Chris Willenken

Christopher Jon "Chris" Willenken (born October 30, 1975) is a leading American bridge player.

Born in 1975 in New York City, Willenken graduated from Collegiate School in 1993 and Williams College in 1997. While at Williams, Willenken competed in the American Parliamentary Debate Association; he and Amanda Amert earned Team of The Year honors as the most successful partnership of the 1996-1997 season.

Willenken is an American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master and a World Bridge Federation Life Master. In 2011, he won the gold medal at the inaugural Sport Accord World Mind Games Individual Championship. In World Bridge Federation competition, Willenken reached the semifinals of the 2010 Rosenblum Cup and 2011 World Transnational Open Teams Championship and finished fourth in the 2014 World Open Pairs Championship.

Bridge accomplishments

Wins

• North American Bridge Championships (5)
  • Fast Open Pairs (2) 2000, 2005
  • Wernher Open Pairs (1) 2001
  • Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (1) 2004
  • Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (1) 2008
• SportAccord World Mind Games
  • Open Individual Championship (1) 2011
• United States Bridge Championships
  • Open Team Trials (1) 2013

Runners-up

• North American Bridge Championships
  • Fast Open Pairs (1) 2002
  • North American Pairs (2) 2004, 2007
  • Grand National Teams (1) 2007
  • Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (1) 2014
  • Roth Open Swiss Teams (2) 2011, 2013