The Reisinger national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship (NABC).
The Reisinger is a board-a-match event.
The event began in 1929 as the North American Open Team Championship and the prize was the Chicago Trophy, donated by the Auction Bridge Club of Chicago. (In 1928, the open team competition was for the Harold S. Vanderbilt Cup.)
The Chicago Trophy was replaced in 1965 by the Reisinger Memorial Trophy, donated by the Greater New York Bridge Association in memory of Curt H. Reisinger. Reisinger (1891–1964), from New York City, was a principal patron of contract bridge and the American Contract Bridge League in the early years of both; he was a great-grandson of Anheuser and a grandson of Busch, co-founders of the brewery from which he inherited great wealth. That wealth enabled him to become a stalwart financial supporter of the game, as well as a noted philanthropist on a larger scale.
Numerous champion teams have defended their titles successfully without change in personnel (intact). The four-person 1937 and 1938 champions added B. Jay Becker in 1939 and won again; one foursome including Becker won in 1942 and 1943, another won in 1953 and 1954—and 1956. For the Reisinger Trophy since 1966, there have been intact repeats in 1975, 1979 with a tie, 1994–95, 1999, 2005, 2011, and 2013. The one intact three-year winner, from 1993 to 1995, was Nick Nickell's professional team: Nickell, Richard Freeman, Bob Hamman, Bobby Wolff, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell. It also won four from 1993 to 1996 intact (another unique string) and the 1995 world championship Bermuda Bowl representing the United States. After one personnel change, Nickell was a double winner again in 2004–05, and a winner in 2008–09 across one change owing to death.
+ Chicago Trophy board-a-match teams (1929–1965) |
+ Reisinger Trophy board-a-match teams, 1966 to present |
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