The Nail Life Master Open Pairs is a North American bridge championship held at the fall American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship (NABC).
The championship is a Matchpoints pairs event restricted to players with a Life Master rating. It consists of two qualifying sessions and two final sessions, typically starting on the first Friday of the NABC.
History The Nail Life Master Open Pairs has its roots in 1961 when a new championship event was created for male players with a rank of National Master or higher.
In 1963, the rank for eligibility was increased to Life Master and in 1990, it became an open event so that female players with Life Masters status could also compete. Before and after opening to women, this tournament and the LM Women's Pairs 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.
The event is named after Bobby Nail, a 1974 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, Eric Murray Harry Fishbein, Charles J. Solomon 1964 Charles Coon, Bobby Goldman 2/3. Mervin Key, Harold Rockaway 2/3. Jack Blair, William Christian 1965 Paul Soloway, Alex Tschekaloff Edgar Kaplan, Victor Mitchell 1966 Carl Hudecek, 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 Norman H. Fischer, Christopher G. Jeans 1970 Ron Andersen, Hugh MacLean Curtis Smith, E. Lowell Yost 1971 Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey 1972 Les Bart, Marc Jacobus Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey 1973 Edgar Kaplan, 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, Eric Rodwell Zeke Jabbour, Dennis McGarry 1980 Craig Janitschke, Jan Janitschke Bob Hamman, Paul Swanson 1981 Roger Abelson, Mike Levinson Bob Hamman, Donald P. Krauss 1982 Bobby Lipsitz, Dan Gerstman Lew Mathe, Harold Guiver 1983 Marty Bergen, Larry N. Cohen Mitch Chandler, Cliff Bishop 1984 Per-Olof Sundelin, Peter Pender Jim Becker, Howard Chandross 1985 John Mohan, Roger Bates Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell 1986 Jim Krekorian, Paul Kiefer Marty Bergen, Larry N. Cohen 1987 Bart Bramley, Lou Bluhm Leslie West, David Ashley 1988 Bobby Levin, 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.
+Winners of Life Master Open Pairs (1990–) Year Winners Runners-up 1990 Zia Mahmood, Hugh Ross Tommy Gullberg, Michael Polowan 1991 Zia Mahmood, Hugh Ross Larry N. Cohen, David Berkowitz 1992 Mike Kamil, Michael Rosenberg Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell 1993 Brad Moss, Ravindra Murthy Ed Nagy, Jeff Polisner 1994 Bobby Levin, 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 JoAnna Stansby, Lew Stansby 2000 Steve Garner, Jill Meyers Zia Mahmood, Chuck Burger 2001 Piotr Gawryś, Jacek Pszczoła Zia Mahmood, Sidney Lazard 2002 Eric Greco, Geoff Hampson Larry N. Cohen, Steve Weinstein 2003 Kyle Larsen, Jo Morse Fred Gitelman, Jay Borker 2004 Richard Pavlicek, Richard Pavlicek Jr. Jonathan Green, Mark Aquino 2005 Zia Mahmood, Jill Meyers Bobby Levin, Louk Verhees 2006 Steve Garner, Howard Weinstein John Armstrong, Paul Hackett 2007 Björn Fallenius, Zia Mahmood Alex Perlin, Michael Prahin 2008 Nikolay Demirev, Ralph Katz John Diamond, Eric Rodwell 2009 Martin Andresen, Tor Helness Hemant Lall, Justin Lall 2010 Kazuo Furuta, Hiroaki Miura Fred Gitelman, Brad Moss 2011 Justin Lall, Ishmael Del'Monte Doug Doub, Adam Wildavsky 2012 Zia Mahmood, Chip Martel Cecilia Rimstedt, Meike Wortel 2013 Curtis Cheek, Ishmael Del'Monte Kevin Bathurst, Bobby Levin 2014 James Krekorian, Venkatrao Koneru Wael Mohsen, Reda Wasfi Yaacoub 2015 Eric Greco, Geoff Hampson Kevin Castner, David Gold 2016 Marion Michielsen, Zia Mahmood Tom Hanlon, Leslie Amoils 2017 Alon Birman, Dennis Bilde Quentin Robert, Godefroy De Tessieres2018Greg Hinze, David GraingerBoye Brogeland, David Gold2019Radu Nistor, Iulian RotaruIgor Savchenko, Alex Perlin2020Competition not held (COVID-19)Competition not held (COVID-19)2021Phillip Becker, Kenneth KranyakOlin Hubert, Kevin Collins2022Shan Huan, Kevin Dwyer RimstedtStefan Skorchev, Bogdan Vulcan2023Oscar Nijssen, Luc TijssenHaig Tchamitch, Billy Cohen2024David Berkowitz, Jeff MeckstrothJanice Seamon-Molson, Sylvia Shi2025Joel Wooldridge, Andrew HoskinsSteven Ashe, Harrison Luba
See also Smith Life Master Women's Pairs Von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs
Sources
List of previous winners, Page 8
2008 winners, Page 1
External links ACBL official website