Cavendish Invitational
The Cavendish Invitational is the largest money bridge tournament in the world. In 2012 it moved from Las Vegas to Monaco and from May to October. From 1975 to 2011, first in New York City and later in Las Vegas, it ran from Friday to Sunday on Mother's Day weekend.
History and format
The Cavendish Invitational Pairs and its companion competitions are named for the Cavendish Club of New York City, which was founded in 1925, months before Harold S. Vanderbilt and others created the scoring system that defined "contract bridge". Some if its members were also among the most famous names in bridge, including Vanderbilt, Ely Culbertson, Charles Goren, Oswald Jacoby, Howard Schenken, Sam Stayman, Zia Mahmood, Bobby Levin and Steve Weinstein. It moved a few times from the Mayfair House to the Ambassador Hotel, thence to the Ritz Tower Hotel and the Carlton House.The Club initiated its invitational pairs tournament on the second weekend in May 1975 and bridge columnist Alan Truscott called it "the prestigious Cavendish Charity Invitation Pairs" when he covered its conclusion in The New York Times a few days later. Through 1991 the Club hosted the Invitational Pairs annually, alongside a companion invitational tournament for individuals from 1978 to 1981 and one for teams beginning 1983. At midnight on Friday, May 31, 1991, the Cavendish Club went out of business because of increasing rent, decreasing membership, and a lease that may have prohibited a move. The tournament continued to be held in New York City until 1997 when World Bridge Productions took over the Invitational Pairs tournament and moved operations to Las Vegas, an action which greatly increased the visibility and purse size for the event.
The WBP added an Open Pairs event to broaden the field for more players. The Invitational Pairs is an auctioned event where the top pairs are acquired by the highest bidder at a black tie cocktail party a day before the event starts. The auction pool for the Pairs event has recently been running around a million dollars and has been as high as 1.5 million. Each pair must purchase a minimum 10% share in itself and may exercise its right to own as much as 40% of itself or more if permitted by the winner of the bid. At the conclusion of the tournament 95% of the auction pool is distributed in a scaled payout to the bid winners. Each pair plays three boards against all the other pairs with a time limit of 25 minutes per round. Up to 45 rounds are played to decide the winner.
Invitational Pairs
The Invitational Pairs or "the Cavendish" is the main event of the annual tournament. Steve Weinstein is the winner seven times, Bobby Levin five, Fred Stewart and Kit Woolsey three times each.At least three women have finished second, Jacqui Mitchell in 1979 and Judi Radin–Kathie Wei in 1981.
| Year | Winners | 2nd place | 3rd place | Source |
| 1975 | James Jacoby, Jeff Westheimer | Alberto Calvo, Jeff Hand | Matt Granovetter, Ron Rubin | |
| 1976 | Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel | Jimmy Cayne, Billy Eisenberg | Paul Trent, Sandy Trent | |
| 1977 | Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel | Ronald Blau, Marty Ginsberg | Omar Sharif, Leon Yallouze | |
| 1978 | Roy Fox, Paul Swanson | Michael Rosenberg, Barnet Shenkin | Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel | |
| 1979 | Ed Manfield, Kit Woolsey | Jacqui Mitchell, John Roberts | Juan Manuel Nuñez, Jaime Roitman | |
