Wernher Open Pairs

The Wernher Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship (NABC).

The Wernher Open Pairs is a four session MP pairs event, two qualifying sessions and two final sessions. The event typically starts on the Tuesday of the NABC. The event is open, but due to its current early conflict with the concurrent Spingold Knockout Teams, it is generally considered to be the weakest open national event on the calendar.

History

The Wernher Open pairs is a four-session event with two qualifying sessions and two final sessions. It was contested at the Summer NABC until 1962. It moved to the Spring NABC in 1963 where it remained for 40 years.

In 2004 it returned to the Summer NABC lineup. From 1969 through 1971, it was contested as a three-session championship. In 1992 the event became Open Pairs II.

The winners have their names inscribed on the Wernher trophy, named after Sir Derrick J. Wernher, a leading personality in American bridge in the Thirties. Wernher -- a resident of both London and Deal NJ -- was president of the American Bridge League in 1933, chairman of its Master Plan committee and a member of the board of directors of the American Whist League.

Winners

During 56 years as the national or North American championship Men's Pairs, two champions successfully defended the title playing together: Doug Drury–Eric Murray in 1955, Phil Feldesman–Ira Rubin in 1962. Indeed, they were the only pairs to win the event twice.

Winners of Men's Pairs (1934–1989)
Year Winners Runners-up
 1934  David Burnstine, Oswald Jacoby Morrie Elis, George Kennedy
1935 Edward Cook, Fred French Charles Goren, Louis H. Watson
1936 Richard Ecker, Fred Kaplan Bertram Lebhar Jr., Samuel Katz
1937 Edward Cook, John Kunkle Philip Abramsohn, Morrie Elis
1938 B. Jay Becker, Charles Goren Morrie Elis, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1939 John R. Crawford, Oswald Jacoby Henry Chanin, Morrie Elis
1940 Merwyn Maier, Robert McPherran Morrie Elis, Harry Fishbein
1941 Joseph Low, Simon Rossant Joseph Davis, Sidney Silodor
1942 Robert von Engel, Aaron Goodman Murray Gross, William Lipton
1943 Charles Goren, Charles Solomon Richard Ecker, Fred Kaplan
1944   Sigmund Dornbusch, Herman Goldberg   Ambrose Casner, Ralph Hirschberg
1945 Sylvester Gintell, Lee Hazen George Rapée, Sam Stayman
1946 Mitchell Barnes, Waldemar von Zedtwitz Lewis Bernard, Frank Weisbach
1947 Sol Mogal, Tobias Stone Morrie Elis, Morris Portugal
1948 Fred Hirsch, Samuel Katz Lewis Bernard, Harold Feldstein
1949 Charles Goren, Oswald Jacoby Bobby Nail, J. G. Ripstra
1950 Phillip Briggs, Richard Revell George Rapée, Sidney Silodor
1951 Milton Ellenby, Emmanuel Hochfeld Clifford Bishop, Alexander Nusinoff
1952 Arthur Grau, William Rosen Harold Harkavy, Tobias Stone
1953 Harold Harkavy, Bill Root   John R. Crawford, Waldemar von Zedtwitz  
1954 Doug Drury, Eric Murray Milton Ellenby, Douglas Steen
1955 Doug Drury, Eric Murray Ira Rubin, Victor Mitchell
1956 Paul Allinger, Jim Jacoby Robert Jordan, Robert Sitnek
1957 David Carter, John Hubbell John Gerber, Paul Hodge
1958 William Grieve, Ira Rubin Norman Kay, Sidney Silodor
1959 Harry Fishbein, John Gerber Erik Paulsen, Mike Shuman
1960 Jack Blair, William Christian David Carter, Paul Hodge
1961 Phil Feldesman, Ira Rubin Paul Allinger, Lew Mathe
1962 Phil Feldesman, Ira Rubin Eddie Kantar, Marshall Miles
1963 Sami Kehela, Wolf Lebovic Sonny Moyse, Tommy Sanders
1964 Ed Weiner, G. Gard Hays Darryl Pedersen, Don Nemiro
1965 Lawrence Rosler, Jeff Rubens Norman Kay, Eric Murray
1966 Barry Crane, Peter Rank Mark Blumenthal, Mike Moss
