McConnell Cup is a team event for women held every four years as part of the World Bridge Series Championships. The event was inaugurated in 1994 and is named in honor of Ruth McConnell, former treasurer for the World Bridge Federation (WBF) and former president of the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL). McConnell was also instrumental in inaugurating the Venice Cup women's team championship in 1974.
The full name of this championship is World Women Knockout Teams. The knockout format pertains only to the late stages, however, evidently a four-round knockout with 16 teams except for a five-round 32-team KO in 1998. It appears that the field has been divided into two groups or four groups for round-robin play, with the top eight or top four advancing from each group to the knockout stage.[ citation needed ]
The next rendition will be at the "World Bridge Series Championships" meet in 2014. The Chinese Contract Bridge Association will host in Sanya, Hainan, from 10 to 25 October. [1] The series name for the meet is new but WBF calls this the 14th World Bridge Series, or 14th Red Bull World Bridge Series. It will be the 6th competition for the McConnell Cup, and the 6th world championship for women teams in the series.
Year, Venue, Entries | Medalists | |
---|---|---|
1994 [2]
| 1. | Letizia Jill Blanchard, Marinesa Letizia, Sue Picus, Rozanne Pollack, Judi Radin (USA) |
2. | Woolsey Karen Allison, JoAnne Casen, Dori Cohen, Joann Glasson, JoAnn Manfield, Sally Woolsey (USA) | |
3. | Alder— Mildred Breed, Tobi Deutsch, Amalya Kearse, Joyce Lilie, Jacqui Mitchell, Jo Morse (USA) | |
Tornay— Judi Cody, Shelley Lapkoff, Linda Perlman, JoAnna Stansby, Carlyn Steiner, Claire Tornay (USA) | ||
1998 [3] [4]
| 1. | Erhart Maria Erhart, Doris Fischer, Sylvia Terraneo, Terry Weigkricht (Austria) |
2. | Auken Daniela von Arnim, Sabine Auken, Katrin Farwig, Barbara Stawowy (Germany) | |
3. | Truscott— Jill Meyers, Shawn Quinn, Carol Sanders, Tobi Sokolow, JoAnn Sprung, Dorothy Truscott (USA) | |
Wood— Mickie Kivel, Ellee Lewis, Terry Michaels, Claire Tornay, Nadine Wood (USA) | ||
2002 [5] [6]
| 1. | Sanborn Lynn Deas, Irina Levitina, Jill Meyers, Randi Montin, Beth Palmer, Kerri Sanborn (USA) |
2. | Radin Mildred Breed, Rozanne Pollack, Shawn Quinn, Judi Radin, Valerie Westheimer, (Hjördis Eythorsdottir) [lower-alpha 1] (USA) | |
3. | Bessis Véronique Bessis, Bénédicte Cronier, Catherine D'Ovidio, Sylvie Willard (France) | |
2006 [8] [9]
| 1. | Steiner Victoria Gromova (RUS), Marinesa Letizia (USA), Tatiana Ponomareva (RUS), Janice Seamon-Molson (USA), Tobi Sokolow (USA), Carlyn Steiner (USA) |
2. | Narasimhan Jill Levin, Irina Levitina, Jill Meyers, Hansa Narasimhan, Debbie Rosenberg, JoAnna Stansby (USA) | |
3. | Katt-Bridge Kathrine Bertheau, Catarina Midskog, Jenny Wolpert, Mari Ryman (Sweden) | |
2010 [10] [11]
| 1. | China Ladies Xuefeng FENG, Ling GU, Yan LU, Ming SUN, Yanhui SUN, Hongli WANG (China) |
2. | Netherlands Carla Arnolds, Jet Pasman, Anneke Simons, Martine Verbeek, Bep Vriend, Wietske van Zwol (Netherlands) | |
3. | Fireman Daniele Allouche-Gaviard (FRA), Shannon Cappelletti (USA), Catherine D'Ovidio (FRA), Phyllis Fireman (USA), Victoria Gromova (RUS), Tatiana Ponomareva (RUS) | |
2014 [12]
| 1. | Baker Lynn Baker (USA), Karen McCallum (USA), Sally Brock (ENG), Nicola Smith (ENG), Marion Michielsen (NED), Meike Wortel (NED) |
2. | China Red Lu Yan, Ran Jing Rong, Wang Hongli, Wang Wenfei, Wu Shaoyong, Zhang Yu (China) | |
3. | Moss— Sylvia Moss (captain), Lynn Deas, Hjördis Eythorsdottir, Joann Glasson, Kerri Sanborn, Janice Seamon-Molson (USA) | |
Pertamina Ep— Rury Andhani, Lusje Oha Bojoh, Suci Amita Dewi, Kristina Wahyu Murniati, Conny Sumampouw, Julita Grace Tueje (Indonesia) |
The Bermuda Bowl is a biennial contract bridge world championship for national teams. It is contested every odd-numbered year under the auspices of the World Bridge Federation (WBF), alongside the Venice Cup (women), the d'Orsi Senior Bowl and the Wuhan Cup (mixed). Entries formally represent WBF zones as well as nations, so it is also known as the World Zonal Open Team Championship. It is the oldest event that confers the title of world champion in bridge, and was first contested in 1950. The Bermuda Bowl trophy is awarded to the winning team, and is named for the site of the inaugural tournament, the Atlantic archipelago of Bermuda.
