Edwin Kantar
Encyclopedia
Edwin Bruce Kantar (born November 9, 1932 in Minneapolis
, Minnesota
) is an American bridge
player, 2-time World Teams Bridge Champion
and prolific author of bridge books.
he attended.
Along with Bermuda Bowls in 1977 and 1979, he has won 15 North American Bridge Championships
(NABCs) and is World Bridge Federation
(WBF) and American Contract Bridge League
(ACBL) Grand Life Master.
Apart from over 35 bridge books written since 1960, he is a regular contributor to the ACBL Bridge Bulletin, The Bridge World
, and Bridge Today. In a survey of bridge writers and players, Complete Defensive Play was among the top 10 of all-time favorite bridge books.
Six of his books have won the American Bridge Teacher's Association (ABTA) award for Best Book of the Year.
Eddie does his writing in California, and lectures on bridge cruises. He also teaches occasionally in the Los Angeles area as well as lectures several times a year in various resort areas in the U.S. and Canada. When not writing about bridge, Eddie can be found at Venice Beach playing paddle tennis
, a sport in which he has also garnered several trophies. Eddie is the only person ever to have played in a World Bridge Championship and a World Table Tennis Championship
.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
) is an American 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, 2-time World Teams Bridge Champion
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...
and prolific author of bridge books.
Biography
He learned the game at 11 and started teaching it at the age of 17, first to his friends and later at the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
he attended.
Along with Bermuda Bowls in 1977 and 1979, he has won 15 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...
(NABCs) and is 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) and 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.
Apart from over 35 bridge books written since 1960, he is a regular contributor to the ACBL Bridge Bulletin, The Bridge World
The Bridge World
The Bridge World , the oldest continuously published magazine about contract bridge, was founded in 1929 by Ely Culbertson. It has since been regarded as the game's principal journal, publicizing technical advances in bidding and the play of the cards, discussions of ethical issues, bridge politics...
, and Bridge Today. In a survey of bridge writers and players, Complete Defensive Play was among the top 10 of all-time favorite bridge books.
Six of his books have won the American Bridge Teacher's Association (ABTA) award for Best Book of the Year.
Eddie does his writing in California, and lectures on bridge cruises. He also teaches occasionally in the Los Angeles area as well as lectures several times a year in various resort areas in the U.S. and Canada. When not writing about bridge, Eddie can be found at Venice Beach playing paddle tennis
Paddle tennis
Paddle tennis is a game adapted from tennis and played for over a century. Compared to tennis, the court is smaller and has no doubles lanes, and the net is lower. Paddle tennis is played with a solid paddle as opposed to a strung racquet, and a depressurized tennis ball is used along with an...
, a sport in which he has also garnered several trophies. Eddie is the only person ever to have played in a World Bridge Championship and a World Table Tennis Championship
World Table Tennis Championships
The World Table Tennis Championships are held since 1926, biennially since 1957. Seven events were included in the Championships. The World Team Table Tennis Championships, which include men's team and women's team events, were first their own competition in 2000. The Team Championships are held in...
.
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...
(2) 1977, 1979 - 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...
(15)- 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) 1964, 1978, 1988 - SpingoldSpingoldThe Spingold national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(4) 1961, 1962, 1973, 1978 - ChicagoReisingerThe 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:...
(now Reisinger) (2) 1962, 1965 - 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:...
(2) 1976, 1980 - Grand National TeamsGrand National TeamsThe Grand National Teams national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(2) 1974, 1976 - 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) 1987 - 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) 1983
- Vanderbilt
- United States Bridge Championships (3)
- Open Team Trials (3) 1974, 1977, 1979
- Other notable wins:
- Pan American Invitational Open Teams (1) 1977
- Maccabiah Games (1) 1981
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...
(1) 1975 - 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...
(15)- 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 ....
(7) 1961, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1983, 1989 - SpingoldSpingoldThe Spingold national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1991 - 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) 1968, 1983, 1992 - 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) 1970 - Fall National Open PairsFall National Open PairsThe National Open Pairs national bridge championship was held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship . The National Open Pairs was a four-session matchpoint pairs event.-History:...
(1) 1962 - Men's PairsWernher Open PairsThe Wernher Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .The Wernher Open Pairs is a four session MP pairs event, two qualifying sessions and two final sessions....
(2) 1962, 1967
- Vanderbilt
- United States Bridge Championships (1)
- Open Team Trials (1) 1973