List of contract bridge people
This list is a compilation of contract bridge players, writers, administrators and personalities who have been recognized for their skills, achievements or contributions to the game as identified by various specific sources.
People recognized by bridge organizations
American Contract Bridge League
Hall of Fame
The first bridge Hall of Fame was inaugurated by The Bridge World in 1964 and invested nine members between then and 1966 after which it ceased sponsorship. The American Contract Bridge League adopted the concept to recognize the achievements and contributions of those residing in its territory (USA, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda) and inaugurated its own Hall of Fame in 1995 by accepting the original nine and adding eight others that year. From 1996 new members have been added annually in as many as three categories that are designated by three nominal ACBL Hall of Fame Awards.
- Open Award - "living individuals who have achieved prominence in the game of bridge and have an outstanding tournament record"
- von Zedtwitz Award - "living or deceased individuals who have achieved prominence in the game of bridge and have an outstanding tournament record but who may not have been in the limelight for a significant period of time" (20 people in 19 years to 2014)
- Blackwood Award - "individuals who have contributed greatly to the game of bridge without necessarily being world class players" (19 people to 2014)
Nominees in the Open category must have attained the age of 60 by 1 January of the year of the induction ceremony. The primary basis for consideration in the Open and von Zedtwitz categories is the player's North American and international record and achievements as a member and representative of the ACBL. An individual's personal history, whether good or bad, should be considered in nominating candidates or selecting recipients.
In 2008, ACBL established the Foundation for the Preservation and Advancement of Bridge (FPAB) "to support the preservation of bridge history, to recognize individuals for their excellence and service to the game of bridge and to inspire the participation of youth through scholarships and grants."
Most influential personalities
In 2012, the American Contract Bridge League celebrated the 75th anniversary of its creation by the merger of the American Bridge League and the United States Bridge Association in October 1937. In partial recognition, the League published a list of the 52 most influential personalities during its history.
Criteria included:
- contributions to bidding theory that have stood the test of time;
- contributions to bridge literature of enduring importance;
- contributions to law, regulation or administration making bridge more accessible or more fun;
- charisma that has broadened the appeal of bridge to non-players.
Selections were not limited to ACBL members or North American residents.
Player of the Year
The Player of the Year is awarded to the ACBL player accumulating the most platinum masterpoints in the calendar year.
Canadian Bridge Federation - Hall of Fame
CBF Hall of Fame Members († deceased)
Year
inducted |
Name |
Citation
link |
| 2010 |
Bruce Elliott |
|
| 2010 |
Sam Gold |
|
| 2010 |
Sami Kehela |
|
| 2010 |
Eric Murray |
|
| 2010 |
Percy Sheardown |
|
| 2011 |
Diana Gordon |
|
| 2011 |
Eric Kokish |
|
| 2011 |
George Mittelman |
|
| 2011 |
Doug Drew |
|
| 2011 |
Ralph Cohen |
|
| 2012 |
William Anderson |
|
| 2012 |
Boris Baran |
|
| 2012 |
Mark Molson |
|
| 2012 |
Peter Nagy |
|
| 2013 |
Joey Silver |
|
| 2013 |
Audrey Grant |
|
| 2013 |
Francine Cimone |
|
The Canadian Bridge Federation (CBF) is the national bridge organization for Canada and established the CBF Hall of Fame in 2010 to recognize the achievements and contributions of Canadian bridge personalities.
European Bridge League - Awards and Distinctions
The European Bridge League (EBL) is a confederation of national bridge organizations for European countries, established 1947.
- Honorary Titles
- Plaques
- Medals. Since 1975, the EBL recognizes distinguished bridge people.
