lawrence, Paul Soloway
2-3. Mark Lair, Jeff Meckstroth, Mike Passell, Eric Rodwell, George Rosenkranz, Eddie Wold
2-3. Roy Fox, Ed Manfield, Paul Swanson, Kit Woolsey
1981 1. Chip Martel, Peter A. Pender, Hugh Ross, Lew Stansby
2-3. Roger Bates, Chuck Burger, Jimmy Cayne, Billy Eisenberg, Alan Greenberg
2-3. Evan Bailey, L. Andrew Campbell, Joel Hoersch, David J. Weiss
1982 1. Bill Root, Richard Pavlicek, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay
2. Mark Molson, Eric Kokish, Paul J. Lewis, Robert Lebi, George Mittelman, Drew Cannell
1983 1. Oswald Jacoby, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Bill Root, Richard Pavlicek
2-3 Ron Rubin, Mike Becker, Billy Eisenberg, Eddie Kantar, Mike Lawrence, Peter Weichsel
2-3. Chip Martel, Lew Stansby, Peter A. Pender, Hugh Ross
1984 1-4. Bill Root, Richard Pavlicek, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay
1-4. Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein, Allan Stauber, Mike Smolen
1-4. Samuel M. Stayman, Richard Reisig, George Tornay, Saul Bronstein
1-4. Jim Robison, Jon Wittes, Ross Grabel, Stelios Touchtidis
1985 1-2. Chip Martel, Peter A. Pender, Hugh Ross, Lew Stansby
1-2. George Rosenkranz, Eddie Wold, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell, Marty Bergen, Larry Cohen
1986 1. Steve Robinson, Chip Martel, Hugh Ross, Peter Boyd, Peter A. Pender, Lew Stansby
2. Bud Reinhold, Ron Andersen, Thomas K. Sanders, Paul Soloway, Bobby Goldman
1987 1. Zia Mahmood, Jaggy Shivdasani, Billy Cohen, Ron Smith
2. Walter Johnson, Mark Cohen, Ralph Katz, Bill Pollack, David Berkowitz, Howard Weinstein
1988 1. Jimmy Cayne, Bob Hamman, Mike Passell, Mark Lair, Chuck Burger, Bobby Wolff
2. Tom Fox, Dick Melson, Jim Hall, David Lehman
1989 1. Zia Mahmood, Michael Rosenberg, Sam Lev, Chris Compton, Mark Molson
2. Jillian Blanchard, Bob Blanchard, Jon Greenspan, Kerri Shuman, Margie Gwozdzinsky, Glenn Eisenstein
1990 1. Richard Pavlicek, Bill Root, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Brian Glubok
2. Malcolm Brachman, Mike Passell, Paul Soloway, Bobby Goldman, Mark Lair, Eddie Wold
1991 1. Cliff Russell, Sam Lev, Larry N. Cohen, David Berkowitz, Marty Bergen, Bjorn Fallenius
2. Mike Cappelletti, Jr., Mike Cappelletti, Sr., Lawrence Hicks, Rob Crawford
1992 1. Jimmy Cayne, Mike Passell, Mark Lair, Chuck Burger, Gabriel Chagas, Marcelo Branco
2. Jim Mahaffey, Alan Sontag, Eddie Kantar, Ron Andersen, Tony Forrester
1993 1. Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Bobby Wolff, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell
2. Jimmy Cayne, Chuck Burger, Mike Passell, Paul Soloway, Bobby Goldman, Mark Lair
1994 1. Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Bobby Wolff, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell
2. Jimmy Cayne, Bobby Goldman, Mark Lair, Mike Passell, Chuck Burger, Paul Soloway
1995 1. Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Bobby Wolff, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell
2. Peter Nagy, Bruce Ferguson, Howard Weinstein, Ralph Katz, Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein
