The Wernher Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the summer 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) North American Bridge Championship

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...

 (NABC).

The Wernher Open Pairs is a four session MP pairs event, two qualifying sessions and two final sessions.
The event typically starts on the second Thursday of the NABC.
The event is open.

History

The Wernher Open pairs is a four-session event with two qualifying sessions and two final sessions. It was contested at the Summer NABC until 1962. It moved to the Spring NABC in 1963 where it remained for 40 years.

In 2004 it returned to the Summer NABC lineup. From 1969 through 1971, it was contested as a three-session championship. In 1992 the event became Open Pairs II.

The winners have their names inscribed on the Wernher trophy, named after Sir Derrick J. Wernher, a leading personality in American bridge in the Thirties. Wernher -- a resident of both London and Deal NJ -- was president of the American Bridge League in 1933, chairman of its Master Plan committee and a member of the board of directors of the American Whist League.

Winners

Winners of Men's Pairs (1934–1989)

Year	Winners	Runners-up
1934	David Burnstine David Bruce (bridge) David Bruce was a leading tournament contract bridge player of the 1930's who played under the name of David Burnstine. Born in New York City, he became Life Master #1 at the age of 36 regularly playing out of the Contract Bridge Club of New York. Burnstine was a member of the Four Horsemen team... , Oswald Jacoby Oswald Jacoby Oswald Jacoby was an American contract bridge player and author, considered one of the greatest bridge players of all time. He also excelled at, and wrote about, other games including backgammon, gin rummy, and poker.Born in Brooklyn, he was taught to play whist at the age of six and played his...	Morrie Elis, George Kennedy
1935	Edward Cook, Fred French	Charles Goren Charles Goren Charles Henry Goren was a world champion American bridge player and bestselling author who contributed significantly to the development and popularization of the game following upon the heels of Ely Culbertson in the 1940s and rising to prominence in the 1950s to the early 1960s.-Early years:Goren... , Louis H. Watson Louis H. Watson Louis H. Watson of New York City was a highly ranked American contract bridge player and author who rose to prominence in the 1930s. A popular personality, he was considered by Ely Culbertson to be his most likely successor...
1936	Richard Ecker, Fred Kaplan	Bertram Lebhar Jr., Samuel Katz
1937	Edward Cook, John Kunkle	Philip Abramsohn, Morrie Elis
1938	B. Jay Becker, Charles Goren Charles Goren Charles Henry Goren was a world champion American bridge player and bestselling author who contributed significantly to the development and popularization of the game following upon the heels of Ely Culbertson in the 1940s and rising to prominence in the 1950s to the early 1960s.-Early years:Goren...	Morrie Elis, Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1939	John R. Crawford John R. Crawford John Randolph Crawford was an American bridge and backgammon player... , Oswald Jacoby Oswald Jacoby Oswald Jacoby was an American contract bridge player and author, considered one of the greatest bridge players of all time. He also excelled at, and wrote about, other games including backgammon, gin rummy, and poker.Born in Brooklyn, he was taught to play whist at the age of six and played his...	Henry Chanin, Morrie Elis
1940	Merwyn Maier, Robert McPherran	Morrie Elis, Harry Fishbein
1941	Joseph Low, Simon Rossant	Joseph Davis, Sidney Silodor
1942	Robert von Engel, Aaron Goodman	Murray Gross, William Lipton
1943	Charles Goren Charles Goren Charles Henry Goren was a world champion American bridge player and bestselling author who contributed significantly to the development and popularization of the game following upon the heels of Ely Culbertson in the 1940s and rising to prominence in the 1950s to the early 1960s.-Early years:Goren... , Charles Solomon	Richard Ecker, Fred Kaplan
1944	Sigmund Dornbusch, Herman Goldberg	Ambrose Casner, Ralph Hirschberg
