Sami Kehela

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Sami R. Kehela [1] (born 1934), sometimes spelled Sammy Kehela, is a Canadian contract bridge player. A member of the Hall of Fames of both the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) [2] and the Canadian Bridge Federation, [3] he and his long-time partner Eric Murray are considered two of the best Canadian players in the history of the game. [4]

Contract bridge card game

Contract bridge, or simply bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard 52-card deck. In its basic format, it is played by four players in two competing partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other around a table. Millions of people play bridge worldwide in clubs, tournaments, online and with friends at home, making it one of the world's most popular card games, particularly among seniors. The World Bridge Federation (WBF) is the governing body for international competitive bridge, with numerous other bodies governing bridge at the regional level.

American Contract Bridge League Sports governing body for contract bridge in North America

The American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) is the governing body for contract bridge in the United States, Mexico, Bermuda and Canada and is a member of the World Bridge Federation, the international bridge governing body. It is the largest such organization in North America having the stated mission "to promote, grow and sustain the game of bridge and serve the bridge-related interests of our Members." Its major activities are:

Eric R. Murray was a Canadian contract bridge player and co-founder of the Canadian Bridge Federation (CBF). He and his long-time regular partner Sami Kehela are considered two of the best Canadian players in the history of the game. The Eric R. Murray Trophy, named in his honour, is awarded to the open team representing Canada in the quadrennial World Team Olympiad.

Contents

Between 1966 and 1974, Kehela and Murray placed second in three Bermuda Bowls [5] [6] as one of three pairs composing the North America teams. Unique among world players, they represented their country as a partnership in all of the first six quadrennial World Team Olympiads, from Turin in 1960 to Valkenburg in 1980. Together they won the Life Master Men's Pairs, the Life Master Pairs, the Vanderbilt, and the Spingold Trophy three times. [4] Kehela and Murray were also runners-up in the 1969 Blue Ribbon Pairs. [7] It was said that the key to their successful partnership was that each thought the other the better player. [8]

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) and the d'Orsi Bowl (seniors). 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 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.

Kehela lives with his wife in Toronto (2007). [4] He is a "semi-retired bridge writer and teacher" (perhaps 2001), as former editor of The Ontario Kibitzer and columnist for the monthly Toronto Life . [2]

Toronto Life is a monthly magazine about entertainment, politics and life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto Life also publishes a number of annual special interest guides about the city, including Real Estate, Stylebook, Eating & Drinking, City Home and Neighbourhoods. Established in 1966, it has been owned by St. Joseph Media since 2002. Toronto Life has a circulation of 87,929 and readership of 890,000. The magazine is a major winner of the Canadian National Magazine Awards, leading current publications with 110 gold awards including 3 awards for Magazine of the Year in 1985, 1989, and 2007. It is also known for publishing an annual 50 most influential people in Toronto list.

Kehela and Murray were both inducted into the ACBL Hall of Fame in 2001. [9]

Bridge accomplishments

Honours

Wins

North American Bridge Championships (NABC) are three annual bridge tournaments sponsored by the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL). The "Spring", "Summer", and "Fall" NABCs are usually scheduled in March, July, and November for about eleven days. They comprise both championship and side contests of different kinds in many classes of competition. Host cities in the United States and Canada are selected several years in advance.

The Von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship (NABC).

The Wernher Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) North American Bridge Championship (NABC).

Runners-up

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References

  1. ↑ Francis, Henry G., Editor-in-Chief; Truscott, Alan F., Executive Editor; Francis, Dorthy A., Editor, Fifth Edition (1994). The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge (5th ed.). Memphis, TN: American Contract Bridge League. p. 664. ISBN   0-943855-48-9. LCCN   96188639.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 "Kehela, Sami". Hall of Fame Members. ACBL. With linked video interview. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
  3. ↑ "Sami Kehela". Hall of Fame Members. Canadian Bridge Federation. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
  4. 1 2 3 Hughes, Roy (2007). Canada's Bridge Warriors. Toronto: Master Point Press. ISBN   1-897106-21-1.
  5. ↑ Mr Sami Kehela of Canada. Player Master Point History. WBF Master Points (wbfmasterpoints.org).
  6. ↑ Mr Eric Murray of Canada. Player Master Point History. WBF Master Points (wbfmasterpoints.org).
  7. ↑ ACBL tournament results: Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs Archived July 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ Interview with Edgar Kaplan, Victorian Bridge Association Bulletin, April 2010, page 6. Editor: Bill Jacobs
  9. 1 2 "Induction by Year". Hall of Fame. ACBL. Retrieved 2014-11-16.
  10. ↑ "von Zedtwitz LM Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-06-18. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  11. ↑ "Wernher Open Pairs Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-07-22. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  12. 1 2 "Blue Ribbon Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2013-03-01. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  13. ↑ "Life Master Open Pairs Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2013-11-29. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  14. ↑ "Vanderbilt Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-03-24. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  15. ↑ "Spingold Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-07-21. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  16. ↑ "Reisinger Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2013-12-06. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  17. ↑ "Spingold Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-07-21. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-17.

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