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.
+ 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 Young1-3. John R. Crawford, Theodore Lightner, George Rapée, Sam Stayman1-3. 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 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 MatheOswald 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. Taylor1/2. 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