Nail Life Master Open Pairs
Encyclopedia
The Nail Life Master Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League
American Contract Bridge League
The American Contract Bridge League is the largest contract bridge organization in North America. It promotes the game of bridge in the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, and Canada, and is a member of the World Bridge Federation...

 (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship
North American Bridge Championships
North American Bridge Championships are three annual bridge conventions sponsored by the American Contract Bridge League . The "Spring", "Summer", and "Fall" NABCs are usually scheduled in March, July, and November for about eleven days. They comprise both championship and side contests of...

 (NABC).

The Nail Life Master Open Pairs is a four session MP pairs event, two qualifying sessions and two final sessions.
The event typically starts on the first Friday of the NABC.
The event is restricted to players that have achieved a Life Master rating.

History

The event was introduced in 1961 and was originally for male players with a rank of National Master or higher.
In 1963, it was restricted in Life Masters.

It is named after Bobby Nail, a 1974 winner.

In 1990, it became an open event (female players allowed), but still restricted to Life Masters. Before and after opening to women, this tournament and the LM Women's Pairs
Smith Life Master Women's Pairs
The Smith Life Master Women's Pairs national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....

 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

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
Sami Kehela
Sami Kehela is a Canadian contract bridge player. A member of the Hall of Fame of both the American Contract Bridge League and of the Canadian Bridge Federation, he is considered, along with his partner Eric Murray, one of the top Canadians ever to have played the game.Between 1966 and 1974,...

, Eric Murray
Eric Murray (bridge)
Eric Murray is a Canadian contract bridge player and co-founder of the Canadian Bridge Federation . Along with his partner Sami Kehela, Murray is considered one of the top Canadians ever to have played the game. The Eric R...


Harry Fishbein, Charles J. Solomon
1964
Charles Coon, Bobby Goldman
Bobby Goldman
Robert Goldman was an American bridge player, teacher and author. He won three Bermuda Bowls , Olympiad Mixed Teams 1972, and 20 North American Bridge Championships...


2/3. Mervin Key, Harold Rockaway
2/3. Jack Blair, William Christian
1965
Paul Soloway
Paul Soloway
Paul Soloway was a world champion American bridge player. He won the Bermuda Bowl world team championship five times and won 30 national championships. Soloway was inducted into the American Contract Bridge League's Hall of Fame in 2002...

, Alex Tschekaloff
Edgar Kaplan
Edgar Kaplan
Edgar Kaplan was an American bridge player and one of the principal contributors to the game. His career spanned six decades and covered every aspect of bridge. He was a teacher, author, editor, administrator, champion player, theorist, expert Vugraph commentator, coach/captain and authority on...

, Victor Mitchell
1966
Carl Hudecek
Carl Hudecek
Carl J. Hudecek is an internationally known expert on sealing glasses, metal expansion and contraction, and metal oxidation processes for glass sealing. Hudecek holds or co-holds many U.S...

, 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
James Cayne
James E. "Jimmy" Cayne is an American businessman, a former CEO of Bear Stearns, founder of TalkGeek.org and world-class bridge player. After losing about one billion dollars in net worth from the collapse of Bear Stearns' stock, he sold his entire stake in the company for $61 million...


  Norman H. Fischer, Christopher G. Jeans  
1970
Ron Andersen, Hugh MacLean
Curtis Smith, E. Lowell Yost
1971
Alan Sontag
Alan Sontag
Alan M. Sontag is a world champion American bridge player and author of bridge books.-Bridge career:Although he is a six-time world champion in contract bridge, winning the prestige Bermuda Bowl twice, Sontag is best known as the author of The Bridge Bum, a book "on everybody's list of the top ten...

, Peter Weichsel
Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey
Kit Woolsey
Kit Woolsey is an American bridge and backgammon player. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1964. He earned a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1965....

1972
Les Bart, Marc Jacobus
Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey
Kit Woolsey
Kit Woolsey is an American bridge and backgammon player. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1964. He earned a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1965....

