Open Pairs I competitors vie for Silodor Trophy


Open Pairs I is a four-session event consisting of two qualifying and two final sessions. The winners' names are engraved on the Silodor Trophy, presented in memory of Sidney Silodor, winner of the Bermuda Bowl, the McKenney Trophy and more than 30 North American championships.

Silodor, a member of the team that won the first Bermuda Bowl World Championship in 1950, won the Vanderbilt eight times, the Reisinger six times, the Spingold, the Open Pairs and the Master Mixed Teams three times each and the Mixed Pairs five times -- a record.

Silodor was an original member of the Bridge Hall of Fame, elected in the Sixties when the institution was the province of its creator, The Bridge World magazine.

The trophy was presented in 1963 in memory of Silodor and made retroactive to include winners of the event, which began in 1958.

Last year's winners were Ralph Katz and Michael Rosenberg, a first-time partnership with lots of North American championships.

Previous Winners:


1958 Leonard Harmon, Ivar Stakgold
1959 Lew Mathe, Edward Taylor
1960 Robert Jordan, Alvin Roth
1961 Mark Hodges, Hampton Hume
1962 Robert Jordan, Arthur Robinson
1963 Norman Kay, Sidney Silodor
1964 Barry Crane, Oswald Jacoby
1965 John Biddle, James Wisemiller
1966 Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay
1967 Harvey Cohen, Maury Genud
1968 Ronald Balu, Richard Spero
1969 Richard Freedman, James Mathis
1970 Barry Crane, Dr. John Fisher
1971 1-2. Barry Crane, Dr. John Fisher
1-2. Joan Remey, Vincent Remey
1972 1-2. Barry Crane, Dr. John Fisher
1-2. Matt Granovetter, Merle Tom
1973 Michael Hoffman, Jack Rhatigan
1974 Barry Crane, Dr. John Fisher
1975 Garey Hayden, Daniel Hyland
1976 Terry Hause, Ernest Ivey
1977 Barry Crane, Peter Rank
1978 Robert Levin, Mike Passell
1979 Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell
1980 Paul Lewis, Michael Schreiber
1981 Dan Gertsman, Marc Nathan
1982 Gerald Caravelli, Craig Janitschke
1983 Barry Crane, Mike Passell
1984 Lou Bluhm, Bart Bramley
1985 Jim Robison, Joey Silver
1986 Lew Stansby, Ralph Katz
1987 Ed Manfield, Kit Woolsey
1988 Ron Rubin, Michael Becker
1989 Kit Woolsey, Ed Manfield
1990 Don Campbell, Barry Harper
1991 Larry Mori, Henry Bethe
(became Open Pairs I)
1992 Bernie Miller, Mike Lucas
1993 Russ Ekeblad, Peter Weichsel
1994 Lloyd Arvedon, Allan Falk
1995 John Strauch, Evan Bailey
1996 Ralph Katz, Howard Weinstein
1997 Eric Greco, Geoff Hampson
1998 Geir Helgemo, Tony Forrester
1999 Mike Passell, Michael Seamon
2000 Mike Cappelletti, Larry Hicks
2001 Jim Tritt, Richard Meffley
2002 Joergen Molberg, Boerre Lund
2003 Ralph Katz, Michael Rosenberg