The Wernher Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship (NABC).
Typically starting on the Tuesday of the NABC, the Wernher Open Pairs is a four session matchpoint pairs event, with two qualifying sessions and two final sessions. The event is open to any player, but due to its current conflicting schedule with the more prestigious Spingold Knockout Teams, it is generally considered to be the weakest open national event on the calendar.
History The Wernher Open pairs is a four-session event with two qualifying sessions and two final sessions. It was contested at the Summer NABC until 1962. It moved to the Spring NABC in 1963 where it remained for 40 years.
In 2004, it returned to the Summer NABC lineup. From 1969 through 1971, it was contested as a three-session championship. In 1992 the event became Open Pairs II.
The winners have their names inscribed on the Wernher trophy, named after Sir Derrick J. Wernher, a leading personality in American bridge in the Thirties. Wernher -- a resident of both London and Deal NJ -- was president of the American Bridge League in 1933, chairman of its Master Plan committee and a member of the board of directors of the American Whist League.
Winners
During 56 years as the national or North American championship Men's Pairs, two champions successfully defended the title playing together: Doug Drury–Eric Murray in 1955, Phil Feldesman–Ira Rubin in 1962. Indeed, they were the only pairs to win the event twice.
+Winners of Men's Pairs (1934–1989) Year Winners Runners-up 1934 David Burnstine, Oswald Jacoby Morrie Elis, George Kennedy 1935 Edward Cook, Fred French Charles Goren, Louis H. Watson 1936 Richard Ecker, Fred Kaplan Bertram Lebhar Jr., Samuel Katz 1937 Edward Cook, John Kunkle Philip Abramsohn, Morrie Elis 1938 B. Jay Becker, Charles Goren Morrie Elis, Waldemar von Zedtwitz 1939 John R. Crawford, Oswald Jacoby Henry Chanin, Morrie Elis 1940 Merwyn Maier, Robert McPherran Morrie Elis, Harry Fishbein 1941 Joseph Low, Simon Rossant Joseph Davis, Sidney Silodor 1942 Robert von Engel, Aaron Goodman Murray Gross, William Lipton 1943 Charles Goren, Charles Solomon Richard Ecker, Fred Kaplan 1944 Sigmund Dornbusch, Herman Goldberg Ambrose Casner, Ralph Hirschberg 1945 Sylvester Gintell, Lee Hazen George Rapée, Sam Stayman 1946 Mitchell Barnes, Waldemar von Zedtwitz Lewis Bernard, Frank Weisbach 1947 Sol Mogal, Tobias Stone Morrie Elis, Morris Portugal 1948 Fred Hirsch, Samuel Katz Lewis Bernard, Harold Feldstein 1949 Charles Goren, Oswald Jacoby Bobby Nail, J. G. Ripstra 1950 Phillip Briggs, Richard Revell George Rapée, Sidney Silodor 1951 Milton Ellenby, Emmanuel Hochfeld Clifford Bishop, Alexander Nusinoff 1952 Arthur Grau, William Rosen Harold Harkavy, Tobias Stone 1953 Harold Harkavy, Bill Root John R. Crawford, Waldemar von Zedtwitz 1954 Doug Drury, Eric Murray Milton Ellenby, Douglas Steen 1955 Doug Drury, Eric Murray Ira Rubin, Victor Mitchell 1956 Paul Allinger, Jim Jacoby Robert Jordan, Robert Sitnek 1957 David Carter, John Hubbell John Gerber, Paul Hodge 1958 William Grieve, Ira Rubin Norman Kay, Sidney Silodor 1959 Harry Fishbein, John Gerber Erik Paulsen, Mike Shuman 1960 Jack Blair, William Christian David Carter, Paul Hodge 1961 Phil Feldesman, Ira Rubin Paul Allinger, Lew Mathe 1962 Phil Feldesman, Ira Rubin Eddie Kantar, Marshall Miles 1963 Sami Kehela, Wolf Lebovic Sonny Moyse, Tommy Sanders 1964 Ed Weiner, G. Gard Hays Darryl Pedersen, Don Nemiro 1965 Lawrence Rosler, Jeff Rubens Norman Kay, Eric Murray 1966 Barry Crane, Peter Rank Mark Blumenthal, Mike Moss 1967 Richard Lawrence, Art Price Eddie Kantar, Sidney Lazard 1968 Kyle Larsen, Edmond Lazarus Bill Passell, David Strasberg 1969 Michael Martino, Frank Vine Gerald Hallee, Paul Soloway 1970 Richard Kaye, Richard Walsh Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay 1971 Giorgio Belladonna, Benito