Usually called simply the "Life Master Pairs" or "LM Pairs", this is a six-session pairs tournament open to all players without regard to age, sex, nationality, or membership. It is restricted to Life Masters, now a modest career record in ACBL sanctioned play, which leading players from overseas are able to achieve by attending a few NABC meets. If it remains the most prestigious competition for pairs, that may be because it is older than the parallel spring and fall events, the Norman Kay Platinum Pairs established 2010 and Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs established 1963.
The Life Master Pairs is a six-session event with two qualifying, two semi-final and two final sessions. It is restricted to Life Masters. At stake is the Von Zedtwitz Gold Cup. In 1930, Waldemar von Zedtwitz donated the Gold Cup, which was presented to the winners of the Life Master Pairs. The first winners: Von Zedtwitz and P. Hal Sims.
The trophy was initially contested by master players who had qualified by winning a national championship. It was a four-session event, and the field was limited to 64 players so that a complete movement could be played.
The trophy was originally presented on the basis that three wins by one player would secure him outright possession of the trophy. This feat was achieved by Howard Schenken in 1934. Schenken won in 1931 and 1933 with David Burnstine and 1934 with Richard L. Frey. He also won in 1941 with Merwyn Maier and in 1943 with John R. Crawford. The cup, put back into competition by the donor, was stolen in 1954 while in the possession of John Hubbell, who held the LM Pairs title. The theft followed a television appearance during which Hubbell had exhibited the trophy and given the address of his bridge club where the cup was normally displayed.
The record score for the event belongs to S. Garton Churchill and Cecil Head, who won in 1948 --- scoring 65% as an average for four sessions and 77.4% in a single session.
The first seven champion "Master Pairs", from 1930 to 1936, and also the 1931 to 1933 runners-up, each comprised two of the nine men named Life Masters #1 to #9 by the American Bridge League when it introduced the title in 1936.
Only one pair has defended its title successfully, the 1971 and 1972 winners Al Roth and Barbara Rappaport.
Von Zedtwitz Gold Cup, 1930 to present
| Year |
Winners |
Runners-up |
| 1930 |
P. Hal Sims, Waldemar von Zedtwitz |
Ely Culbertson, Josephine Culbertson |
| 1931 |
David Burnstine, Howard Schenken |
Michael T. Gottlieb, Theodore Lightner |
| 1932 |
Michael T. Gottlieb, Theodore Lightner |
David Burnstine, Howard Schenken |
| 1933 |
David Burnstine, Howard Schenken |
P. Hal Sims, Waldemar von Zedtwitz |
| 1934 |
Richard L. Frey, Howard Schenken |
Walter Malowan, Sydney Rusinow |
| 1935 |
B. Jay Becker, Theodore Lightner |
Louis Haddad, Charles Hall |
| 1936 |
David Burnstine, Oswald Jacoby |
Robert Appleyard, Isadore Epstine |
| 1937 |
S. Garton Churchill, Charles Lochridge |
Doris Fuller, Henry Vogel |
| 1938 |
Morrie Elis, Sherman Stearns |
John R. Crawford, Charles Solomon |
| 1939 |
Robert Appleyard, Harry Fishbein |
Oswald Jacoby, Waldemar von Zedtwitz |
| 1940 |
Harry Fishbein, Morrie Elis |
Sam Fry, Myron Fuchs |
| 1941 |
Merwyn Maier, Howard Schenken |
John R. Crawford, Oswald Jacoby |
| 1942 |
Charles Goren, Helen Sobel |
Philip Abramsohn, Tobias Stone |
| 1943 |
John R. Crawford, Howard Schenken |
Sidney Silodor, Margaret Wagar |
| 1944 |
Samuel Katz, Peter Leventritt |
Ambrose Casner, Ralph Hirschberg |
| 1945 |
Robert Appleyard, M. A. Lightman |
Bertram Lebhar Jr., Simon Rossant |
| 1946 |
Sidney Silodor, Charles Solomon |
Lee Hazen, Ruth Sherman |
| 1947 |
Allen Harvey, Frank Weisbach |
John R. Crawford, Theodore Lightner |
| 1948 |
S. Garton Churchill, Cecil Head |
Erik Coon, Vincent Remey |
| 1949 |
Ruth Gilbert, Leo Roet |
Arthur Glatt, Albert Weiss |
| 1950 |
Manuel Sherwin, C. W. Yorke |
Edward Marcus, Sam Stayman |
| 1951 |
Richard Kahn, Peter Leventritt |
Ned Drucker, Edgar Kaplan |
| 1952 |
William Jackson, William Joseph |
2/3. John R. Crawford, Howard Schenken
2/3. Arthur Glatt, Albert Weiss |
| 1953 |
Milton Ellenby, William Rosen |
Charles Goren, Helen Sobel |
| 1954 |
David Carter, John Hubbell |
Victor Mitchell, Ira Rubin |
