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Reisinger

The Reisinger national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship (NABC).

The Reisinger is a board-a-match event.

History

The event is contested for the Reisinger Trophy (the Chicago Trophy until 1965). It is a six-session open team-of-four event scored by board-a-match with two qualifying sessions, two semifinal sessions and two final sessions. It was contested as a four-session championship until 1966.

The event began in 1929 as the North American Open Team Championship and the prize was the Chicago Trophy, donated by the Auction Bridge Club of Chicago. (In 1928, the open team competition was for the Harold S. Vanderbilt Cup.)

The Chicago Trophy was replaced in 1965 by the Reisinger Memorial Trophy, donated by the Greater New York Bridge Association in memory of Curt H. Reisinger. Reisinger (1891-1964), from New York City, was a principal patron of contract bridge and the American Contract Bridge League in the early years of both; he was a great-grandson of Anheuser and a grandson of Busch, co-founders of the brewery from which he inherited great wealth. That wealth enabled him to become a stalwart financial supporter of the game, as well as a noted philanthropist on a larger scale.

Winners

Board-a-match scoring generates many ties in the standings for each session and several ties after three days play. The Vanderbilt Cup was inaugurated one year before the Chicago Trophy and contested at board-a-match scoring that year, with a tie result. As the Chicago or the Reisinger since then (see table), there have been six ties for first place including a 3-way tie in 1947 and a 4-way in 1984.

Numerous champion teams have defended their titles successfully without change in personnel (intact). The four-person 1937 and 1938 champions added B. Jay Becker in 1939 and won again; one foursome including Becker won in 1942 and 1943, another won in 1953 and 1954 - and 1956. For the Reisinger Trophy since 1966, there have been intact repeats in 1975, 1979 with a tie, 1994-95, 1999, 2005, 2011, and 2013. The one intact three-year winner, from 1993 to 1995, was Nick Nickell's professional team: Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Bobby Wolff, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell. It also won four Spingolds from 1993 to 1996 intact (another unique string) and the 1995 world championship Bermuda Bowl representing the United States. After one personnel change, Nickell was a double winner again in 2004-05, and a winner in 2008-09 across one change owing to death.

The current double champions (2012-13) led by Pierre Zimmermann also won the Spingold in 2011 and 2012.

