Alan Sontag
Alan M. Sontag (born 1946) is a world champion American bridge player and author of bridge books.
Bridge career
Although he is a six-time world champion in contract bridge, winning the prestige Bermuda Bowl twice, Sontag is best known as the author of The Bridge Bum, a book "on everybody's list of the top ten bridge books ever written."[1] Among his other victories are the Rosenblum Cup, Transnational Open Teams, Senior Bowl, numerous North American Bridge Championships, and twice winning the London Sunday Times and Cavendish Invitational Pairs.[2]
In 1973, he and Steve Altman became the first American players to win the Sunday Times Pairs, at the time the premier invitational tournament in the world.[3] Two years later, Sontag returned to London and won the tournament again, this time with Peter Weichsel,[3] with whom he formed one of the strongest partnerships in the world from the 1970s until 2005.[2] The two were partners in 1983 in Stockholm, Sweden, when the United States defeated Italy in one of the most exciting finals in the history of the event.[3] Sontag returned to the final of the Bermuda Bowl in 2001 in Paris, France to help Rose Meltzer become the first woman ever to win that championship.[3]
Sontag was inducted into the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) Hall of Fame in 2007.[4]
Personal
Widely regarded as one of the fastest players in the world,[3][4] he is known by his nickname Sonty.[2] Sontag and his wife, Robin, live in Gaithersburg, Maryland with their son Robert.[2]
Bridge accomplishments
Honors
- ACBL Hall of Fame 2007
Awards
- John E. Simon Award (Sportsman of the Year) 1974
Wins
- Bermuda Bowl (2) 1983, 2001
- Rosenblum Cup (1) 2006
- World Transnational Open Teams (1) 2000
- Senior Bowl (2) 2005, 2007
- North American Bridge Championships (16)
- Vanderbilt (3) 1972, 1988, 1999
- Spingold (3) 1980, 1982, 2000
- Reisinger (1) 1973
- Grand National Teams (1) 1994
- Open Board-a-Match Teams (1) 2001
- Men's Board-a-Match Teams (2) 1971, 1979
- North American Men's Swiss Teams (2) 1985, 1987
- Master Mixed Teams (1) 1989
- Life Master Pairs (1) 1977
- Life Master Men's Pairs (1) 1971
- United States Bridge Championships (3)
- Open Team Trials (2) 1982, 1991
- Senior Team Trials (1) 2004
- Other notable wins:
- Generali Two Worlds Trophy (1) 1994
- Lancia Challenge Match (1) 1975
- Lancia Swiss Teams (1) 1975
- Reisinger Knockout Teams (2) 1977, 1988
- Sunday Times Invitational Pairs (2) 1973, 1975
- Cavendish Invitational Pairs (2) 1976, 1977
Runner-ups
- North American Bridge Championships (17)
- Vanderbilt (5) 1975, 1981, 1983, 1989, 1997
- Spingold (5) 1984, 1991, 1996, 1997, 2003
- Reisinger (3) 1992, 1996, 1998
- Men's Board-a-Match Teams (1) 1985
- Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (1) 2000
- Life Master Pairs (2) 1972, 1984
- United States Bridge Championships (5)
- Open Team Trials (4) 1972, 1974, 1980, 1999
- Senior Team Trials (1) 2007
- Other notable 2nd places:
- Buffett Cup (1) 2008
- Reisinger Knockout Teams (1) 1978
- Goldman Pairs (1) 1976
Bibliography
- The Bridge Bum: My Life and Play, Morrow, 1977, ISBN 0-688-03197-8, ISBN 978-0-688-03197-8
- Power Precision: A Revolutionary Bridge System from a World Champion Player, Morrow, 1979 ISBN 0-688-03472-1, ISBN 978-0-688-03472-6
- Championship Bridge: One No Trump Forcing No. 20, Bibliagora, 1982, ISBN 0-906031-31-1, ISBN 978-0-906031-31-5
- Improve Your Bridge - Fast, Hale, 1982 (with Peter Steinberg), ISBN 0-7091-9892-2, ISBN 978-0-7091-9892-5
- The Viking Precision Club: A Relay System for the 21st Century, 2000 (with Glenn Grøtheim)
- The Bridge Bum: My Life and Play, 2nd Edition, Master Point Press, 2003, ISBN 1-894154-57-6, ISBN 978-1-894154-57-4
References
- ^ The Bridge Bum. Master Point Press
- ^ a b c d Meltzer Team. United States Bridge Federation
- ^ a b c d e ACBL - Hall of Fame Biography. American Contract Bridge League
- ^ a b 3 Champions Take Bows in Nashville. The New York Times
External links
- ACBL Hall of Fame
- Alan Sontag international record at the World Bridge Federation.
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