My Top List For Bridge In The 00’s

Okay so I am not Time Magazine but I decided to do my best of the decade list for bridge so here goes:

Software/Application: Bridge Base Online

It changed the game.  Bridge Blogging gave us free online bridge with a huge worldwide community and added online Vugraph which in and of itself was a major innovation.

There are other great online websites too but nobody did it better. As I log on right now at 3PM on December 27th there are about 16,000 players online.

Bridge Base Online

Thank you Fred

Best Blogger: Judy Kay-Wolff

Nobody on any website created the interest, the excitement and the emotion that Judy brought to blogging.  She did it with her stories, her poems, her editorials.  She brought passion.  She created controversy.  And most of all she did it her way.  See her at http://judy.bridgeblogging.com/

Judy

Best Bridge Teacher: Eddie Kantar

There are many great bridge teachers but I pick Eddie Kantar.  I know I have a bias here because I really like Eddie.  But Eddie sees an incredible amount in a bridge hand.  You can walk down the street with him and you will be amazed at how much you learn from what he says.  He has a terrific knack of being funny and entertaining and still managing to explain bridge concepts to players of all levels.  Thank you for the lessons, the stories, the home games, your website and your many books.  You are the best.

There is no bridge more fun than Eddie’s Home Game.

Most Revolutionary Bridge Computer Software: Deep Finesse

In the end it wasn’t the bridge playing programs (although some are very good) it was the software that analyzes bridge hands that makes my list.  It allows complete perfect step-by-step analysis of a bridge hand and it makes us writers much more accurate.  It became available at the beginning of the century and it was the forerunner of GIB and some of the other great bridge playing programs.

Deep Finesse

Most Important World Bridge Activity: Youth Bridge

Finally the bridge community realized that we need to foster youth bridge.  We needed to get to the schools and universities.  We needed to create bridge championships, camps, websites and lessons aimed at young people.  They were the future and boy do we need them.

Bridge Personality Of The Decade: Zia Mahmood

There are so many to chose from but I decided on Zia Mahmood.  Zia is one of the few players who is recognizable by his first name alone (like Oprah).  He brings skill, excitement, talent, charm and glamour to the game.  Now with his first world championship under his belt his skills at both top class international play and at the rubber bridge table are clear to all.  His special Zia innovations like the “Zia cuebid” keep everyone on their toes.  Besides he was the first bridge writer who told me about Zone 1, Zone 2 and Zone 3.  There may have been better or more successful players but nobody more colorful.  Besides I still love the picture of Zia with me and Margaret Lerner.

Bridge Player Of The Decade: Bob Hamman

Bob Hamman won the Bermuda Bowl in 2000, 2003 and 2009 and was second in 2006.  In fact in the ten championships held from 2000-2009 (there were two in 2000) Bob’s worst finish was eleventh in 2007.  The amazing thing about Bob is that he won his first world championship in 1970 when I was still at school.  If I were picking the best bridge team I would pick Lavazza Italian team with players like Fantoni, Duboin, Nunes, Lauria and Versace and the best pair would be Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell but Bob is my pick for the best player.

Bob, a top player for the ages

I may have some more top’s in a future blog.  Let me know what you would pick!