Chicago Trophy board-a-match teams (1929-1965)
Year Winners Runners-Up
1929 Max M. Cohen, Louis J. Haddad, Robert W. Halpin, Nils M. Wester Carlton R. Drake, James Kelly, Paul D. Parcells, Charles Rilling
1930 William K. Barrett, W. James Carpenter, Ely Culbertson, Johnny Rau Mary Clement, Dorothy Rice Sims, P. Hal Sims, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1931 Elizabeth Banfield, Winfield S. Liggett, Frances Newman, George Unger David Burnstine, Oswald Jacoby, Willard Karn, P. Hal Sims
1932 B. Jay Becker, S. Garton Churchill, George Reith, Waldemar von Zedtwitz Ely Culbertson, Michael T. Gottlieb, Oswald Jacoby, Theodore Lightner
1933 Charles A. Hall, Albert Steiner, Philip Steiner, Richard M. Wildberg B. Jay Becker, S. Garton Churchill, P. Hal Sims, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1934 Henry S. Dinkelspiel Jr., Lewis Jaeger, Bernard Rabinowitz, Maurice Seiler Theodore Lightner, Merwyn Maier, Jean P. Mattheys, Sherman Stearns
1935 F. Roland Buck, Joseph E. Cain, Lawrence J. Welch, Edson T. Wood Ely Culbertson, Josephine Culbertson, Richard L. Frey, Albert H. Morehead
1936 Marge Anderson, Donald G. Farquharson, Mrs. J. A. Faulkner, Percy Sheardown Arthur Glatt, Laura Heiner, John R. Smith, Albert Weiss
1937 John R. Crawford, Charles Goren, Charles J. Solomon, Sally Young Oscar J. Brotman, William Perry, Al Roth, S. S. Vorzimer
1938 John R. Crawford, Charles Goren, Charles J. Solomon, Sally Young A. Mitchell Barnes, Mary Clement, Benedict Jarmel, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1939 B. Jay Becker, John R. Crawford, Charles Goren, Charles J. Solomon, Sally Young 2/4. Jay Cushing, Seymour Kaplan, Al Leibowitz, Edward N. Marcus
2/4. Oswald Jacoby, Merwyn Maier, Robert A. McPherran, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
2/4. Henry Auslander, Joseph Davis, Jacob D. Lindy, Catherine W. Samberg
1940 Harry Feinberg, Jeff Glick, Maury J. Glick, Louis Newman Alfred R. Dick, C. William Potts, James Sheern, Edward R. Thomas
1941 Peter Leventritt, Simon Rossant, Helen Sobel, Margaret Wagar A. Mitchell Barnes, S. Garton Churchill, Lee Hazen, Charles S. Lochridge, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1942 B. Jay Becker, Charles Goren, Sidney Silodor, John R. Crawford S. Garton Churchill, Harry Fishbein, Lee Hazen, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1943 B. Jay Becker, Charles Goren, Sidney Silodor, Helen Sobel Samuel Katz, Bertram Lebhar, Jr., Peter Leventritt, Simon Rossant
1944 Simon Becker, Peggy Golder, Ruth Sherman, Charles J. Solomon B. Jay Becker, Charles Goren, Sidney Silodor, Helen Sobel
1945 Lee Hazen, George Rapée, Sam Stayman, Waldemar von Zedtwitz Ambrose Casner, Harold Harkavy, Ralph Hirschberg, Harold A. Ogust, Jack Shore
1946 A. Mitchell Barnes, John R. Crawford, Al Roth, Edith Seligman Simon Becker, Stanley O. Fenkel, Fred D. Karpin, Louis Newman
1947 1-3. Paula Bacher, Jane Jaeger, Kay Rhodes, Sally Young

1-3. John R. Crawford, Theodore Lightner, George Rapée, Sam Stayman
1-3. Robert Appleyard, Morris Berliant, Malcolm A. Lightman, Simon Rossant
1948 George Boeckh, Bruce Elliott, Agnes Gordon, Charlotte Sidway John R. Crawford, George Rapée, Sidney Silodor, Sam Stayman
1949 Lee Hazen, Larry Hirsch, Richard Kahn, Peter Leventritt, Jack Shore 2/3. Sidney Aronson, Emily Folline, Benjamin O. Johnson, Ludwig J. Kabakjian, Edward N. Marcus
2/3. Jeff Glick, Arthur S. Goldsmith, Alvin Landy, Sol Mogal, Elmer I. Schwartz
1950 B. Jay Becker, Myron F. Field, Charles Goren, Sidney Silodor, Helen Sobel John R. Crawford, George Rapée, Edward N. Marcus, Howard Schenken, Sam Stayman
1951 Corti Boland, Bruce Elliott, Micky M. Miller, Percy E. Sheardown B. Jay Becker, Charles Goren, Myron F. Field, Sidney Silodor, Helen Sobel
1952 Harold Harkavy, Edith Kemp, Al Roth, Tobias Stone Edward H. Cohen, Jeff Glick, Arthur S. Goldsmith, Elmer I. Schwartz
1953 B. Jay Becker, John R. Crawford, George Rapée, Sam Stayman Harry Fishbein, Peter Leventritt, Ruth Sherman, Charles J. Solomon, Peggy Solomon
1954 B. Jay Becker, John R. Crawford, George Rapée, Sidney Silodor Israel Cohen, Paul Kibler, Al Roth, William Seamon
1955 Ben Fain, George Heath, Paul Hodge, Jim Jacoby, Oswald Jacoby William V. Lipton, Victor Mitchell, W. Miller Nelson, Joseph G. Ripstra
1956 B. Jay Becker, John R. Crawford, George Rapée, Sidney Silodor Ben Fain, Paul Hodge, Oswald Jacoby, Dick Sutton
1957 Charles Goren, Harold Ogust, Bill Root, Howard Schenken, Helen Sobel Robert Y. Barrett, Ben Fain, Harry Fishbein, John Gerber, Paul Hodge
1958 Leonard B. Harmon, Ralph Hirschberg, Edgar Kaplan, Alfred Sheinwold, Ivar Stakgold Arthur M. Miller, John H. Moran, David Strasberg, Jay Wendt
1959 Lew Mathe, Donald A. Oakie, Meyer Schleifer, Edward O. Taylor Harry Fishbein, John Gerber, Paul Hodge, Charles J. Solomon
1960 Ollie Adams, William Hanna, Sidney Lazard, Lew Mathe Oswald Jacoby, Mervin Key, Bobby Nail, Curtis Smith
1961 John R. Crawford, Norman Kay, Al Roth, Sidney Silodor, Tobias Stone 2/3. Charles Coon, Robert F. Jordan, Eric Murray, Arthur G. Robinson
2/3. Harold B. Guiver, Carol Sanders, Tommy Sanders, Michael Shuman
1962 1/2. Paul Allinger, Harold B. Guiver, Lew Mathe, Ron Von der Porten, Erik Paulsen, Edward O. Taylor

