Bobby Goldman
Encyclopedia
Robert Goldman (November 10, 1938 – May 15, 1999) was an American
bridge
player, teacher and author. He won three Bermuda Bowl
s (1970, 1971, 1979), Olympiad Mixed Teams
1972, and 20 North American Bridge Championships
. He authored several books on bridge, most notably Aces Scientific and Winners and Losers at the Bridge Table, and several conventions
, like Kicback, Exclusion Blackwood and Super Gerber (Redwood).
Goldman started playing bridge in 1957, while studying at Drexel University
in Philadelphia, and continued improving his game until he joined the Dallas Aces
team in 1968, with whom he won Bermuda Bowls in 1970 and 1971. His early partners in the Aces were Michael Lawrence
and Billy Eisenberg
, but his favorite partner was Paul Soloway
, with whom he played more than two decades. Goldman was an American Contract Bridge League
(ACBL) Grand Life Master with more than 25,000 masterpoints
and a World Bridge Federation
(WBF) World Grand Master. He was a proactive member of ACBL administration, participating in its Competition
and Conventions Committee, Committee for an Open and Improved ACBL, and Board of Director of the Women's Forum. He significantly contributed in shaping the ACBL alert procedure, convention card, ethics and appeals process, and smoking ban.
Goldman died of a heart attack in Dallas
, Texas
at the age of 60.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
player, teacher and author. He won three Bermuda Bowl
Bermuda Bowl
The Bermuda Bowl is a trophy awarded to the winners of the Open series in the World Team Championship in contract bridge and is named for the site of the inaugural tournament held in 1950...
s (1970, 1971, 1979), Olympiad Mixed Teams
World Mixed Teams Championship
The World Mixed Teams Championship is a bridge competition for teams of mixed pairs. At every table, two teams are always represented by a mixed pair, one man and one woman....
1972, and 20 North American Bridge Championships
North American Bridge Championships
North American Bridge Championships are three annual bridge conventions sponsored by the American Contract Bridge League . The "Spring", "Summer", and "Fall" NABCs are usually scheduled in March, July, and November for about eleven days. They comprise both championship and side contests of...
. He authored several books on bridge, most notably Aces Scientific and Winners and Losers at the Bridge Table, and several conventions
Bridge convention
A bridge convention is a system of calls made during the auction phase of a contract bridge game which conveys a coded meaning about the players' card holdings...
, like Kicback, Exclusion Blackwood and Super Gerber (Redwood).
Goldman started playing bridge in 1957, while studying at Drexel University
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
in Philadelphia, and continued improving his game until he joined the Dallas Aces
Dallas Aces
The Dallas Aces were the world's first professional bridge team, organized by Dallas businessman Ira Corn in 1968...
team in 1968, with whom he won Bermuda Bowls in 1970 and 1971. His early partners in the Aces were Michael Lawrence
Michael Lawrence (bridge player)
Michael Steven Lawrence is an American bridge player, teacher, theorist, and prolific writer.-Biography:...
and Billy Eisenberg
Billy Eisenberg
William Eisenberg is an American bridge and backgammon professional. In bridge, Eisenberg has won five Bermuda Bowl world team titles and in backgammon he won the world title in 1975...
, but his favorite partner was Paul Soloway
Paul Soloway
Paul Soloway was a world champion American bridge player. He won the Bermuda Bowl world team championship five times and won 30 national championships. Soloway was inducted into the American Contract Bridge League's Hall of Fame in 2002...
, with whom he played more than two decades. Goldman was an American Contract Bridge League
American Contract Bridge League
The American Contract Bridge League is the largest contract bridge organization in North America. It promotes the game of bridge in the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, and Canada, and is a member of the World Bridge Federation...
(ACBL) Grand Life Master with more than 25,000 masterpoints
Masterpoints
Masterpoints or master points are points awarded by national and other bridge organisations for success in bridge tournaments run under their auspices. Organisations which issue these points include the American Contract Bridge League , the American Bridge Association, the English Bridge Union ,...
and a World Bridge Federation
World Bridge Federation
The World Bridge Federation is the world governing body of contract bridge. The WBF is responsible for world championship competition, most of which is conducted at a few multi-event meets on a four-year cycle...
