The von Zedtwitz Gold Cup is a six-session event with two qualifying, two semifinal and two final rounds, and is restricted to Life Masters Pairs. The cup was donated by Mr. Waldemar von Zedtwitz in 1930 and won by Mr. von Zedtwitz and Mr. P. Hal Sims that same year.

Until Life Masters became numerous, the trophy was contested by master players who had qualified by winning a national championship. It was then 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 Mr. Howard Schenken in 1934. Mr. Schenken won in 1931 and 1933 with David Burnstine and in 1934 with Richard Frey. He also won in 1941 with Merwyn Maier and in 1943 with John Crawford.

The cup, put back into competition by the donor, was stolen in 1954 while in the possession of Mr. John Hubbell, who held the Life Masters Pairs title. The theft followed a television appearance during which Mr. 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.

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 Mr. Howard Schenken in 1934. Mr. Howard Schenken won in 1931 and 1933 with Mr. David Burnstine and in 1934 with Mr. Richard Frey. He also won in 1941 with Mr. Merwyn Maier and in 1943 with Mr. John Crawford.

Women have been occasional winners in the Life Master Pairs, such as Helen Sobel, playing with Charles Goren, who won in 1942 and 1958; Ruth Gilbert and Leo Roet, 1949; Helen and Morris Portugal, 1960; Dorothy Truscott and B. Jay Becker, 1964; Hermine Baron and Meyer Schleifer, 1966, and Barbara Rappaport and Al Roth, 1971 and 1972. Mary Jane Farell and Marilyn Johnson made history in 1978 when they became the first women's partnership to win the event.

The von Zedtwitz Gold Cup is awarded annually at the Summer NABC for the Life Master Pairs Championship.

 

