The championship is a Matchpoints pairs event restricted to players with a Life Master rating. It consists of two qualifying sessions and two final sessions, typically starting on the first Friday of the NABC.
The Nail Life Master Open Pairs has its roots in 1961 when a new championship event was created for male players with a rank of National Master or higher.
In 1963, the rank for eligibility was increased to Life Master and in 1990, it became an open event so that female players with Life Masters status could also compete. Before and after opening to women, this tournament and the LM Women's Pairs have been structured and scheduled in parallel. Several women enter the open event and 1987 Women's winner Jill Meyers is a two-time Open winner.
Winners of Life Master Men's Pairs (1961-1989)
| Year |
Winners |
Runners-up |
| 1961 |
G. Gard Hays, Max Manchester |
Martin J. Cohn, Hampton Hume |
| 1962 |
Sam Fuoto, Victor Mitchell |
Hal Kandler, Kelsey Petterson |
| 1963 |
Sami Kehela, Eric Murray |
Harry Fishbein, Charles J. Solomon |
| 1964 |
Charles Coon, Bobby Goldman |
2/3. Mervin Key, Harold Rockaway
2/3. Jack Blair, William Christian |
| 1965 |
Paul Soloway, Alex Tschekaloff |
Edgar Kaplan, Victor Mitchell |
| 1966 |
Carl Hudecek, Ray Zoller |
Gaylor Kasle, Ed Theus |
| 1967 |
Harlow S. Lewis, Peter Pender |
Donald R. Faskow, Bill Flannery |
| 1968 |
Henry Bethe, John Solodar |
Don Pearson, John Swanson |
| 1969 |
Chuck Burger, Jimmy Cayne |
Norman H. Fischer, Christopher G. Jeans |
| 1970 |
Ron Andersen, Hugh MacLean |
Curtis Smith, E. Lowell Yost |
| 1971 |
Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel |
Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey |
| 1972 |
Les Bart, Marc Jacobus |
Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey |
| 1973 |
Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay |
Roxy Violin, Ed Weiner |
| 1974 |
Gerald L. Michaud, Bobby Nail |
John Gerber, Daniel Kaim |
| 1975 |
Steve Lapides, Walt Walvick |
Marc Culbertson, Robert Visokey |
| 1976 |
Roger Bates, John Mohan |
Steve Altman, Thomas M. Smith |
| 1977 |
David Hoffner, David Schroeder |
Roger Bates, John Mohan |
| 1978 |
Norm Coombs, Tom Hodapp |
Kevin Castner, Mike Lawrence |
| 1979 |
Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell |
Zeke Jabbour, Dennis McGarry |
| 1980 |
Craig Janitschke, Jan Janitschke |
Bob Hamman, Paul Swanson |
| 1981 |
Roger Abelson, Mike Levinson |
Bob Hamman, Donald P. Krauss |
| 1982 |
Bobby Lipsitz, Dan Gerstman |
Lew Mathe, Harold Guiver |
| 1983 |
Marty Bergen, Larry N. Cohen |
Mitch Chandler, Cliff Bishop |
| 1984 |
Per-Olof Sundelin, Peter Pender |
Jim Becker, Howard Chandross |
| 1985 |
John Mohan, Roger Bates |
Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell |
| 1986 |
Jim Krekorian, Paul Kiefer |
Marty Bergen, Larry N. Cohen |
| 1987 |
Bart Bramley, Lou Bluhm |
Leslie West, David Ashley |
| 1988 |
Bobby Levin, Larry T. Cohen |
Glen Lublin, Peter Boyd |
| 1989 |
Steve Lapides, Walt Walvick |
Peter Weichsel, Roger Stern |
Before and after opening to women in 1990, this event has been structured and scheduled parallel to the LM Women's Pairs.
Winners of Life Master Open Pairs (1990-)
| Year |
Winners |
Runners-up |
| 1990 |
Zia Mahmood, Hugh Ross |
Tommy Gullberg, Michael Polowan |
| 1991 |
Zia Mahmood, Hugh Ross |
Larry N. Cohen, David Berkowitz |
| 1992 |
Mike Kamil, Michael Rosenberg |
Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell |
| 1993 |
Brad Moss, Ravindra Murthy |
Ed Nagy, Jeff Polisner |
| 1994 |
Bobby Levin, Richard Katz |
Michael Polowan, Steve Robinson |
| 1995 |
Bart Bramley, John Sutherlin |
Mark Itabashi, Gene Simpson |
| 1996 |
Walter Schafer Jr., Ron L. Smith |
Michael Schreiber, Curtis Cheek |
| 1997 |
Jeff Schuett, Kerry Smith |
Dennis Kasle, Garey Hayden |
| 1998 |
JoAnna Stansby, Lew Stansby |
Ron Smith, Richard Schwartz |
| 1999 |
Steve Catlett, Paul Soloway |
JoAnna Stansby, Lew Stansby |
| 2000 |
Steve Garner, Jill Meyers |
Zia Mahmood, Chuck Burger |
| 2001 |
Piotr Gawryś, Jacek Pszczoła |
Zia Mahmood, Sidney Lazard |
| 2002 |
Eric Greco, Geoff Hampson |
Larry N. Cohen, Steve Weinstein |
| 2003 |
Kyle Larsen, Jo Morse |
Fred Gitelman, Jay Borker |
| 2004 |
Richard Pavlicek, Richard Pavlicek Jr. |
Jonathan Green, Mark Aquino |
| 2005 |
Zia Mahmood, Jill Meyers |
Bobby Levin, Louk Verhees |
| 2006 |
Steve Garner, Howard Weinstein |
John Armstrong, Paul Hackett |
| 2007 |
Björn Fallenius, Zia Mahmood |
Alex Perlin, Michael Prahin |
| 2008 |
Nikolay Demirev, Ralph Katz |
John Diamond, Eric Rodwell |
| 2009 |
Martin Andresen, Tor Helness |
Hemant Lall, Justin Lall |
| 2010 |
Kazuo Furuta, Hiroaki Miura |
Fred Gitelman, Brad Moss |