1945	Sylvester Gintell, Lee Hazen	George Rapée, Samuel Stayman Samuel Stayman Samuel M. Stayman was an American bridge player, author and administrator. A graduate of the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College, he was also a successful textile executive and portfolio investment manager.He was the eponym of the Stayman convention...
1946	Mitchell Barnes, Waldemar von Zedtwitz	Lewis Bernard, Frank Weisbach
1947	Sol Mogal, Tobias Stone	Morrie Elis, Morris Portugal
1948	Fred Hirsch, Samuel Katz	Lewis Bernard, Harold Feldstein
1949	Charles Goren Charles Goren Charles Henry Goren was a world champion American bridge player and bestselling author who contributed significantly to the development and popularization of the game following upon the heels of Ely Culbertson in the 1940s and rising to prominence in the 1950s to the early 1960s.-Early years:Goren... , Oswald Jacoby Oswald Jacoby Oswald Jacoby was an American contract bridge player and author, considered one of the greatest bridge players of all time. He also excelled at, and wrote about, other games including backgammon, gin rummy, and poker.Born in Brooklyn, he was taught to play whist at the age of six and played his...	Bobby Nail, J. G. Ripstra
1950	Phillip Briggs, Richard Revell	George Rapée, Sidney Silodor
1951	Milton Ellenby, Emmanuel Hochfeld	Clifford Bishop, Alexander Nusinoff
1952	Arthur Grau, William Rosen William Rosen William Albert Rosen is an American bridge player, best known for winning the 1954 Bermuda Bowl world championship....	Harold Harkavy, Tobias Stone
1953	Harold Harkavy, Bill Root	John R. Crawford John R. Crawford John Randolph Crawford was an American bridge and backgammon player... , Waldemar von Zedtwitz
1954	Doug Drury, Eric Murray Eric Murray (bridge) Eric Murray is a Canadian contract bridge player and co-founder of the Canadian Bridge Federation . Along with his partner Sami Kehela, Murray is considered one of the top Canadians ever to have played the game. The Eric R...	Milton Ellenby, Douglas Steen
1955	Doug Drury, Eric Murray Eric Murray (bridge) Eric Murray is a Canadian contract bridge player and co-founder of the Canadian Bridge Federation . Along with his partner Sami Kehela, Murray is considered one of the top Canadians ever to have played the game. The Eric R...	Ira Rubin, Victor Mitchell
1956	Paul Allinger, Jim Jacoby	Robert Jordan, Robert Sitnek
1957	David Carter, John Hubbell	John Gerber, Paul Hodge
1958	William Grieve, Ira Rubin	Norman Kay, Sidney Silodor
1959	Harry Fishbein, John Gerber	Erik Paulsen, Mike Shuman
1960	Jack Blair, William Christian	David Carter, Paul Hodge
1961	Philip Feldesman, Ira Rubin	Paul Allinger, Lew Mathe
1962	Philip Feldesman, Ira Rubin	Eddie Kantar, Marshall Miles Marshall Miles Marshall Lauren Miles is an American bridge player and author.-Bridge career:Miles' crowning achievement was winning the World Senior Teams Olympiad in Istanbul in 2004...
1963	Sami Kehela Sami Kehela Sami Kehela is a Canadian contract bridge player. A member of the Hall of Fame of both the American Contract Bridge League and of the Canadian Bridge Federation, he is considered, along with his partner Eric Murray, one of the top Canadians ever to have played the game.Between 1966 and 1974,... , Wolf Lebovic	Sonny Moyse, Tommy Sanders
1964	Ed Weiner, G. Gard Hays	Darryl Pedersen, Don Nemiro
1965	Lawrence Rosler, Jeff Rubens Jeff Rubens Jeff Rubens is a bridge player and writer; he is the editor of the magazine The Bridge World and the author of several bridge books, including Secrets of Winning Bridge....	Norman Kay, Eric Murray Eric Murray (bridge) Eric Murray is a Canadian contract bridge player and co-founder of the Canadian Bridge Federation . Along with his partner Sami Kehela, Murray is considered one of the top Canadians ever to have played the game. The Eric R...
1966	Barry Crane Barry Crane Barry Crane, born Barry Cohen, was a prolific television producer and director, and a champion bridge player.... , Peter Rank	Mark Blumenthal, Mike Moss
1967	Richard Lawrence, Art Price	Eddie Kantar, Sidney Lazard
1968	Kyle Larsen, Edmond Lazarus	Bill Passell, David Strasberg
1969	Michael Martino, Frank Vine	Gerald Hallee, 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...