| 1980 | Roger Bates, Dan Mordecai | Ed Manfield, Kit Woolsey | Phillip Martin, John Lowenthal | |
| 1981 | Lou Bluhm, Tom Sanders | Judi Radin, Kathie Wei | David Berkowitz, Harold Lilie | |
| 1982 | Jimmy Cayne, Fred Hamilton | Paul Chemla, Robert Reiplinger | Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel | |
| 1983 | Robert Lipsitz, Neil Silverman | David Berkowitz, Harold Lilie | Billy Eisenberg, Edwin Kantar | |
| 1984 | Marty Bergen, Larry N. Cohen | Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell | David Berkowitz, Harold Lilie | |
| 1985 | Irving Litvack, Joey Silver | Billy Cohen, Ron Smith | Bob Blanchard, Drew Casen | |
| 1986 | Matt Granovetter, Michael Rosenberg | Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein | Harold Rockaway, Bobby Wolff | |
| 1987 | Drew Casen, Jim Krekorian | Gene Freed, Mike Passell | Marc Jacobus, Paul Lewis | |
| 1988 | Björn Fallenius, Magnus Lindkvist | Harold Rockaway, Bobby Wolff | Steve Burgess, Paul Marston | |
| 1989 | Marty Bergen, Larry N. Cohen | Ain Otstavel, Hillar Sula | Brian Glubok, Michael Radin | |
| 1990 | Piotr Gawryś, Eliakim Shaufel | Jón Baldursson, Aðalsteinn Jörgensen | Ron Andersen, David Berkowitz | |
| 1991 | Johan Bennet, Anders Wirgren | Neil Chambers, John Schermer | Russ Ekeblad, Ron Sukoneck | |
| 1992 | Amos Kaminski, Sam Lev | Piotr Gawryś, Krzysztof Lasocki | Neil Chambers, John Schermer | |
| 1993 | Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein | Ron Gerard, Mike Kamil | Mike Albert, Paul Soloway | |
| 1994 | Neil Silverman, Kit Woolsey | Sam Lev, Bobby Levin | Garey Hayden, Gaylor Kasle | |
| 1995 | Paul Soloway, Harry Tudor | Richard Schwartz, Peter Weichsel | Perry Johnson, Jeff Meckstroth | |
| 1996 | Fred Stewart, Steve Weinstein | Neil Chambers, John Schermer | Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace | |
| 1997 | Michael Seamon, Harry Tudor | Andrea Buratti, Massimo Lanzarotti | Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace | |
| 1998 | Bob Hamman, Nick Nickell | Zia Mahmood, Steve Weinstein | Fred Gitelman, Brad Moss | |
| 1999 | Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein | Curtis Cheek, Billy Miller | Billy Cohen, Ron Smith | |
| 2000 | Martin Fleisher, Eric Rodwell | Steve Garner, Howard Weinstein | David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen | |
| 2001 | Michał Kwiecień, Jacek Pszczoła | Billy Cohen, Ron Smith | Björn Fallenius, Roy Welland | |
| 2002 | Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein | Walid Elahmady, Tarek Sadek | Eric Greco, Geoff Hampson | |
| 2003 | Fred Gitelman, Brad Moss | Walid Elahmady, Tarek Sadek | Ross Grabel, Jon Wittes | |
| 2004 | Sam Lev, Jacek Pszczoła | Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes | Bob Hamman, Zia Mahmood | |
| 2005 | Andrea Buratti, Massimo Lanzarotti | Cezary Balicki, Adam Żmudziński | Pablo Lambardi, Juan Carlos Ventin | |
| 2006 | Ton Bakkeren, Huub Bertens | Geoff Hampson, Eric Rodwell | Gary Cohler, Howard Weinstein | |
| 2007 | Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein | Drew Casen, Mike Passell | Bruce Rogoff, Louk Verhees | |
| 2008 | Geoff Hampson, Eric Rodwell | Gary Cohler, Sam Lev | Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein | |
| 2009 | Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein | Geoff Hampson, Eric Rodwell | Roy Welland, Chris Willenken | |
| 2010 | Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein | Tor Helness, Geir Helgemo | Josef Piekarek, Alexander Smirnov | |