| 1955 |
Ben Fain, Paul Hodge |
Victor Mitchell, Ira Rubin |
| 1956 |
Al Roth, Tobias Stone |
John R. Crawford, Sidney Silodor |
| 1957 |
H. Sanborn Brown, Martin Cohn |
Francis Begley, Louis Kelner |
| 1958 |
1/2. Charles Goren, Helen Sobel
1/2. Wilson Landley, Louis Levy |
| 1959 |
Ed Rosen, Dan Rotman |
Sidney Aronson, Larry Weiss |
| 1960 |
Helen Portugal, Morris Portugal |
Curtis Smith, Bobby Wolff |
| 1961 |
Phil Feldesman, Marshall Miles |
Paul Kibler, Robert Reynolds |
| 1962 |
Phil Feldesman, Ira Rubin |
Edith Kemp, Albert Weiss |
| 1963 |
Lew Mathe, Edward Taylor |
Ira Rubin, Curtis Smith |
| 1964 |
B. Jay Becker, Dorothy Hayden |
Bruce Elliott, Percy Sheardown |
| 1965 |
Victor Mitchell, Sam Stayman |
Al Roth, Tobias Stone |
| 1966 |
Hermine Baron, Meyer Schleifer |
Morrie Freier, Robert Reynolds |
| 1967 |
Phil Feldesman, Lew Mathe |
Diana Schuld, Frank Schuld |
| 1968 |
Billy Eisenberg, Bobby Goldman |
Jim Jacoby, Bobby Wolff |
| 1969 |
Sami Kehela, Eric Murray |
Chuck Burger, Jimmy Cayne |
| 1970 |
Paul Heitner, Michael Moss |
Robert Freedman, James Mathis |
| 1971 |
Al Roth, Barbara Rappaport |
Jim Jacoby, Minda Brachman |
| 1972 |
Al Roth, Barbara Rappaport |
Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel |
| 1973 |
Jack Blair, Paul Swanson |
Chuck Burger, Jimmy Cayne |
| 1974 |
Gerald Michaud, Bobby Nail |
Walter Walvick, Thomas Weik |
| 1975 |
Roy Fox, Eugene O'Neill |
Mike Becker, Ahmed Hussein |
| 1976 |
Bobby Lipsitz, Neil Silverman |
Garey Hayden, Mike Passell |
| 1977 |
Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel |
Ken Cohen, Bobby Lipsitz |
| 1978 |
Mary Jane Farell, Marilyn Johnson |
Ron Feldman, David Sacks |
| 1979 |
Ralph Katz, Ken Schutze |
Dan Morse, Bobby Nail |
| 1980 |
Bob Hamman, Eric Rodwell |
Don Caton, Homer Shoop |
| 1981 |
Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein |
Paul Lavings, Bob Richman |
| 1982 |
Ron Andersen, Tommy Sanders |
Bobby Lipsitz, Ron Sukoneck |
| 1983 |
Bob Hamman, Eddie Kantar |
Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell |
| 1984 |
Mike Lawrence, Peter Weichsel |
Steve Sion, Alan Sontag |
| 1985 |
George Steiner, Darryl Pedersen |
David Siebert, Allan Siebert |
| 1986 |
Douglas Simson, Eric Rodwell |
Tom Kniest, Karen Walker |
| 1987 |
David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen |
Peter Boyd, Steve Robinson |
| 1988 |
Marty Bergen, Larry N. Cohen |
John Carruthers, Howard Weinstein |
| 1989 |
Richard Katz, Bobby Levin |
Howard Weinstein, Ralph Katz |
| 1990 |
Mike Becker, Ron Rubin |
John Mohan, Kay Schulle |
| 1991 |
Doug Simson, Eric Rodwell |
Steve Sion, Clint Morrell |
| 1992 |
Bob Hamman, Hemant Lall |
Zia Mahmood, Hugh Ross |
| 1993 |
Dan Morse, John Sutherlin |
Tom Clarke, Alan Lebendig |
| 1994 |
Bobby Levin, Jeff Wolfson |
Steve Sion, Eddie Wold |
| 1995 |
Joe Kivel, Allan Siebert |
Bill Root, Richard Pavlicek |
| 1996 |
David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen |
Tony Forrester, Geir Helgemo |
| 1997 |
Steve Garner, Howard Weinstein |
Tony Forrester, Geir Helgemo |
| 1998 |
Eric Greco, Geoff Hampson |
Richard Pavlicek, Rich Pavlicek Jr. |
| 1999 |
John Mohan, Sam Lev |
Brad Moss, Fred Gitelman |
| 2000 |
Zia Mahmood, Michael Rosenberg |
John Mohan, Sam Lev |
| 2001 |
Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein |
Gary Cohler, Ralph Katz |
| 2002 |
Tobi Sokolow, Leni Holtz |
Lynn Deas, Curtis Cheek |
| 2003 |
Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman |
Michael Rosenberg, Ralph Katz |
| 2004 |
Walid Elahmady, Zia Mahmood |
Reese Milner, John Mohan |
| 2005 |
Stephen Gladyszak, Pat McDevitt |
Walid Elahmady, Zia Mahmood |
| 2006 |
Bart Bramley, Björn Fallenius |
Marty Fleisher, William Pollack |
| 2007 |
Zia Mahmood, Chip Martel |
Renee Mancuso, Howard Weinstein |
| 2008 |
Jan Jansma, Ricco van Prooijen |
Eric Greco, Geoff Hampson |
| 2009 |
Michał Kwiecień, Roald Ramer |
Nikolay Demirev, Hemant Lall |
| 2010 |
Boye Brogeland, Erik Sælensminde |
Norberto Bocchi, Guido Ferraro |
| 2011 |
Per-Ola Cullin, Peter Bertheau |
Zia Mahmood, Tarek Sadek |
| 2012 |
Alan Sontag, Alan Osofsky |
Zia Mahmood, Marty Fleisher |
| 2013 |
Mark Itabashi, Ross Grabel |
Kevin Bathurst, Steve Weinstein |
| 2014 |
Doug Doub, Frank Merblum |
Giorgio Duboin, Zia Mahmood |