1970	Richard Kaye, Richard Walsh	Edgar Kaplan Edgar Kaplan Edgar Kaplan was an American bridge player and one of the principal contributors to the game. His career spanned six decades and covered every aspect of bridge. He was a teacher, author, editor, administrator, champion player, theorist, expert Vugraph commentator, coach/captain and authority on... , Norman Kay
1971	Giorgio Belladonna Giorgio Belladonna Giorgio Belladonna was an Italian bridge player, one of the most famous in bridge history. He won 16 World championship titles with the Blue Team, playing with Walter Avarelli and Benito Garozzo... , Benito Garozzo Benito Garozzo Benito Garozzo is one of the most famous bridge players in the history of the game. He has won 13 world championship titles with the Italian Blue Team, playing with Pietro Forquet and later Giorgio Belladonna...	Robert Kerr, Jay McKee
1972	Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey Kit Woolsey Kit Woolsey is an American bridge and backgammon player. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1964. He earned a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1965....	Paul Heitner, Marshall Miles Marshall Miles Marshall Lauren Miles is an American bridge player and author.-Bridge career:Miles' crowning achievement was winning the World Senior Teams Olympiad in Istanbul in 2004...
1973	Jack Kennedy, David Hadden	Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey Kit Woolsey Kit Woolsey is an American bridge and backgammon player. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1964. He earned a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1965....
1974	George Slemmons, George Steiner	Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey Kit Woolsey Kit Woolsey is an American bridge and backgammon player. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1964. He earned a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1965....
1975	Harlow Lewis, Art Waldemann	Larry Kozlove, John Sheridan
1976	Gerald Caravelli, Larry T. Cohen	Jack Kennedy, Bobby Wolff Bobby Wolff Robert S. Wolff is an American bridge player and an original member of the Dallas Aces team, which was formed in 1968 to compete against the Italian Blue Team which was dominant at the time. The Aces were successful and won their first world championship in 1970...
1977	Joseph Fox, Garey Hayden	David Lehman, Dick Melson
1978	Larry Kozlove, John Sheridan	Roy Fox, Paul Swanson
1979	Roy Fox, Paul Swanson	Perry Johnson, Michael Zerbini
1980	Neil Silverman, Peter Weichsel	Warren Rosner, Stephen Sanborn
1981	Warren Rosner, Allan Stauber	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... , Neil Silverman
1982	David Berkowitz, Harold Lilie	James Barlow, Chuck Carroll
1983	Marty Bergen Marty Bergen Marty A. Bergen is an American bridge player and writer. A 10-time national champion and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master he retired from active competition in 1993... , Allan Stauber	Mike Passell, Ron Andersen
1984	Mike Lawrence, Peter Weichsel	Joel Friedberg, Ethan Stein
1985	Ed Manfield, Kit Woolsey Kit Woolsey Kit Woolsey is an American bridge and backgammon player. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1964. He earned a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1965....	Bob Hamman Bob Hamman Robert David Hamman is an American professional bridge player, among the greatest players of all time.... , George Mittelman
1986	Bob Hamman Bob Hamman Robert David Hamman is an American professional bridge player, among the greatest players of all time.... , Paul Swanson	Bobby Levin Bobby Levin Robert J. Levin is an American professional bridge player. He is best known as the youngest winner of the world championship for national teams, namely the 1981 Bermuda Bowl, and as five-time winner of the Cavendish Invitational with his regular partner Steve Weinstein... , Fred Hamilton
1987	Darryl Pedersen, George Steiner	Zia Mahmood Zia Mahmood Zia Mahmood is a Pakistani professional bridge player. He is a World Bridge Federation and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master. He has a knack for bringing out the best in his partners and is regarded as one of the greatest players of the game... , Chris Compton
1988	Arthur Hoffman, Stephen Shane	Ken Kranyak, Harry Stratton
1989	Mike Moss, Charles Coon	Robert Beiles, Sidney Lorvan