| 2011 | Fred Stewart, Kit Woolsey | Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein | Billy Cohen, Ron Smith | |
| 2012 | Ron Schwartz, Lotan Fisher | Jean Quantin, Philippe Cronier | Zia Mahmood, Agustin Madala | |
| 2013 | Ivan Nanev, Rossen Gunev | Krzysztof Martens, Dominic Filipowicz | Geir Helgemo, Tor Helness | |
| 2014 | Krzysztof Buras, Gregorz Narkiewicz | Fernando Piedra, Luis Lantaron | Massimiliano Di Franco, Arrigo Franchi |
Invitational Individual
In 1978 the Cavendish Club introduced a two-day singles contest which it called the "world individual championship". Regular partners Harold Lilie and David Berkowitz finished first and second in 1980 and Berkowitz won the fourth and last rendition next year.| Year | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd place | Source |
| 1978 | Tom Sanders | B. Jay Becker | Ira Rubin | |
| 1979 | Mike Moss | John Solodar | Mark Cohen | |
| 1980 | Harold Lilie | David Berkowitz | Gail Moss | |
| 1981 | David Berkowitz | Peter Czerniewski | Bobby Levin |
Invitational Teams
The John Roberts Teams is named for World Productions co-founder John Roberts. The field of eight is filled by invitation only but teams may register to be considered.| Year | Winner | 2nd place | Source |
| 1983 | David Berkowitz, Harold Lilie, John Solodar, Bart Bramley, Rich Friesner | Paul Trent, Sandra Trent, Pamela Bridson, Matt Granovetter, Jimmy Rosenbloom, Billy Cohen | |
| 1984 | Paul Marston, Steve Burgess, Brian Glubok, Edgar Kaplan, George Berger | ? | |
| 1985 | Michael Becker, Ron Rubin, Mike Lawrence, Peter Weichsel, David Berkowitz, Harold Lilie | Billy Eisenberg, Kyle Larsen, Ira Rubin, Fred Hamilton | |
| 1986 | Matt Granovetter, Michael Rosenberg, Pamela Granovetter, Jimmy Cayne, Zia Mahmood | Eddie Wold, Marty Bergen, Larry N. Cohen and others | |
| 1987 | Joel Friedberg, Ethan Stein, Neil Chambers, John Schermer | Björn Fallenius, Magnus Lindkvist, Anders Wirgren, Mats Nilsland | |
| 1988 | Cliff Russell, Larry T. Cohen, Dan Rotman, Brian Glubok, Marty Bergen, Larry N. Cohen | Jens Auken, Dennis Koch, Akio Kurokawa, Robert Geller | |
| 1989 | Tom Smith, Henry Meyer IV, George Tornay, Saul Bronstein, John Solodar, John Roberts | ? | |
| 1990 | Paul Marston, Steve Burgess, Kit Woolsey, Ed Manfield | Jill Blanchard and others | |
| 1991 | David Birman and others | ? | |
| 1992 | Russ Ekeblad, Sheila Ekeblad, Barry Goren, Peter Weichsel | Larry N. Cohen, David Berkowitz, Ron Andersen, Tony Forrester | |
| 1993 | Edgar Kaplan, Nick Nickell, Debbie Zuckerberg, Michael Rosenberg, Brian Glubok, Matt Granovetter | ? | |
| 1994 | Rita Shugart, Bobby Goldman, David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen | ? | |
| 1995 | Sam Lev, Michael Polowan, Piotr Gawryś, Krzysztof Lasocki | Zia Mahmood and others | |
| 1996 | Andrea Buratti, Massimo Lanzarotti, Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace; Carlo Mosca | Marcelo Branco, Gabriel Chagas, Eddie Wold, Mark Lair | |
| 1997 | Andrea Buratti, Massimo Lanzarotti, Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace | Bob Hamman, Barry Goren, Jeff Meckstroth, Perry Johnson | |
| 1998 | Jan van Cleeff, Jan Jansma, Bauke Muller, Wubbo de Boer | Jim Mahaffey, Paul Soloway, Gene Freed, Mike Passell, Harry Tudor, Michael Seamon | |
| 1999 | Steve Weinstein, Bobby Levin, Chip Martel, Lew Stansby | Peter Boyd, Steve Robinson, Kit Woolsey, Fred Stewart | |