Year		Winners and Runners-Up
1930		1. P. Hal Sims, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
		2. Ely Culbertson, Josephine Culbertson
1931		1. David Burnstine, Howard Schenken
		2. Michael Gottlieb, Theodore Lightner
1932		1. Michael Gottlieb, Theodore Lightner
		2. David Burnstine, Howard Schenken
1933		1. David Burnstine, Howard Schenken
		2. P. Hal Sims, Waldemar K. von Zedtwitz
1934		1. Richard Frey, Howard Schenken
		2. Walter Malowan, Sydney Rusinow
1935		1. B. Jay Becker, Theodore Lightner
		2. Louis Haddad, Charles Hall
1936		1. David Burnstine, Oswald Jacoby
		2. Robert Appleyard, Isadore Epstine
1937		1. S. Garton Churchill, Charles Lochridge
		2. Doris Fuller, Henry Vogel
1938		1. Morrie Elis, Sherman Stearns
		2. John Crawford, Charles Solomon
1939		1. Robert Appleyard, Harry Fishbein
		2. Oswald Jacoby, Waldemar K. von Zedtwitz
1940		1. Harry Fishbein, Morrie Elis
		2. Sam Fry Jr., Myron Fuchs
1941		1. Merwyn Maier, Howard Schenken
		2. John Crawford, Oswald Jacoby
1942		1. Charles Goren, Helen Sobel
		2. Philip Abramsohn, Tobias Stone
1943		1. John Crawford, Howard Schenken
		2. Sidney Silodor, Margaret Wagar
1944		1. Samuel Katz, Peter Leventritt
		2. Ambrose Casner, Ralph Hirschberg
1945		1. Robert Appleyard, M. A. Lightman
		2. Bertram Lebhar, Simon Rossant
1946		1. Sidney Silodor, Charles Solomon
		2. Lee Hazen, Ruth Sherman
1947		1. Allen Harvey, Frank Weisbach
		2. John Crawford, Theodore Lightner
1948		1. S. Garton Churchill, Cecil Head
		2. Erik Coon, Vincent Remey
1949		1. Ruth Gilbert, Leo Roet
		2. Arthur Glatt, Albert Weiss
1950		1. Manuel Sherwin, C. W. Yorke
		2. Edward Marcus, Samuel Stayman
1951		1. Richard Kahn, Peter Leventritt
		2. Ned Drucker, Edgar Kaplan
1952		1. William Jackson, William Joseph
		2-3. Arthur Glatt, Albert Weiss
		2-3. John Crawford, Howard Schenken
1953		1. Milton Ellenby, William Rosen
		2. Charles Goren, Helen Sobel
1954		1. David Carter, John Hubbell
		2. Victor Mitchell, Ira Rubin
1955		1. Ben Fain, Paul Hodge 2. Victor Mitchell, Ira Rubin
1956		1. Alvin Roth, Tobias Stone
		2. John Crawford, Sidney Silodor
1957		1. H. Sanborn Brown, Martin Cohn
		2. Francis Begley, Louis Kelner
1958		1-2. Charles Goren, Helen Sobel
		1-2. Wilson Landley, Louis Levy
1959		1. Ed Rosen, Dan Rotman
		2. Sidney Aronson, Larry Weiss
1960		1. Helen Portugal, Morris Portugal
		2. Curtis Smith, Bobby Wolff
1961		1. Philip Feldsman, Marshall Miles
		2. Paul Kibler, Robert Reynolds
1962		1. Philip Feldsman, Ira Rubin
		2. Edith Kemp, Albert Weiss
1963		1. Lew Mathe, Edward Taylor
		2. Ira Rubin, Curtis Smith
1964		1. B. Jay Becker, Dorothy Hayden
		2. Bruce Elliott, Percy Sheardown
1965		1. Victor Mitchell, Samuel Stayman
		2. Alvin Roth, Tobias Stone
1966		1. Hermine Baron, Meyer Schleifer
		2. Morrie Freier, Robert Reynolds
1967		1. Philip Feldsman, Lew Mathe
		2. Diana Schuld, Frank Schuld
1968		1. Bill Eisenberg, Bobby Goldman
		2. James Jacoby, Bobby Wolff
1969		1. Sami Kehela, Eric Murray
		2. Chuck Burger, Jimmy Cayne
1970		1. Paul Heitner, Michael Moss
		2. Robert Freedman, James Mathis
1971		1. Alvin Roth, Barbara Rappaport
		2. James Jacoby, Minda Brachman
1972		1. Alvin Roth, Barbara Rappaport
		2. Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel
1973		1. Jack Blair, Paul Swanson
		2. Chuck Burger, Jimmy Cayne
1974		1. Gerald Michaud, Bobby Nail
		2. Walter Walvick, Thomas Weik
1975		1. Roy Fox, Eugene O'Neill
		2. Michael Becker, Ahmed Hussein
1976		1. Robert Lipsitz, Neil Silverman
		2. Garey Hayden, Mike Passell
1977		1. Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel
		2. Ken Cohen, Robert Lipsitz
1978		1. Mary Jane Farell, Marilyn Johnson
		2. Ron Feldman, David Sacks
1979		1. Ralph Katz, Ken Schutze
		2. Dan Morse, (Bobby) Robert Nail
1980		1. Bob Hamman, Eric Rodwell
		2. Don Caton, Homer Shoop
1981		1. Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein
		2. Paul Lavings, Bob Richman
1982		1. Tommy Sanders, Ron Andersen
		2. Robert Lipsitz, Ron Sukoneck
1983		1. Bob Hamman, Eddie Kantar
		2. Eric Rodwell, Jeff Meckstroth
1984		1. Mike Lawrence, Peter Weichsel
		2. Alan Sontag, Steve Sion
1985		1. George Steiner, Darryl Pedersen
		2. David Siebert, Allan Siebert
1986		1. Eric Rodwell, Douglas Simson
		2. Tom Kniest, Karen Walker
1987		1. Larry Cohen, David Berkowitz
		2. Steve Robinson, Peter Boyd
1988		1. Marty Bergen, Larry Cohen
		2. Howard Weinstein, John Carruthers
1989		1. Richard Katz, Robert Levin
		2. Howard Weinstein, Ralph Katz
1990		1. Ron Rubin, Michael Becker
		2. John Mohan, Kay Schulle
1991		1. Doug Simson, Eric Rodwell
		2. Steve Sion, Clint Morrell
1992		1. Bob Hamman, Hemant Lall
		2. Hugh Ross, Zia Mahmood
1993		1. Dan Morse, John Sutherlin
		2. Tom Clarke, Alan LeBendig
1994		1. Robert Levin, Jeff Wolfson
		2. Eddie Wold, Steve Sion
1995		1. Joe Kivel, Allan Siebert
		2. William Root, Richard Pavlicek
1996		1. David Berkowitz, Larry Cohen
		2. Tony Forrester, Geir Helgemo
1997		1. Steve Garner, Howard Weinstein
		2. Tony Forrester, Geir Helgemo
1998		1. Eric Greco, Geoff Hampson
		2. Richard Pavlicek, Richard Pavlicek Jr.
1999		1. John Mohan, Sam Lev
		2. Brad Moss, Fred Gitelman
2000		1. Zia Mahmood, Michael Rosenberg;
		2. John Mohan, Sam Lev
2001		1. Steve Weinstein, Robert Levin;
		2. Gary Cohler, Ralph Katz
2002		1. Leni Holtz, Tobi Sokolow
		2. Lynn Deas, Curtis Cheek
		3. Jan Martel, Chip Martel
2003		1. Nick Nickell, Richard Freeman
		2. Michael Rosenberg, Ralph Katz
		3. Larry Cohen, David Berkowitz
2004		1. Walid Elahmady, Zia Mahmood
		2. Reese Milner, John Mohan
2005		1. Pat McDevitt, Stephen Gladyszak
		2. Walid Elahmady, Zia Mahmood
2006		1. Bart Bramley, Bjorn Fallenius
		2. Marty Fleisher, Bill Pollack
2007		1. Zia Mahmood, Chip Martel
		2. Howard Weinstein, Renee Mancuso

 

 

 

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