Garozzo Robert Kerr, Jay McKee 1972 Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey Paul Heitner, Marshall Miles 1973 Jack Kennedy, David Hadden Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey 1974 George Slemmons, George Steiner Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey 1975 Harlow Lewis, Art Waldemann Larry Kozlove, John Sheridan 1976 Gerald Caravelli, Larry T. Cohen Jack Kennedy, Bobby Wolff 1977 Joseph Fox, Garey Hayden David Lehman, Dick Melson 1978 Larry Kozlove, John Sheridan Roy Fox, Paul Swanson 1979 Roy Fox, Paul Swanson Perry Johnson, Michael Zerbini 1980 Neil Silverman, Peter Weichsel Warren Rosner, Stephen Sanborn 1981 Warren Rosner, Allan Stauber Billy Eisenberg, Neil Silverman 1982 David Berkowitz, Harold Lilie James Barlow, Chuck Carroll 1983 Marty Bergen, Allan Stauber Mike Passell, Ron Andersen 1984 Mike Lawrence, Peter Weichsel Joel Friedberg, Ethan Stein 1985 Ed Manfield, Kit Woolsey Bob Hamman, George Mittelman 1986 Bob Hamman, Paul Swanson Bobby Levin, Fred Hamilton 1987 Darryl Pedersen, George Steiner Zia Mahmood, Chris Compton 1988 Arthur Hoffman, Stephen Shane Ken Kranyak, Harry Stratton 1989 Mike Moss, Charles Coon Robert Beiles, Sidney Lorvan
+Winners of Open Pairs (1990–) Year Winners Runners-up 1990 Steve Sion, Steve Landen Neil Silverman, Mike Smolen 1991 Ken Cohen, Bob Thomas JoAnna Stansby, Lew Stansby 1992 Jeff Meckstroth, Perry Johnson Tony Glynne, James Elliott 1993 Gaylor Kasle, Bobby Levin Eddie Wold, Dennis Sorensen 1994 Thomas Peters, John Zilic Steve Beatty, Curtis Cheek 1995 Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein Martin Caley, Peter Schwartz 1996 David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen Jackie Buroker, Dick Yarington 1997 Lloyd Arvedon, Allan Falk Bart Bramley, Sidney Lazard 1998 Björn Fallenius, Mike Moss Evan Bailey, Joseph Kivel 1999 Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein 2000 Stephen Landen, Pratap Rajadhyaksha Kenneth Kranyak, Harry Stratton 2001 Chris Willenken, Ron Smith Joseph Kivel, Chris Larsen 2002 Curtis Cheek, Eric Greco Geoff Hampson, Renee Mancuso 2003 Geoff Hampson, Eric Greco Ken Cohen, Dan Gerstman 2004 Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes Kit Woolsey, Fred Stewart 2005 Nagy Kamel, Nader Hanna Samuel Marks, Emory Whitaker 2006 Jianrong Lin, Julie Zhu Cameron Doner, Bob Etter 2007 Joan Jackson, Petra Hamman Daniel Korbel, Jonathan Steinberg 2008 K. R. Venkataraman, Sunit Chokshi Don Piafsky, Barry Piafsky 2009 Nikolay Demirev, Nicolas L'Ecuyer Alan Kleist, Tim Crank 2010 Richard Burton, Beatrice Kemp Tom Carmichael, Jeff Roman 2011 Meyer Kotkin, Howard Cohen Robb Gordon, Richard Margolis 2012 Robert Lebi, David Lindop Pamela Miller, James Rasmussen 2013 Valentin Kovachev, Lynne Rosenbaum Larry Sealy, Jim Foster 2014 Marc Nathan, Jose Robles Giuseppe Failla, Dario Attanasio 2015 Ai-Tai Lo, William Pettis Mark Itabashi, Peter Gelfand2016 Federic Pollack, Kamel Fergani Brian Glubok, David Treitel2017 Joel Wooldridge, John Hurd Piotr Nawrocki, Piotr Wiankowski2018Juan Carlos Ventin, Joaquin PacareuRick Binder, Alan Watson2019Mark Bendure, Robert BittermanKamel Fergani, Frederic Pollack2020Cancelled (Covid)2021Cancelled (Covid)2022Andrew Cavalier, Christian JollyJian Wang, Jian-Ping Chen
+Winners of Men's Pairs, Spring NABCs, 1958–1962 Year Winners Runners-up 1958 Norman Kay, Sidney Silodor Jack Denny, Richard Harrison 1959 James Pestaner, John Swanson Don Oakie, Meyer Schleifer 1960 Frank Hoadley, Julius Rosenblum Harold Creed, Samuel Gould 1961 Morton Rubinow, Tobias Stone Erik Paulsen, Alex Tschekaloff 1962 Ivan Erdos, Phil Feldesman Norman Kay, Sidney Silodor
Sources
List of previous winners, Page 16.
2009 winners, Page 1.
"Search Results". ACBL. Visit "NABC Winners" ; select a Spring NABC. Retrieved 2014-06.
"Search Results - Updated 2018" Visit