1/2. Bob Hamman, Eddie Kantar, Donald P. Krauss, Marshall Miles
1963 Charles Goren, Boris Koytchou, Peter Leventritt, Harold Ogust, Howard Schenken Donald R. Faskow, Bill Flannery, Herbert Sachs, Paul Swanson
1964 John Gerber, Paul Hodge, Mervin Key, Harold Rockaway Harold Harkavy, Edith Kemp, Cliff Russell, Curtis Smith, Bobby Wolff, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1965 Eddie Kantar, Mike Lawrence, Marshall Miles, Lew Stansby Michael Engel, Phil Feldesman, Richard Freeman, Ira Rubin
Reisinger Trophy board-a-match teams, 1966 to present
Year Winners Runners-Up
1966 Robert F. Jordan, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Arthur G. Robinson 2/3. Gerald W. Bare, Harold B. Guiver, Lew Mathe, Mike McMahan, Erik Paulsen, Hugh Ross
2/3. Bill Root, Al Roth, Bee Schenken, Howard Schenken
1967 Robert F. Jordan, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Arthur G. Robinson, Bill Root, Al Roth Steve Altman, Mike Becker, Charles Peres, Daniel Rotman
1968 Kyle Larsen, Erik Paulsen, Peter Pender, Hugh Ross, Howard Schenken Billy Eisenberg, Bobby Goldman, Bob Hamman, Eddie Kantar, Sidney Lazard, George Rapée
1969 Philip Feldesman, William Grieve, Ira Rubin, Jeff Westheimer Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Sami Kehela, Sidney Lazard, Eric Murray, George Rapée
1970 1/2. Billy Eisenberg, Bobby Goldman, Bob Hamman, Jim Jacoby, Mike Lawrence, Bobby Wolff

1/2. Grant Baze, Anthony Dionisi, William Grieve, Harlow Lewis, Peter Pender, George Rapée
1971 William Grieve, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Donald P. Krauss, Lew Mathe, George Rapée Grant Baze, Anthony Dionisi, Harlow Lewis, Peter Pender
1972 Lou Bluhm, Steve Goldberg, Steven J. Parker, Steve Robinson William Grieve, Sami Kehela, Eric Murray, George Rapée
1973 Larry T. Cohen, Richard H. Katz, Bud Reinhold, Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel Jack Blair, Byron L. Greenberg, Tommy Sanders, Paul Swanson
1974 Fred Hamilton, Erik Paulsen, Hugh Ross, Ira Rubin Stephen Goldstein, Marc Jacobus, Jay Merrill, Steve Sion, Judi Solodar
1975 Fred Hamilton, Erik Paulsen, Hugh Ross, Ira Rubin Richard Doughty, Frank Hoadley, Jack LaNoue, Sidney Lazard
1976 Malcolm Brachman, Billy Eisenberg, Bobby Goldman, Eddie Kantar, Mike Passell, Paul Soloway Matt Granovetter, Robert Lipsitz, Steven J. Parker, Sam Stayman
1977 Jimmy Cayne, Alan C. Greenberg, Jim Jacoby, Kyle Larsen, Mike Lawrence Matt Granovetter, Robert Lipsitz, Neil Silverman, Sam Stayman
1978 Fred Hamilton, Bob Hamman, Ira Rubin, Bobby Wolff; Ira Corn (npc) Allan Graves, Gaylor Kasle, Mark Lair, George Mittelman, Barney O'Malia, Ron Smith
1979 1/2. Russ Arnold, Bobby Levin, Jeff Meckstroth, Bud Reinhold, Eric Rodwell