1967 Richard Lawrence, Art Price Eddie Kantar, Sidney Lazard
1968 Kyle Larsen, Edmond Lazarus Bill Passell, David Strasberg
1969 Michael Martino, Frank Vine Gerald Hallee, Paul Soloway
1970 Richard Kaye, Richard Walsh Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay
1971 Giorgio Belladonna, Benito Garozzo Robert Kerr, Jay McKee
1972 Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey Paul Heitner, Marshall Miles
1973 Jack Kennedy, David Hadden Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey
1974 George Slemmons, George Steiner Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey
1975 Harlow Lewis, Art Waldemann Larry Kozlove, John Sheridan
1976 Gerald Caravelli, Larry T. Cohen Jack Kennedy, Bobby Wolff
1977 Joseph Fox, Garey Hayden David Lehman, Dick Melson
1978 Larry Kozlove, John Sheridan Roy Fox, Paul Swanson
1979 Roy Fox, Paul Swanson Perry Johnson, Michael Zerbini
1980 Neil Silverman, Peter Weichsel Warren Rosner, Stephen Sanborn
1981 Warren Rosner, Allan Stauber Billy Eisenberg, Neil Silverman
1982 David Berkowitz, Harold Lilie James Barlow, Chuck Carroll
1983 Marty Bergen, Allan Stauber Mike Passell, Ron Andersen
1984 Mike Lawrence, Peter Weichsel Joel Friedberg, Ethan Stein
1985 Ed Manfield, Kit Woolsey Bob Hamman, George Mittelman
1986 Bob Hamman, Paul Swanson Bobby Levin, Fred Hamilton
1987 Darryl Pedersen, George Steiner Zia Mahmood, Chris Compton
1988 Arthur Hoffman, Stephen Shane Ken Kranyak, Harry Stratton
1989 Mike Moss, Charles Coon Robert Beiles, Sidney Lorvan
Winners of Open Pairs (1990–)
Year Winners Runners-up
 1990  Steve Sion, Steve Landen Neil Silverman, Mike Smolen
1991 Ken Cohen, Bob Thomas JoAnna Stansby, Lew Stansby
1992 Jeff Meckstroth, Perry Johnson Tony Glynne, James Elliott
1993 Gaylor Kasle, Bobby Levin Eddie Wold, Dennis Sorensen
1994 Thomas Peters, John Zilic Steve Beatty, Curtis Cheek
1995 Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein Martin Caley, Peter Schwartz
1996 David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen Jackie Buroker, Dick Yarington
1997 Lloyd Arvedon, Allan Falk Bart Bramley, Sidney Lazard
1998 Björn Fallenius, Mike Moss Evan Bailey, Joseph Kivel
1999 Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein
2000   Stephen Landen, Pratap Rajadhyaksha   Kenneth Kranyak, Harry Stratton
2001 Chris Willenken, Ron Smith Joseph Kivel, Chris Larsen
2002 Curtis Cheek, Eric Greco Geoff Hampson, Renee Mancuso
2003 Geoff Hampson, Eric Greco Ken Cohen, Dan Gerstman
2004 Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes Kit Woolsey, Fred Stewart
2005 Nagy Kamel, Nader Hanna Samuel Marks, Emory Whitaker
2006 Jianrong Lin, Julie Zhu Cameron Doner, Bob Etter
2007 Joan Jackson, Petra Hamman   Daniel Korbel, Jonathan Steinberg  
2008 K. R. Venkataraman, Sunit Chokshi Don Piafsky, Barry Piafsky
2009 Nikolay Demirev, Nicolas L'Ecuyer Alan Kleist, Tim Crank
2010 Richard Burton, Beatrice Kemp Tom Carmichael, Jeff Roman
2011 Meyer Kotkin, Howard Cohen Robb Gordon, Richard Margolis
2012 Robert Lebi, David Lindop Pamela Miller, James Rasmussen
2013 Valentin Kovachev, Lynne Rosenbaum Larry Sealy, Jim Foster
Winners of Men's Pairs, Spring NABCs, 1958–1962
Year Winners Runners-up
 1958  Norman Kay, Sidney Silodor Jack Denny, Richard Harrison
1959 James Pestaner, John Swanson Don Oakie, Meyer Schleifer
1960 Frank Hoadley, Julius Rosenblum Harold Creed, Samuel Gould
1961 Morton Rubinow, Tobias Stone Erik Paulsen, Alex Tschekaloff
1962 Ivan Erdos, Phil Feldesman Norman Kay, Sidney Silodor

Sources

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