The Von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship (NABC).

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.

History

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 trophy was never recovered and the present cup is an exact replica. Mary Jane Farell and Marilyn Johnson are the only pair of women to win the event. Their victory came in 1978.

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.

Winners

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 Waleed El Ahmady, Zia Mahmood Reese Milner, John Mohan 2005 Stephen Gladyszak, Pat McDevitt Waleed El Ahmady, 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 2011Swedes win Life Master Pairs. Bridge Winners. 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"Summer 2014 NABC: Life Master Pairs". 21 July 2014. Neapolitan Club (http://neapolitanclub.altervista.org/eng). Retrieved 2014-07-21. Doug Doub, Frank Merblum Giorgio Duboin, Zia Mahmood 2015 Jean Quantin, Cedric Lorenzini Zia Mahmood, Giorgio Duboin 2016 Mike Passell, Chris Compton Ralph Katz, Steve Garner 2017 Joel Wooldridge, John Hurd Espen Lindqvist, Boye Brogeland 2018 Michael Roche, John Carruthers Peter Bertheau, Frederic Wrang 2019Vincent Demuy, Brad MossGary Soules, Edward Nagy 2020Cancelled (COVID-19)Cancelled (COVID-19) 2021Cancelled (COVID-19)Cancelled (COVID-19) 2022Nick Nickell, Ralph KatzSteve Weinstein, Eric Greco 2023Zia Mahmood, Ola RimstedtAgustin Madala, Alon Birman 2024Ami Zamir, Oren ToledanoJerome Rombaut, Leo Rombaut 2025Owen Lien, Harrison LubaChristian Bakke, Mikael Rimstedt

See also Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs, or Blue Ribbon Pairs Norman Kay Platinum Pairs, or Platinum Pairs

References

Other sources List of previous winners, Page 6.

2009 winners, Page 1.

"Search Results: Von Zedtwitz LM Pairs". ACBL. Visit "NABC Winners"; select a Spring NABC. Retrieved 2014-06-05.