Alan Truscott

Alan Fraser Truscott (16 April 1925 – 4 September 2005) was a bridge player, writer, and editor. He wrote the daily bridge column for The New York Times for 41 years, from 1964 to 2005, and served as Executive Editor for all six editions of The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge from 1964 to 2002.[1]

Britain

Truscott was born in Brixton, south London, and showed early prowess at chess.[2] He attended Whitgift School in Croydon and served in the Royal Navy for three years around the end of World War II. From 1947 he studied at the University of Oxford, which he represented at both chess and bridge. With Oxford partner Robert d'Unienville, he was on the British team (along with Terence Reese and Boris Schapiro) that won a bronze medal at the 1951 European Bridge League championships, age only 26. He represented Britain in the same event twice more, finishing second with partner Maurice Harrison-Gray in 1958 (again along with Reese–Schapiro) and first with partner Tony Priday in 1961. He was in charge of organizing the 1961 rendition hosted by Torquay in Devonshire, England. As European champions that British team finished third in the 1962 Bermuda Bowl held in New York City. The 1961 European Teams was his only international championship outside the British Isles.

America

According to Maureen Hiron, bridge columnist for The Independent of London, in New York City "he fell in love with one of the scorers, in particular, and America in general, and decided to cross the Atlantic."

Richard L. Frey, the American Contract Bridge League publications director, recruited Truscott to help edit the ACBL's membership magazine and its Official Encyclopedia of Bridge, whose first edition was underway. Truscott moved to New York City, then the ACBL headquarters, and succeeded Albert Morehead as bridge editor of The New York Times 1 January 1964. Frey, Truscott, and the editorial board led by Morehead completed the first Encyclopedia later that year.

Alan Truscott had three children Frances, Fraser and Philip with his first wife Gloria Gilling. That marriage was dissolved 1971 (Hiron) and in 1972 he married the American bridge expert and internationalist Dorothy Hayden, born Johnson, a former math teacher and actuary, who had four children from two previous marriages.(Alder)

Dorothy Truscott continued to compete at the highest levels after their marriage, winning all four of her world championships and achieving the world number one rank among women.(Alder) She had written "two best-selling bridge books" in 1969 and 1970 and they later wrote two books together.

Alan Truscott wrote thirteen books himself. He died of cancer at their vacation home in New Russia, New York, near Lake Champlain.[3] Mrs. Truscott died the following year.

Buenos Aires affair

As New York Times correspondent, Truscott covered the 1965 contract bridge world championship Bermuda Bowl in Buenos Aires and became a chief witness in a cheating scandal where Terence Reese and Boris Schapiro, representing Europe, were accused of using their fingers to pass information about their cards. The initial accusers were the American partnership of B. Jay Becker and Dorothy Hayden; the two confided their suspicions to Truscott, a close friend of Hayden's (and later her husband), and to John Gerber, then captain of the USA team. After an investigation, Reese and Schapiro were judged guilty by the World Bridge Federation authorities at the tournament in Buenos Aires. The British Bridge League (BBL) convened its own inquiry, and next year judged them not guilty by the "reasonable doubt" standard.

Both Truscott and Reese published books on the affair, The Great Bridge Scandal[4] and The Story of an Accusation.[5]

New York Times articles

Even after 1980, there was significant coverage of the Buenos Aires affair in the New York Times bridge columns by Truscott and his successor Phillip Alder.

Bridge accomplishments

Honors

Winner

Runners-up

Publications

References

  1. ↑ "Truscott, Alan". Hall of Fame. ACBL. Retrieved 2014-12-22.
  2. ↑ Winter, Edward. "Chess and Bridge". Chess History Center (chesshistory.com). Retrieved 2011-11-28.
  3. ↑ Pollak, Michael (5 September 2005). "Alan Truscott, Times Bridge Editor Since 1964, Dies at 80". The New York Times. Confirmed 2011-09-03.
  4. ↑ Truscott, Alan (1969). The Great Bridge Scandal. New York: Yarborough Press. LCCN 68023644. 331 pages. (2nd edition, 2004). Toronto: Master Point Press. ISBN 1-894154-67-3. 251 pages.
  5. ↑ Reese, Terence (1966). The Story of an Accusation. London: Heinemann. LCCN 67075048. 244 pages. (US edition, 1967). New York: Simon & Schuster. LCCN 67017872. 246 pages.
  6. ↑ "Induction by Year". Hall of Fame. ACBL. Retrieved 2014-12-22.

External links

Obituaries
Games columns about Truscott

Bridge columns featuring Alan Truscott by his successor Phillip Alder:

Chess column by his fellow Robert Byrne:

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