Smith Life Master Women's Pairs

The Smith Life Master Women's Pairs North American bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship (NABC).

The Smith Life Master Women's Pairs is a four session MP pairs event, two qualifying sessions and two final sessions. The event typically starts on the first Friday of the NABC. The event is restricted to female players that have achieved a Life Master rating.

History

The event was introduced in 1961. The event is named after Helen Sobel Smith who won 35 North American trophies. She is generally recognized as the best female player of all time.

The parallel Life Master Men's Pairs was opened to women in 1990. No pair of women has won that event, but a few women have won the revised competition as part of a mixed pair, and the 1987 Women's winner Jill Meyers has won it twice.

Winners

Only one pair has defended its championship—on three occasions, as Mildred Breed and Shawn Quinn won annually from 1999 to 2002.

Life Master Women's Pairs, 1961 to present
Year Winners Runners-up
1961  Dorothy Hayden, Helen Portugal Gratian Goldstein, Jane Mueller
1962 Barbara Kachmar, Margaret Wagar Anne Burnstein, Edith Kemp
1963 Anne Burnstein, Hermine Baron Carrie Arnold, Neva L. Gray
1964 Margaret Alcorn, Betty Kaplan Agnes Gordon, Sylvia Stein
1965 Ann Sheaber, Jan Stone Mary Jane Farell, Peggy Solomon
1966 Emma Jean Hawes, Dorothy Hayden Mary Jane Farell, Peggy Solomon
1967 Nancy Gruver, Sue Sachs Mary Jane Farell, Peggy Solomon
1968 Dorothy Talmage, Rhoda Walsh Katherine Blanchard, Mary Jane Farell
1969 Gratian Goldstein, Sylvia Stein Karen Allison, Gladys W. Collier
1970 Bette L. Cohn, Marietta Passell Louise Krauss, Betty Mangan
1971 Ruth Bloomfield, Delle Levinson Betty Ann Kennedy, Carol Sanders
1972 Amalya Kearse, Rhoda Walsh   Emma Jean Hawes, Dorothy Hayden Truscott  
1973 Frieda Arst, June Deutsch Edith Kemp, Barbara Rappaport
1974 Bernice Larson, Joan Stein Edith Kemp, Barbara Rappaport
1975 Dorothy Moore, Marion Weed Nancy Gruver, Helen Utegaard
1976 Barbara Furbeck, Barbara Herr Carol Crawford, Joan Remey
1977 Edith Kemp, Barbara Rappaport Bernadine Jenkins, Joan Remey
1978   Emma Jean Hawes, Dorothy Hayden Truscott   Ann Economidy, Anne Leverone
1979 Nancy Gruver, Edith Kemp June Deutsch, Sandi Leavitt
1980 Kathie Cappelletti, Claire Tornay Nancy Gruver, Edith Kemp
1981 Nancy Gruver, Edith Kemp Betty Ann Kennedy, Carol Sanders
1982 Dorothy Buchanan, Barbara Morris Mary Albert, Rhoda Walsh
1983 Beth Palmer, Lynn Deas Sandra Low, Joan Stein
1984 Karen Singer, Sharon Soules Kathie Wei, Judi Radin
1985 Lynn Deas, Beth Palmer Rama Linz, Kerri Shuman
1986 Mickie Kivel, Judi Cody Rama Linz, Kerri Shuman
1987 Jill Meyers, Gaye Herrington Mary Ann Coyle, Jackie Hess
1988 Nancy Passell, Nell Cahn Brenda Keller, Renee Mancuso
1989 Rhoda Walsh, Sabine Zenkel Lynn Deas, Beth Palmer
After 1989 the parallel Life Master Men's Pairs was opened to women players. As the Nail Life Master Open Pairs it remains parallel on the habitual schedule.
1990 Carol Sanders, Betty Ann Kennedy Barbara Sartorius, Marla Chaikin
1991 Sue Weinstein, Tobi Deutsch Janice Seamon, Cheri Bjerkan
1992 Shawn Womack, Jan Cohen Joan Jackson, Sabine Zenkel
1993 Janice Seamon, Sabine Zenkel Sharon David, Trudi Nugit
1994 Lynn Deas, Rhoda Kratenstein Cynthia Balderson, Peg Waller
1995 Flo Rotman, Susan Miller Lila Perlstein, Juanita Chambers
1996 Suzy Burger, Barbara Sion Judy Randel, Linda Lewis
1997 Janice Seamon, Sylvia Moss Linda Perlman, Hjördis Eythorsdottir
1998 Sharon Hait, Barbara Sartorius Shannon Lipscomb, Rhoda Walsh
1999 Mildred Breed, Shawn Quinn Nell Cahn, Ellen Siebert
2000 Mildred Breed, Shawn Quinn Joan Jackson, Robin Klar
2001 Mildred Breed, Shawn Quinn Jayne Thomas, Barbara Nudelman
2002 Mildred Breed, Shawn Quinn Jan George, Roni Gitchel
2003 Lynn Baker, Kerri Sanborn Joan Jackson, Robin Klar
2004 Cynthia Hinckley, Diana Schuld Pam Granovetter, Migry Zur Campanile
2005 Jill Levin, Malle Andrade Mildred Breed, Claudette Hartman
2006 Sara Sivelind, Cecilia Rimstedt Janice Seamon-Molson, Gigi Simpson
2007 Lynn Baker, Karen McCallum YouMei Zhou, Jian Wang
2008 Lynn Deas, Betty Ann Kennedy Janice Seamon-Molson, Gigi Weinstein
2009 Sue Picus, Shawn Quinn Victoria Gromova, Tatiana Ponomareva
2010 Disa Eythorsdottir, Valerie Westheimer Lynn Deas, Judith Shulman
2011 Cheri Bjerkan, Rozanne Pollack Nancy Passell, Peggy Sutherlin
2012 Victoria Gromova, Tatiana Ponomareva Miriam Varenne, Migry Zur Campanile
2013 Patti Hartley, Barbara Nist Cheri Bjerkan, Rozanne Pollack
2014 Bronia Jenkins, Bernace De Young Victoria Gromova, Tatiana Ponomareva
2015 Pam Granovetter, Yiji Starr Gail Greenberg, Sue Picus
2016 Victoria Gromova, Tatiana Ponomareva Ellen Kozlove, Anne Brenner
2017 Pamela Granovetter, Sylvia Shi Georgiana Gates, Pat Levy
2018 Sally Brock, Fiona Brown Doris Greenwald, Terry Lubman
2019 Rozanne Pollack, Cheri Bjerkan Gigi Simpson, Gen Geiger
2022 Migry Zur Campanile, Margie Cole Anam Tebha, Sally Meckstroth

See also

Sources

  • List of previous winners, Page 7. Daily Bulletin (PDF), vol. 81–1, November 21, 2008