1/2. Fred Hamilton, Bob Hamman, Ira Rubin, Bobby Wolff; Ira Corn (npc)
1980 Ron Andersen, Malcolm Brachman, Bobby Goldman, Eddie Kantar, Mike Lawrence, Paul Soloway 2/3. Mark Lair, Jeff Meckstroth, Mike Passell, Eric Rodwell, George Rosenkranz, Eddie Wold
2/3. Roy Fox, Ed Manfield, Paul Swanson, Kit Woolsey
1981 Chip Martel, Peter Pender, Hugh Ross, Lew Stansby 2/3. Roger Bates, Chuck Burger, Jimmy Cayne, Billy Eisenberg, Alan C. Greenberg
2/3. Evan Bailey, L. Andrew Campbell, Joel Hoersch, David J. Weiss
1982 Bill Root, Richard Pavlicek, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay Mark Molson, Eric Kokish, Paul Lewis, Robert Lebi, George Mittelman, Drew Cannell
1983 Oswald Jacoby, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Bill Root, Richard Pavlicek 2/3. Ron Rubin, Mike Becker, Billy Eisenberg, Eddie Kantar, Mike Lawrence, Peter Weichsel
2/3. Chip Martel, Lew Stansby, Peter Pender, Hugh Ross
1984 1/4. Bill Root, Richard Pavlicek, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay

1/4. Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein, Allan Stauber, Mike Smolen
1/4. Sam Stayman, Richard Reisig, George Tornay, Saul Bronstein
1/4. Jim Robison, Jon Wittes, Ross Grabel, Stelios Touchtidis
1985 1/2. Chip Martel, Peter Pender, Hugh Ross, Lew Stansby