1973
Edgar Kaplan
Edgar Kaplan
Edgar Kaplan was an American bridge player and one of the principal contributors to the game. His career spanned six decades and covered every aspect of bridge. He was a teacher, author, editor, administrator, champion player, theorist, expert Vugraph commentator, coach/captain and authority on...

, 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
Jeff Meckstroth
Jeffrey John Meckstroth is a multiple world champion in contract bridge, winning the Bermuda Bowl representing the U.S. five times. He is one of only ten players who have won the so-called triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the World Open Pairs and the World Team Olympiad...

, Eric Rodwell
Eric Rodwell
Eric Victor Rodwell is an American professional bridge player. He has won the Bermuda Bowl representing the U.S. five times and is one of ten players who have won the so-called triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the World Open Pairs and the World Team Olympiad...


Zeke Jabbour, Dennis McGarry
1980
  Craig Janitschke, Jan Janitschke  
Bob Hamman
Bob Hamman
Robert David Hamman is an American professional bridge player, among the greatest players of all time....

, Paul Swanson
1981
Roger Abelson, Mike Levinson
Bob Hamman
Bob Hamman
Robert David Hamman is an American professional bridge player, among the greatest players of all time....

, Donald P. Krauss
1982
Bobby Lipsitz, Dan Gerstman
Lew Mathe, Harold Guiver
1983
Marty Bergen
Marty Bergen
Marty A. Bergen is an American bridge player and writer. A 10-time national champion and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master he retired from active competition in 1993...

, Larry N. Cohen
Mitch Chandler, Cliff Bishop
1984
Per-Olof Sundelin, Peter Pender
Jim Becker, Howard Chandross
1985
John Mohan, Roger Bates
Jeff Meckstroth
Jeff Meckstroth
Jeffrey John Meckstroth is a multiple world champion in contract bridge, winning the Bermuda Bowl representing the U.S. five times. He is one of only ten players who have won the so-called triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the World Open Pairs and the World Team Olympiad...

, Eric Rodwell
Eric Rodwell
Eric Victor Rodwell is an American professional bridge player. He has won the Bermuda Bowl representing the U.S. five times and is one of ten players who have won the so-called triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the World Open Pairs and the World Team Olympiad...

1986
Jim Krekorian, Paul Kiefer
Marty Bergen
Marty Bergen
Marty A. Bergen is an American bridge player and writer. A 10-time national champion and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master he retired from active competition in 1993...

, Larry N. Cohen
1987
Bart Bramley, Lou Bluhm
Leslie West, David Ashley
1988
Bobby Levin
Bobby Levin
Robert J. Levin is an American professional bridge player. He is best known as the youngest winner of the world championship for national teams, namely the 1981 Bermuda Bowl, and as five-time winner of the Cavendish Invitational with his regular partner Steve Weinstein...

, 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
Smith Life Master Women's Pairs
The Smith Life Master Women's Pairs national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....

.
Winners of Life Master Open Pairs (1990–)
Year Winners Runners-up
 1990 
Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood is a Pakistani professional bridge player. He is a World Bridge Federation and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master. He has a knack for bringing out the best in his partners and is regarded as one of the greatest players of the game...

, Hugh Ross
  Tommy Gullberg, Michael Polowan  
1991
Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood is a Pakistani professional bridge player. He is a World Bridge Federation and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master. He has a knack for bringing out the best in his partners and is regarded as one of the greatest players of the game...

, Hugh Ross
Larry N. Cohen, David Berkowitz
1992
Mike Kamil, Michael Rosenberg
Michael Rosenberg
Michael Rosenberg is one of the top bridge players in the United States. He moved to Scotland as a child and returned to New York in 1990 where he lives with his wife Debbie, also a top player....


Jeff Meckstroth
Jeff Meckstroth
Jeffrey John Meckstroth is a multiple world champion in contract bridge, winning the Bermuda Bowl representing the U.S. five times. He is one of only ten players who have won the so-called triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the World Open Pairs and the World Team Olympiad...

, Eric Rodwell
Eric Rodwell
Eric Victor Rodwell is an American professional bridge player. He has won the Bermuda Bowl representing the U.S. five times and is one of ten players who have won the so-called triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the World Open Pairs and the World Team Olympiad...

