The Smith Life Master Women's Pairs North American bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship (NABC).
The Smith Life Master Women's 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 female players that have achieved a Life Master rating.
History The event was introduced in 1961. The event is named after Helen Sobel Smith who won 35 North American trophies. She is generally recognized as the best female player of all time.
The parallel Life Master Men's Pairs was opened to women in 1990. No pair of women has won that event, but a few women have won the revised competition as part of a mixed pair, and the 1987 Women's winner Jill Meyers has won it twice.
Winners
Only one pair has defended its championship—on three occasions, as Mildred Breed and Shawn Quinn won annually from 1999 to 2002.
+ Life Master Women's Pairs, 1961 to present Year Winners Runners-up 1961 Dorothy Hayden, Helen Portugal Gratian Goldstein, Jane Mueller 1962 Barbara Kachmar, Margaret Wagar Anne Burnstein, Edith Kemp 1963 Anne Burnstein, Hermine Baron Carrie Arnold, Neva L. Gray 1964 Margaret Alcorn, Betty Kaplan Agnes Gordon, Sylvia Stein 1965 Ann Sheaber, Jan Stone Mary Jane Farell, Peggy Solomon 1966 Emma Jean Hawes, Dorothy Hayden Mary Jane Farell, Peggy Solomon 1967 Nancy Gruver, Sue Sachs Mary Jane Farell, Peggy Solomon 1968 Dorothy Talmage, Rhoda Walsh Katherine Blanchard, Mary Jane Farell 1969 Gratian Goldstein, Sylvia Stein Karen Allison, Gladys W. Collier 1970 Bette L. Cohn, Marietta Passell Louise Krauss, Betty Mangan 1971 Ruth Bloomfield, Delle Levinson Betty Ann Kennedy, Carol Sanders 1972 Amalya Kearse, Rhoda Walsh Emma Jean Hawes, Dorothy Hayden Truscott 1973 Frieda Arst, June Deutsch Edith Kemp, Barbara Rappaport 1974 Bernice Larson, Joan Stein Edith Kemp, Barbara Rappaport 1975 Dorothy Moore, Marion Weed Nancy Gruver, Helen Utegaard 1976 Barbara Furbeck, Barbara Herr Carol Crawford, Joan Remey 1977 Edith Kemp, Barbara Rappaport Bernadine Jenkins, Joan Remey 1978 Emma Jean Hawes, Dorothy Hayden Truscott Ann Economidy, Anne Leverone 1979 Nancy Gruver, Edith Kemp June Deutsch, Sandi Leavitt 1980 Kathie Cappelletti, Claire Tornay Nancy Gruver, Edith Kemp 1981 Nancy Gruver, Edith Kemp Betty Ann Kennedy, Carol Sanders 1982 Dorothy Buchanan, Barbara Morris Mary Albert, Rhoda Walsh 1983 Beth Palmer, Lynn Deas Sandra Low, Joan Stein 1984 Karen Singer, Sharon Soules Kathie Wei, Judi Radin 1985 Lynn Deas, Beth Palmer Rama Linz, Kerri Shuman 1986 Mickie Kivel, Judi Cody Rama Linz, Kerri Shuman 1987 Jill Meyers, Gaye Herrington Mary Ann Coyle, Jackie Hess 1988 Nancy Passell, Nell Cahn Brenda Keller, Renee Mancuso 1989 Rhoda Walsh, Sabine Zenkel Lynn Deas, Beth Palmer After 1989 the parallel Life Master Men's Pairs was opened to women players. As the Nail Life Master Open Pairs it remains parallel on the habitual schedule. 1990 Carol Sanders, Betty Ann Kennedy Barbara Sartorius, Marla Chaikin 1991 Sue Weinstein, Tobi Deutsch Janice Seamon, Cheri Bjerkan 1992 Shawn Womack, Jan Cohen Joan Jackson, Sabine Zenkel 1993 Janice Seamon, Sabine Zenkel Sharon David, Trudi Nugit 1994 Lynn Deas, Rhoda Kratenstein Cynthia Balderson, Peg Waller 1995 Flo Rotman, Susan Miller Lila Perlstein, Juanita Chambers 1996 Suzy Burger, Barbara Sion Judy Randel, Linda Lewis 1997 Janice Seamon, Sylvia Moss Linda Perlman, Hjördis Eythorsdottir 1998 Sharon Hait, Barbara Sartorius Shannon Lipscomb, Rhoda Walsh 1999 Mildred Breed, Shawn Quinn Nell Cahn, Ellen Siebert 2000 Mildred Breed, Shawn Quinn Joan Jackson, Robin Klar 2001 Mildred Breed, Shawn Quinn Jayne Thomas, Barbara Nudelman 2002 Mildred Breed, Shawn Quinn Jan George, Roni Gitchel 2003 Lynn Baker, Kerri Sanborn Joan Jackson, Robin Klar 2004 Cynthia Hinckley, Diana Schuld Pam Granovetter, Migry Zur Campanile 2005 Jill Levin, Malle Andrade Mildred Breed, Claudette Hartman 2006 Sara Sivelind, Cecilia Rimstedt Janice Seamon-Molson, Gigi Simpson 2007 Lynn Baker, Karen McCallum YouMei Zhou, Jian Wang 2008 Lynn Deas, Betty Ann Kennedy Janice Seamon-Molson, Gigi Weinstein 2009 Sue Picus, Shawn Quinn Victoria Gromova, Tatiana Ponomareva 2010 Disa Eythorsdottir, Valerie Westheimer Lynn Deas, Judith Shulman 2011 Cheri Bjerkan, Rozanne Pollack Nancy Passell, Peggy Sutherlin 2012 Victoria Gromova, Tatiana Ponomareva Miriam Varenne, Migry Zur Campanile 2013 Patti Hartley, Barbara Nist Cheri Bjerkan, Rozanne Pollack 2014 Bronia Jenkins, Bernace De Young Victoria Gromova, Tatiana Ponomareva 2015 Pam Granovetter, Yiji Starr Gail Greenberg, Sue Picus 2016Victoria Gromova, Tatiana PonomarevaEllen Kozlove, Anne Brenner2017Pamela Granovetter, Sylvia ShiGeorgiana Gates, Pat Levy2018Sally Brock, Fiona BrownDoris Greenwald, Terry Lubman2019Rozanne Pollack, Cheri BjerkanGigi Simpson, Gen Geiger2022Migry Zur Campanile, Margie ColeAnam Tebha, Sally Meckstroth
See also Nail Life Master Open Pairs, Men's Pairs before 1990 Whitehead Women's Pairs – the premier North American championship for women pairs, 1930 to present
Sources
List of previous winners, Page 7.
2008 winners, Page 1. NABC Winners - ACBL
External links NABC Winners: Smith Life Master Womens Pairs – official database view, all years "Life Master Women's Pairs – A Look Back". November 19, 2013. ACBL. Retrieved 2014-06-06.