1/2. George Rosenkranz, Eddie Wold, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell, Marty Bergen, Larry N. Cohen
1986 Steve Robinson, Chip Martel, Hugh Ross, Peter Boyd, Peter Pender, Lew Stansby Bud Reinhold, Ron Andersen, Tommy Sanders, Paul Soloway, Bobby Goldman
1987 Zia Mahmood, Jaggy Shivdasani, Billy Cohen, Ron Smith Walter Johnson, Mark Cohen, Ralph Katz, Bill Pollack, David Berkowitz, Howard Weinstein
1988 Jimmy Cayne, Chuck Burger, Bob Hamman, Mike Passell, Mark Lair, Bobby Wolff Tom Fox, Dick Melson, Jim Hall, David Lehman
1989 Zia Mahmood, Michael Rosenberg, Sam Lev, Chris Compton, Mark Molson Jill Blanchard, Robert Blanchard, Jon Greenspan, Kerri Shuman, Margie Gwozdzinsky, Glenn Eisenstein
1990 Richard Pavlicek, Bill Root, Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Brian Glubok Malcolm Brachman, Mike Passell, Bobby Goldman, Paul Soloway, Mark Lair, Eddie Wold
1991 Cliff Russell, Sam Lev, David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen, Marty Bergen, Björn Fallenius Mike Cappelletti Jr., Mike Cappelletti Sr., Lawrence Hicks, Rob Crawford
1992 Jimmy Cayne, Chuck Burger, Gabriel Chagas, Marcelo Branco, Mark Lair, Mike Passell Jim Mahaffey, Alan Sontag, Eddie Kantar, Ron Andersen, Tony Forrester
1993 Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Bobby Wolff, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell Jimmy Cayne, Chuck Burger, Bobby Goldman, Paul Soloway, Mark Lair, Mike Passell
1994 Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Bobby Wolff, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell Jimmy Cayne, Chuck Burger, Bobby Goldman, Paul Soloway, Mark Lair, Mike Passell
1995 Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Bobby Wolff, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell Peter Nagy, Bruce Ferguson, Howard Weinstein, Ralph Katz, Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein
1996 Zia Mahmood, Michael Rosenberg, Chip Martel, Lew Stansby Jimmy Cayne, Chuck Burger, Mark Feldman, Michael Seamon, Mike Passell, Alan Sontag
1997 Bart Bramley, Howard Weinstein, Sidney Lazard, Steve Garner George Rosenkranz, Eddie Wold, Marek Szymanowski, Marcin Leśniewski, Cezary Balicki, Adam Żmudziński
1998 Rita Shugart, Andrew Robson, Geir Helgemo, Tony Forrester George Jacobs, Ralph Katz, Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace, Peter Weichsel, Alan Sontag
1999 Rita Shugart, Andrew Robson, Geir Helgemo, Tony Forrester Norberto Bocchi, Giorgio Duboin, Dano De Falco, Guido Ferraro
2000 George Jacobs, Ralph Katz, Norberto Bocchi, Giorgio Duboin, Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace Mike Cappelletti Jr., Gary Cohler, Richard Finberg, Mark Lair, Jerry Goldfein
2001 Roy Welland, Björn Fallenius, Brad Moss, Fred Gitelman, Steve Garner, Howard Weinstein George Jacobs, Ralph Katz, Norberto Bocchi, Giorgio Duboin, Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace
2002 Steve Landen, Dan Morse, Bobby Wolff, Pratap Rajadhyaksha, Doug Doub, Adam Wildavsky Richard Schwartz, Mike Becker, David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen, Zia Mahmood, Michael Rosenberg
2003 Malcolm Brachman, Eric Greco, Geoff Hampson, Mike Passell, Eddie Wold Roy Welland, Björn Fallenius, Zia Mahmood, Michael Rosenberg, Cezary Balicki, Adam Żmudziński
2004 Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Paul Soloway, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell Richard Schwartz, Mike Becker, Andrea Buratti, Massimo Lanzarotti, David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen
2005 Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Paul Soloway, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell George Jacobs, Ralph Katz, Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace, Zia Mahmood, Michael Rosenberg
2006 Gary Cohler, Joe Grue, Curtis Cheek, Jacek Pszczoła Russ Ekeblad, Chip Martel, Lew Stansby, Fred Gitelman, Brad Moss
2007 Jimmy Cayne, Michael Seamon, Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace, Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes; Charlie Weed (npc) Aubrey Strul, Mike Becker, David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen, Chip Martel, Lew Stansby
2008 Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Zia Mahmood, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell Roy Welland, Brian Glubok, Steve Garner, Howard Weinstein, Billy Cohen, Ron Smith
2009 Nick Nickell, Ralph Katz, Bob Hamman, Zia Mahmood, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell Rafal Jagniewski, Michał Kwiecień, Josef Piekarek, Alexander Smirnov
2010 Jimmy Cayne, Michael Seamon, Giorgio Duboin, Antonio Sementa, Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace Steve Garner, Christal Henner-Welland, Josef Piekarek, Alexander Smirnov, Howard Weinstein, Roy Welland
2011 Jimmy Cayne, Michael Seamon, Giorgio Duboin, Antonio Sementa, Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace Pierre Zimmermann, Franck Multon, Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes, Geir Helgemo, Tor Helness
2012 Pierre Zimmermann, Franck Multon, Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes, Geir Helgemo, Tor Helness Sabine Auken, Roy Welland, Lew Stansby, Bart Bramley
2013 Pierre Zimmermann, Franck Multon, Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes, Geir Helgemo, Tor Helness Andrey Gromov, Krzysztof Buras, Grzegorz Narkiewicz, Alexander Dubinin, Norberto Bocchi, Agustin Madala
2014 Richard Schwartz, Allan Graves, Boye Brogeland, Espen Lindqvist, Lotan Fisher, Ron Schwartz Nick Nickell, Ralph Katz, Robert Levin, Steve Weinstein, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell

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