1996 1. Zia Mahmood, Michael Rosenberg, Chip Martel, Lew Stansby
2. Jimmy Cayne, Mark Feldman, Chuck Burger, Michael Seamon, Mike Passell, Alan Sontag
1997 1. Bart Bramley, Howard Weinstein, Sidney H. Lazard, Steve Garner
2. George Rosenkranz, Eddie Wold, Adam Zmudzinski, Marek Szymanowski, Marcin Lesniewski, Cezary Balicki
1998 1. Rita Shugart, Andrew Robson, Geir Helgemo, Tony Forrester
2. George Jacobs, Ralph Katz, Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace, Peter Weichsel, Alan Sontag
1999 1. Rita Shugart, Andrew Robson, Geir Helgemo, Tony Forrester
2. Dana DeFalco, Giorgio Duboin, Guido Ferraro, Norberto Bocchi
2000 1. George Jacobs, Alfredo Versace, Lorenzo Lauria, Ralph Katz, Norberto Bocchi, Giorgio Duboin
2. Mike Cappelletti Jr., Gary Cohler, Richard Finberg, Mark Lair, Jerry Goldfein
2001 1. Roy Welland, Bjorn Fallenius, Brad Moss, Fred Gitelman, Howard Weinstein, Steve Garner
2. George Jacobs, Ralph Katz, Alfredo Versace, Lorenzo Lauria, Norberto Bocchi, Giorgio Duboin
2002 1. Steve Landen, Dan Morse, Bobby Wolff, Pratap Rajadhyaksha, Adam Wildavsky, Doug Doub
2. Richard Schwartz, Mike Becker, Larry N. Cohen, David Berkowitz, Zia Mahmood, Michael Rosenberg
2003 1. Malcolm Brachman, Geoff Hampson, Eric Greco, Mike Passell, Eddie Wold
2. Roy Welland, Bjorn Fallenius, Zia Mahmood, Michael Rosenberg, Cezary Balicki, Adam Zmudzinski
2004 1. Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Paul Soloway, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell
2. Richard Schwartz, Massimo Lanzarotti, Andrea Buratti, Mike Becker, Larry N. Cohen, David Berkowitz
2005 1. Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Paul Soloway, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell
2. George Jacobs, Alfredo Versace, Lorenzo Lauria, Ralph Katz, Zia Mahmood, Michael Rosenberg
2006 1. Jacek Pszczola, Joe Grue, Gary Cohler, Curtis Cheek
2. Russ Ekeblad, Chip Martel, Lew Stansby, Brad Moss, Fred Gitelman
2007 1. Jimmy Cayne, Michael Seamon, Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace, Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes 2. Chip Martel, Lew Stansby, Aubrey Strul, Larry N. Cohen, David Berkowitz, Mike Becker
2008 1. Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Zia Mahmood, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell
2. Roy Welland, Brian Glubok, Billy Cohen, Ron Smith, Howard Weinstein, Steve Garner
2009 1. Nick Nickell, Ralph Katz, Bob Hamman, Zia Mahmood, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell
2. Michal Kwiecien, Alexander Smirnov, Rafal Jagniewski, Josef Piekarek
2010 1. Jimmy Cayne, Giorgio Duboin, Lorenzo Lauria, Michael Seamon, Antonio Sementa, Alfredo Versace
2. Steve Garner, Christal Henner-Welland, Josef Piekarek, Alexander Smirnov, Howard Weinstein, Roy Welland
2011 1. Jimmy Cayne, Giorgio Duboin, Lorenzo Lauria, Michael Seamon, Antonio Sementa, Alfredo Versace
2. Fulvio Fantoni, Geir Helgemo, Tor Helness, Franck Multon, Claudio Nunes, Pierre Zimmermann
2012 1. Fulvio Fantoni, Geir Helgemo, Tor Helness, Franck Multon, Claudio Nunes, Pierre Zimmermann
2. Sabine Auken, Bart Bramley, Lew Stansby, Roy Welland