The Venice Cup is a biennial world championship contract bridge tournament for national teams of Women. It is contested every odd-number year under the auspices of the World Bridge Federation (WBF), alongside the Bermuda Bowl (Open) and d'Orsi Bowl (Seniors). Entries formally represent WBF Zones as well as nations so it is also known as the "World Zonal Women Team Championship", one of three "World Zonal Team Championships". It was first contested in 1974, as one long match between two teams, and has been concurrent with the Bermuda Bowl from 1985.
The World Team Olympiad was a contract bridge meet organized by the World Bridge Federation every four years from 1960 to 2004. Its main events were world championships for national teams, always including one open and one restricted to women. A parallel event for seniors was inaugurated in 2000.
The World Open Pairs Championship is a contract bridge competition initiated in 1962 and held as part of the World Bridge Series Championships every four years. Open to all pairs without any quota restrictions on nationality, the championship is widely regarded as the most prestigious pairs competition in contract bridge. In its present form, the competition lasts eight days.
The World Mixed Pairs Championship is a bridge championship for mixed-gender pairs held every four years as part of the World Bridge Championships.
Kit Woolsey is an American bridge and backgammon player. He was inducted into the ACBL Hall of Fame in 2005.
Rosenblum Cup is an Open Teams event held every four years as part of the World Bridge Championships. The event was added to the world championships in New Orleans in 1978 to commemorate Julius Rosenblum, who served as president of the World Bridge Federation (WBF) until 1976. A similar event for women, the McConnell Cup, which takes place alongside the Rosenblum Cup was added in 1994.
The World Women Pairs Championship is a bridge championship held every four years as part of the World Bridge Championships. It is restricted to women pairs only.
The World Senior Pairs Championship is one of the competitions held as part of the quadrennial World Bridge Championships, inaugurated at the 8th rendition of the meet in 1990.
The World IMP Pairs Championship is a contract bridge competition established in 1998 by the World Bridge Federation. Since then it has been a major side event in the quadrennial meet that is now called the "World Bridge Series Championships", "World Bridge Series", or "World Series".
The World Senior Teams Championship is one of the competitions held as part of the World Bridge Championships. This event was initiated in 1994 and is held every four years. It is not necessary that all team members be from the same country. Prior to 2005 all members of each team had to be at least 55 years of age. The World Bridge Federation (WBF) has decided that, as from 2005, the minimum age for a player to be recognized as Senior will be increasing one year per year, until it reaches 60 years in 2010. The decision ensures that 55-year-olds who participated in a senior event in 2003 will never become ex-Seniors.
The World Transnational Open Teams Championship is a major side event conducted by the World Bridge Federation during the semifinal and final stages of its world championships for national teams at contract bridge—the Bermuda Bowl, Venice Cup, and Senior Bowl. New teams may enter the Transnational, as well as national teams eliminated before the semifinals of the main events—Open, Women, and Seniors respectively. It is not required that all team members be from one country, hence the term transnational. A series of Swiss matches qualifies eight teams for three knockout rounds which conclude during the finals of the main events.
The World Mixed Teams Championship is a bridge competition for teams of mixed pairs. At every table, two teams are always represented by a mixed pair, one man and one woman.
The d'Orsi Senior Bowl, or Senior Bowl or d'Orsi Bowl, is a biennial world championship contract bridge tournament for national teams of "Seniors", players age 60 and older. It is contested every odd-number year under the auspices of the World Bridge Federation (WBF), alongside the Bermuda Bowl (Open) and Venice Cup (Women). Entries formally represent WBF Zones as well as nations so it is also known as the "World Zonal Senior Team Championship", one of three "World Zonal Team Championships". It became an official world championship event in 2001 following a successful exhibition in 2000.
The World Junior Pairs Championship is a bridge competition organized by the World Bridge Federation. It was inaugurated 1995 in Ghent, Belgium, when it incorporated the European Junior Pairs Championship inaugurated 1991. Officially the Juniors and Youngsters Pairs Championships are biennial in odd years, although there are parallel contests in some even years.
The World Junior Teams Championship is a bridge competition for zonal teams of players up to about 25 years old.
Tobi Sokolow is an American bridge player. She won major tournaments as Tobi Deutsch as well. As of 2016, she ranked 10th among women in the world by masterpoints and 11th by placing points that do not decay over time.
Marion Susanne Michielsen is a Dutch-Swedish professional bridge player. At the annual World Bridge Federation (WBF) meet in October 2014, she played on teams that won two world championships. Thus she became a World Women Grand Master.
Meike Wortel is a Dutch bridge player. At the annual World Bridge Federation (WBF) meet in October 2014, she won one teams gold medal and one pairs silver medal. Thus she became a World Women Grand Master.