(WBF) World Grand Master. He was a proactive member of ACBL administration, participating in its Competition
and Conventions Committee, Committee for an Open and Improved ACBL, and Board of Director of the Women's Forum. He significantly contributed in shaping the ACBL alert procedure, convention card, ethics and appeals process, and smoking ban.
Goldman died of a heart attack in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
at the age of 60.
Wins
- Bermuda BowlBermuda BowlThe Bermuda Bowl is a trophy awarded to the winners of the Open series in the World Team Championship in contract bridge and is named for the site of the inaugural tournament held in 1950...
(3) 1970, 1971, 1979 - Olympiad Mixed TeamsWorld Mixed Teams ChampionshipThe World Mixed Teams Championship is a bridge competition for teams of mixed pairs. At every table, two teams are always represented by a mixed pair, one man and one woman....
(1) 1972 - North American Bridge ChampionshipsNorth American Bridge ChampionshipsNorth American Bridge Championships are three annual bridge conventions sponsored by the American Contract Bridge League . The "Spring", "Summer", and "Fall" NABCs are usually scheduled in March, July, and November for about eleven days. They comprise both championship and side contests of...
(20)- VanderbiltVanderbilt TrophyThe trophy is awarded for the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams national bridge championship held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(5) 1971, 1973, 1978, 1997, 1998 - SpingoldSpingoldThe Spingold national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(5) 1969, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988 - ReisingerReisingerThe Reisinger national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .The Reisinger is a board-a-match event.-History:...
(3) 1970, 1976, 1980 - Open Board-a-Match TeamsMitchell Board-a-Match TeamsThe Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1993 - Men's Board-a-Match TeamsMitchell Board-a-Match TeamsThe Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1968 - North American Swiss TeamsKeohane North American Swiss TeamsThe Keohane North American Swiss Teams national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1998 - Jacoby Open Swiss TeamsJacoby Open Swiss TeamsThe Jacoby Open Swiss Teams national bridge championship is held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1991 - North American Men's Swiss TeamsJacoby Open Swiss TeamsThe Jacoby Open Swiss Teams national bridge championship is held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1989 - Life Master PairsVon Zedtwitz Life Master PairsThe Von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1968 - Life Master Men's PairsNail Life Master Open PairsThe Nail Life Master Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1964
- Vanderbilt
- United States Bridge Championships (6)
- Open Team Trials (6) 1969, 1971, 1973, 1979 (Jan), 1984, 1995
- Other notable wins:
- Cavendish Invitational Teams (1) 1994
- Pan American Invitational Open Teams (1) 1977
- Pan American Invitational Open Pairs (1) 1977
Runner-ups
- Bermuda BowlBermuda BowlThe Bermuda Bowl is a trophy awarded to the winners of the Open series in the World Team Championship in contract bridge and is named for the site of the inaugural tournament held in 1950...
(2) 1973, 1974 - World Open Team OlympiadWorld Team OlympiadThe World Team Olympiad was a contract bridge meet organized by the World Bridge Federation every four years from 1960 to 2004. Its main events were world championships for national teams, always including one open and one restricted to women...
(1) 1972 - North American Bridge ChampionshipsNorth American Bridge ChampionshipsNorth American Bridge Championships are three annual bridge conventions sponsored by the American Contract Bridge League . The "Spring", "Summer", and "Fall" NABCs are usually scheduled in March, July, and November for about eleven days. They comprise both championship and side contests of...
(17)- VanderbiltVanderbilt TrophyThe trophy is awarded for the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams national bridge championship held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(3) 1966, 1970, 1976 - SpingoldSpingoldThe Spingold national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(4) 1970, 1990, 1994, 1996 - ReisingerReisingerThe Reisinger national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .The Reisinger is a board-a-match event.-History:...
(5) 1968, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1994 - Grand National TeamsGrand National TeamsThe Grand National Teams national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1998 - Open Board-a-Match TeamsMitchell Board-a-Match TeamsThe Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1995 - Men's Board-a-Match TeamsMitchell Board-a-Match TeamsThe Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(2) 1969, 1984 - Blue Ribbon PairsBlue Ribbon PairsThe Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1968
- Vanderbilt
- United States Bridge Championships (2)
- Open Team Trials (1) 1973
- Open Pair Trials (1) 1968
- Other notable 2nd places:
- Forbo-Krommenie International Teams (2) 1993, 1998
- Sunday Times Invitational Pairs (1) 1990