Ralph Katz
Ralph Katz (born 1957)[1] is an American bridge player. Katz is from Burr Ridge, Illinois and graduated from University of Steubenville.[2]
Domestically, he has won 20 North American Bridge Championships and three times the Open Team Trials. Internationally, he has many top finishes, highlighted by a win in the 2009 Bermuda Bowl. He has three times been the runner-up in world championships (the 2010 Rosenblum Cup, the 2007 Bermuda Bowl and the 1990 World Open Pairs Championship) and also has a bronze medal from the 2000 World Bridge Teams Olympiad.[3] Katz is a Grand Life Master of the American Contract Bridge League with over 20,000 masterpoints[4] and a World Grand Master of the World Bridge Federation.[3]
Katz, who was born in Pittsburgh, lived in Squirrel Hill (a large residential neighborhood in the east end of Pittsburgh) and was raised in Steubenville, first started to play bridge when he was 16.[5] A sports enthusiast, the competitive side of bridge drew Katz to the game.[5]
Katz's wife, Martha, is a former World Junior Teams champion (then known as Martha Benson). Both she and their son, Sam, are former winners of ACBL King or Queen of Bridge award.[6]
Bridge accomplishments
Awards
- ACBL Player of the Year 2001
- Fishbein Trophy 1981, 2001
Wins
- Bermuda Bowl (1) 2009
- North American Bridge Championships (20)
- Vanderbilt (4) 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014
- Spingold (3) 1981, 2001, 2002
- Reisinger (2) 2000, 2009
- Open Board-a-Match Teams (3) 2002, 2003, 2006
- Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (1) 2001
- North American Men's Swiss Teams (1) 1984
- Master Mixed Teams (1) 1981
- Life Master Pairs (1) 1979
- Life Master Open Pairs (1) 2008
- Open Pairs (1) 1986
- Open Pairs I (2) 1996, 2003
- IMP Pairs (1) 1999
- United States Bridge Championships (3)
- Open Team Trials (4) 2000, 2006, 2012, 2014
Runners-up
- Rosenblum Cup (1) 2010
- Bermuda Bowl (1) 2007
- World Open Pairs (1) 1990
- North American Bridge Championships (16)
- Reisinger (5) 1987, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2005
- Grand National Teams (1) 1986
- Open Board-a-Match Teams (2) 2001, 2012
- North American Swiss Teams (1) 1979
- Open Swiss Teams (1) 2008
- Mixed Board-a-Match (1) 1997
- Life Master Pairs (3) 1989, 2001, 2003
- IMP Pairs (1) 2006
- Vanderbilt (1) 2012
- United States Bridge Championships (2)
- Open Team Trials (2) 1989, 1999
References
- ↑ The 2000 World Bridge Teams Olympiad Photo Archive. IMP Bridge Magazine
- ↑ American Contract Bridge League. The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge (5th Edition). p. 663.
- 1 2 Player Master Point History. WBF Master Points
- ↑ ACBL Grand Life Masters. American Contract Bridge League
- 1 2 Bridge tourney players face dual challenges. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- ↑ Jacobs Team. United States Bridge Federation