Winners of Open Pairs (1990–)

Year	Winners	Runners-up
1990	Steve Sion, Steve Landen	Neil Silverman, Mike Smolen
1991	Ken Cohen, Bob Thomas	JoAnna Stansby, Lew Stansby
1992	Jeff Meckstroth Jeff Meckstroth Jeffrey John Meckstroth is a multiple world champion in contract bridge, winning the Bermuda Bowl representing the U.S. five times. He is one of only ten players who have won the so-called triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the World Open Pairs and the World Team Olympiad... , Perry Johnson	Tony Glynne, James Elliott
1993	Gaylor Kasle, Bobby Levin Bobby Levin Robert J. Levin is an American professional bridge player. He is best known as the youngest winner of the world championship for national teams, namely the 1981 Bermuda Bowl, and as five-time winner of the Cavendish Invitational with his regular partner Steve Weinstein...	Eddie Wold, Dennis Sorensen
1994	Thomas Peters, John Zilic	Steve Beatty, Curtis Cheek
1995	Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein	Martin Caley, Peter Schwartz
1996	David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen	Jackie Buroker, Dick Yarington
1997	Lloyd Arvedon, Allan Falk	Bart Bramley, Sidney Lazard
1998	Björn Fallenius, Mike Moss	Evan Bailey, Joseph Kivel
1999	Jeff Meckstroth Jeff Meckstroth Jeffrey John Meckstroth is a multiple world champion in contract bridge, winning the Bermuda Bowl representing the U.S. five times. He is one of only ten players who have won the so-called triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the World Open Pairs and the World Team Olympiad... , Eric Rodwell Eric Rodwell Eric Victor Rodwell is an American professional bridge player. He has won the Bermuda Bowl representing the U.S. five times and is one of ten players who have won the so-called triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the World Open Pairs and the World Team Olympiad...	Bobby Levin Bobby Levin Robert J. Levin is an American professional bridge player. He is best known as the youngest winner of the world championship for national teams, namely the 1981 Bermuda Bowl, and as five-time winner of the Cavendish Invitational with his regular partner Steve Weinstein... , Steve Weinstein
2000	Stephen Landen, Pratap Rajadhyaksha	Kenneth Kranyak, Harry Stratton
2001	Chris Willenken, Ron Smith	Joseph Kivel, Chris Larsen
2002	Curtis Cheek, Eric Greco	Geoff Hampson, Renee Mancuso
2003	Geoff Hampson, Eric Greco	Ken Cohen, Dan Gerstman
2004	Fulvio Fantoni Fulvio Fantoni Fulvio Fantoni is an Italian international bridge player. He is a six-time world champion, a World Grand Master of the World Bridge Federation , and the WBF first-ranked player as of April 2011... , Claudio Nunes Claudio Nunes Claudio Nunes is an Italian bridge international. He is a five-time world champion, a World Grand Master of the World Bridge Federation , and the WBF second-ranked player as of April 2011...	Kit Woolsey Kit Woolsey Kit Woolsey is an American bridge and backgammon player. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1964. He earned a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1965.... , Fred Stewart
2005	Nagy Kamel, Nader Hanna	Samuel Marks, Emory Whitaker
2006	Jianrong Lin, Julie Zhu	Cameron Doner, Bob Etter Bob Etter Robert Glenn Etter is a retired American football placekicker. He played with the Atlanta Falcons in 1968 and 1969. He also played for the Memphis Southmen of the World Football League in 1974 and 1975...
2007	Joan Jackson, Petra Hamman	Daniel Korbel, Jonathan Steinberg
2008	K. R. Venkataraman, Sunit Chokshi	Don Piafsky, Barry Piafsky
2009	Nikolay Demirev, Nicolas L'Ecuyer	Alan Kleist, Tim Crank
2010	Richard Burton, Beatrice Kemp	Tom Carmichael, Jeff Roman

Winners of Men's Pairs, Spring NABCs, 1958–1962

Year	Winners	Runners-up
1958	Norman Kay, Sidney Silodor	Jack Denny, Richard Harrison
1959	James Pestaner, John Swanson	Don Oakie, Meyer Schleifer
1960	Frank Hoadley, Julius Rosenblum	Harold Creed, Samuel Gould
1961	Morton Rubinow, Tobias Stone	Erik Paulsen, Alex Tschekaloff
1962	Ivan Erdos, Philip Feldesman	Norman Kay, Sidney Silodor

Sources

List of previous winners, Page 16
2009 winners, Page 1