Ely Culbertson

After the Russian Revolution (1917), Culbertson lived for four years in Paris and other European cities by exploiting his skill as a card player.As player, organizer, bidding theorist, magazine editor, and team leader, he was a key figure in the growth of contract bridge in its great boom years of the 1930s.These matches were typically accompanied by noteworthy publicity in newspapers, on radio and on cinema newsreels, and the hands became the subject of intense discussion on bidding methods.He continued to play high-stakes rubber bridge for many years, but gave up tournament and match competition in 1938 to write and to work for world peace.But according to his team-mate Theodore Lightner: "Ely's real advantage was that his team was much stronger than anything others could possibly muster, We could have played different systems and won just as easily."[10] This pairs match took place during December 1931 and January 1932 at two New York City hotels, and was called the "Bridge Battle of the Century".Culbertson played 88 of these with his wife, Josephine, partnering one of Theodore Lightner, Waldemar von Zedtwitz, Howard Schenken and Michael T. Gottlieb in the remainder.[11] Terence Reese said "The Official System (Lenz) ... was discredited ... That the Culbertsons did not win more easily (for their constructive bidding was much better than that of their opponents) was due to the fact that Jacoby was a player of quite different class from any of the others.The British team consisted of Lt. Col. 'Pops' Beasley and Sir Guy Domville, Percy Tabbush and George Morris, Graham Mathieson and Lady Doris Rhodes (pairs were sometimes aligned differently).[16][17] Ingram referred to the element of fatigue when he remarked that at least three of the English players had done a day's work before the evening sessions, while the Americans did not get up until lunchtime.
The winning Austrian team at the 1937 World Championships: from left, Karl Schneider, Hans Jellinek, Edouard Frischauer, Paul Stern (Capt.), Josephine Culbertson (US), Walter Herbert , Helen Sobel (US), and Karl von Blöhdorn
Match for the Schwab Cup, 1933. At table, from left: E. Culbertson, Lady Doris Rhodes , referee Col. GGJ Walshe, J. Culbertson, Pops Beasley . Behind, far left: Hubert Phillips .
Poiana VărbilăuRomaniaBrattleboro, VermontJosephine Culbertsoncontract bridgeSorbonneUniversity of GenevaautodidactRussian Revolution (1917)auction bridgeManhattanSidney LenzBridge Battle of the CenturyP. Hal SimsWalter Buller"Pops" BeasleyFour AcesBudapestPaul SternThe Bridge WorldTheodore LightnerWalter HerbertHelen Sobelrubber bridgeJosephineWaldemar von ZedtwitzHoward SchenkenMichael T. GottliebOswald JacobyAlfred GruentherTerence Reesepsychic bidsLondon'Pops' BeasleyDoris RhodesPops BeasleyHubert PhillipsCharles SchwabAlbert MoreheadRichard LedererHarold S. VanderbiltCharles GorenACBL Hall of FameNorth American Bridge ChampionshipsVanderbiltAsbury Park TrophyChicagoLife Master PairsFall National Open PairsWorldCatWayback MachineMollo, VictorTruscott, Alan F.The Official Encyclopedia of BridgeAmerican Contract Bridge LeagueInternet ArchiveEdward WinterYouTubeAlfred SheinwoldAudrey GrantKlaberjassLibrary of Congress