1993
Brad Moss, Ravindra Murthy
Ed Nagy, Jeff Polisner
1994
Bobby Levin
Bobby Levin
Robert J. Levin is an American professional bridge player. He is best known as the youngest winner of the world championship for national teams, namely the 1981 Bermuda Bowl, and as five-time winner of the Cavendish Invitational with his regular partner Steve Weinstein...

, 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
Paul Soloway
Paul Soloway was a world champion American bridge player. He won the Bermuda Bowl world team championship five times and won 30 national championships. Soloway was inducted into the American Contract Bridge League's Hall of Fame in 2002...


JoAnna Stansby, Lew Stansby
2000
Steve Garner, Jill Meyers
Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood is a Pakistani professional bridge player. He is a World Bridge Federation and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master. He has a knack for bringing out the best in his partners and is regarded as one of the greatest players of the game...

, Chuck Burger
2001
Piotr Gawryś
Piotr Gawrys
Piotr Gawryś is a Polish bridge player. Gawrys, WBF Grand Master, has won 3 world championships; World Team Olympics in 1984, Transnational Mixed Teams 2000 and Transnational Open Teams 2005. His other first places include; World Masters Individual in 1992 , European Teams Championships 1993 and...

, Jacek Pszczoła
Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood is a Pakistani professional bridge player. He is a World Bridge Federation and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master. He has a knack for bringing out the best in his partners and is regarded as one of the greatest players of the game...

, Sidney Lazard
2002
Eric Greco, Geoff Hampson
Larry N. Cohen, Steve Weinstein
2003
Kyle Larsen, Jo Morse
Fred Gitelman
Fred Gitelman
Fred Gitelman is a leading American bridge player, as well as the founder and manager of , a bridge playing site....

, Jay Borker
2004
  Richard Pavlicek
Richard Pavlicek
Richard Pavlicek is an American bridge player, author and columnist.-Career:Pavlicek began to play bridge in 1964 at the age of 18 while stationed in Stuttgart, West Germany, with the U.S. Army. Upon returning to Florida in 1966 he started to play in bridge tournaments in his spare time. Since...

, Richard Pavlicek Jr.  
Jonathan Green, Mark Aquino
2005
Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood is a Pakistani professional bridge player. He is a World Bridge Federation and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master. He has a knack for bringing out the best in his partners and is regarded as one of the greatest players of the game...

, Jill Meyers
Bobby Levin
Bobby Levin
Robert J. Levin is an American professional bridge player. He is best known as the youngest winner of the world championship for national teams, namely the 1981 Bermuda Bowl, and as five-time winner of the Cavendish Invitational with his regular partner Steve Weinstein...

, Louk Verhees
2006
Steve Garner, Howard Weinstein
John Armstrong, Paul Hackett
2007
Björn Fallenius, Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood
Zia Mahmood is a Pakistani professional bridge player. He is a World Bridge Federation and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master. He has a knack for bringing out the best in his partners and is regarded as one of the greatest players of the game...


Alex Perlin, Michael Prahin
2008
Nikolay Demirev, Ralph Katz
Ralph Katz
Ralph Katz is an American bridge player.Domestically, he has won 20 North American Bridge Championships and twice the Open Team Trials. Internationally, he has many top finishes, highlighted by a win in the 2009 Bermuda Bowl...


John Diamond, Eric Rodwell
Eric Rodwell
Eric Victor Rodwell is an American professional bridge player. He has won the Bermuda Bowl representing the U.S. five times and is one of ten players who have won the so-called triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the World Open Pairs and the World Team Olympiad...

2009
Martin Andresen, Tor Helness
Hemant Lall, Justin Lall
2010
Kazuo Furuta, Hiroaki Miura
Fred Gitelman
Fred Gitelman
Fred Gitelman is a leading American bridge player, as well as the founder and manager of , a bridge playing site....

, Brad Moss



Sources

List of previous winners, Page 8
2008 winners, Page 1
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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