Gold Medal
| Name |
Nationality |
Year |
| Aubry, Yves |
France |
2008 |
| Bardach, David |
Israel |
1994 |
| Beineix, Jean-Claude |
France |
2010 |
| Butler, Geoffrey R. |
England |
1975 |
| Damiani, José |
France |
1995 |
| De Pauw, Marc |
Belgium |
2010 |
| Jensen, Nils E. |
Sweden |
1987 |
| Kielbasinski, Radoslaw |
Poland |
2006 |
| Kooijman, Ton |
Netherlands |
2010 |
| Magerman, Paul |
Belgium |
2002 |
| Melander, Micke |
Sweden |
2010 |
| Oliveira, Jose Manuel de |
Portugal |
2003 |
| Ortiz-Patiño, Jaime |
England |
1983 |
| Pencharz, Bill |
England |
1999 |
| Rona, Gianarrigo |
Italy |
2010 |
| Torlontano, Anna Maria |
Italy |
1999 |
Silver Medal
| Name |
Nationality |
Year |
| Bardach, David |
Israel |
1989 |
| Blanken-Burgers, Marijke |
Netherlands |
2010 |
| Boekhorst, Andre |
Netherlands |
1989 |
| Frenkiel, Marian |
Poland |
1989 |
| Gerontopoulos, Panos |
Greece |
1991 |
| Helm, Emmy van der |
Netherlands |
1989 |
| Helm, Harry van der |
Netherlands |
1989 |
| Hodler, Marc |
Switzerland |
1979 |
| Jensen, Nils E. |
Sweden |
1977 |
| Kramer, Jut |
Netherlands |
1979 |
| Kunin, Reuben |
Israel |
1985 |
| Latala, Slawek |
Poland |
2011 |
| Levy, Eitan |
Israel |
2012 |
| Melander, Micke |
Sweden |
2004 |
| Oliveira, Jose Manuel de |
Portugal |
1999 |
| Parnis-England, Margaret |
Malta |
1999 |
| Pencharz, Bill |
England |
1989 |
| Rohan, Karl |
Austria |
1989 |
| Torlontano, Anna Maria |
Italy |
1991 |
| Zabel, Gunnar |
Denmark |
1977 |
Bronze Medal
| Name |
Nationality |
Year |
| Auken, Sabine |
Germany |
2010 |
| Dix, Mario |
Malta |
1999 |
| Gruber, Hans |
Austria |
1992 |
| Mattsson, Goran |
Germany |
2010 |
| Resta, Guido |
Italy |
2010 |
| Schroeder, Dirk |
Germany |
2010 |
| Szappanos, Geza |
Hungary |
2010 |
| Yanes, Aureliano |
Spain |
2001 |
World Bridge Federation - Awards and Distinctions
The World Bridge Federation (WBF) is the world governing body for bridge, established in 1958.
- Women Stars
- WBF Master Point Records including titles such as "World Grand Master" (directory; some lists maintained infrequently or not at all)
- Medals (to 2006)
- Hall of Fame (inactive)
- Plaques & Trophies (to 2006)
- Youth Awards (to 2006)
People recognized in bridge books
Numerous biographical entries are contained in the Encyclopedia of Bridge (1935), the various editions of the The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge (1964-2011), The Bridge Players' Encyclopedia (1967), and in the British Bridge Almanack (2004).
In addition, the following books provide biographical information about bridge people as of the date of publication.
Aces All by Guy Ramsey (1955)
In the Foreword of Aces All, Ramsey writes that "it is a book about some, though by no means all, of the leading players of today and the immediate yesterday..." He presents biographies of the following (all either British or playing in Britain):
The Bridge Immortals by Victor Mollo (1968)
The Bridge Immortals gives brief biographies of the "greatest bridge people living today", listed here in alphabetical order.
World Class by Marc Smith (1999)
World Class: conversations with the bridge masters features "the crème de la crème of the world of bridge" in their own words. Here is Smith's classification of his interviews.
British Bridge Almanack by Peter Hasenson (2004)
The Editor's Choice nominations are listed alphabetically as follows:
Point leaders
American Contract Bridge League
Grand Life Masters (GLM) defined by lifetime ACBL master points (MP), with some condition on major achievements
- MP leaders all-time, including deceased members, GLM only
Players of the Decade - defined by ACBL platinum master points
- 1990s
- 2000s
- 2010s - Leaders, 2010 to present
European Bridge League
Lists of the top European Master Points (EMP) holders in various categories and for various periods
World Bridge Federation
The World Bridge Federation measures achievement in tournament play by a dual system of Master Points and Placing Points and provides ranked lists in Open, Women, and Seniors categories. Short colloquialisms like "Fulvio Fantoni is number one in the world" refer to the WBF Open Ranking. It ranks by Master Points those all-time players whose Placing Points accord "World Grand Master" status. MPs decay but PPs do not, so retired and deceased World Grand Masters remain on the list but drift toward the bottom.
Other listings
Video interviews
The American Contract Bridge League has published at YouTube audio-video interviews of numerous players including almost 30 members of its Hall of Fame. These listings include some other videos of bridge personalities published at YouTube. (Those marked "ACBL Hall of Fame" may be interviews conducted by Audrey Grant, as are the ones so marked.)
Others not listed above
Bridge in fiction
Famous people and bridge
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