| 2000 | Perry Johnson, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell, Geoff Hampson, Eric Greco | Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein, David Berkowitz, Larry N. Cohen | |
| 2001 | Roy Welland, Björn Fallenius, Brad Moss, Fred Gitelman, Howard Weinstein, Steve Garner | John Onstott, Chris Compton, Jim Robison, Roger Bates, Jon Wittes, Ross Grabel | |
| 2002 | Bob Blanchard, Sam Lev, Piotr Gawryś, Krzysztof Jassem | Alain Lévy, Hervé Mouiel, Pierre Saporta, Pierre Zimmermann | |
| 2003 | Perry Johnson, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell, Geoff Hampson, Eric Greco | Malcolm Brachman, Mike Passell, Eddie Wold, Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes | |
| 2004 | Charles Wigoder, Gunnar Hallberg, Michael Cornell, Ryszard Jedrychowski | Seymon Deutsch, Paul Soloway, Billy Cohen, Ron Smith, Cezary Balicki, Adam Żmudziński | |
| 2005 | Roy Welland, Björn Fallenius, Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein | two teams | |
| 2006 | Wafik Abdou, Connie Goldberg, Steve Landen, Pratap Rajadhyaksha | two teams | |
| 2007 | Gaylor Kasle, John Diamond, Drew Casen, Jim Krekorian, John Schermer, Neil Chambers | Seymon Deutsch, Paul Soloway, Billy Cohen, Ron Smith, Valerio Giubilo, Alfredo Versace | |
| 2008 | Lou Ann O'Rourke, Marc Jacobus, Geoff Hampson, Eric Rodwell, Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein | Cornell Teodorescu, Ionut Coldea, Paul Chemla, Michel Lebel | |
| 2009 | Jim Mahaffey, Mike Passell, Sam Lev, Jacek Pszczoła, Jack Zhao, Zhong Fu | Marc Jacobus, Geoff Hampson, Eric Rodwell, Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein; Lou Ann O'Rourke | |
| 2010 | Pierre Zimmermann, Franck Multon, Michel Bessis, Thomas Bessis, Geir Helgemo, Tor Helness | Kevin Bathurst, Daniel Zagorin, Bart Bramley, Nicolay Demirev | |
| 2011 | Lou Ann O'Rourke, Marc Jacobus, Geoff Hampson, Eric Greco, Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein | Roy Welland, Bart Bramley, Josef Piekarek, Alex Smirnov, Zia Mahmood | |
| 2012 | Pierre Zimmermann, Fulvio Fantoni, Claudio Nunes, Geir Helgemo, Tor Helness, Franck Multon | ||
| 2013 | Marion Michelsen, Johann Upmark, Frederik Nystrom, Jan Kamras and Frederic Wrang | ||
| 2014 | Michel Eidi, Michel Bessis, Thomas Bessis, Vassili Vroustis | ||
| 2015 | Agnes Snellers, Joris van Lankveld, Berend van den Bos, Wubbo de Boer |
World Bridge Productions Open Pairs
First prize in the open pairs includes free entry to the next Invitational Pairs with options regarding the auction. There is an auction for the WBP pairs, minimum bid $1000.| Year | Winners | 2nd place | 3rd place | Source |
| 1998 | Joe Jabon, Billy Miller | Nell Cahn, Petra Hamman | Lea Dupont, Benito Garozzo | |
| 1999 | Rob Crawford, Dan Jacob | Dennis Clerkin, Brenda Jacobus | Leonard Ernst, Richard Halperin | |
| 2000 | Larry T. Cohen, Jill Levin | Benito Garozzo, Richard Reisig | Petra Hamman, Nancy Passell | |
| 2001 | Barry Schaffer, Colby Vernay | Ken Kranyak, Keith Wolff | Richard Coren, Fred Hamilton | |
| 2002 | Barry Schaffer, Colby Vernay | Rob Crawford, Dan Jacob | George Mittelman, Peter Nagy | |
| 2003 | Russell Samuel, Shawn Samuel | Leslie Amoils, Darren Wolpert | Lynn Baker, Debbie Rosenberg | |
| 2004 | Ishmael Del'Monte, David Stern | Allan Cokin, Harold Lilie | Sheila Ekeblad, Michael Seamon | |
| 2005 | Blair Seidler, Kevin Wilson | Wafik Abdou, Connie Goldberg | Mike Cappelletti Jr., Doug Levene | |
| 2006 | Wafik Abdou, Connie Goldberg | Fred Hamilton, John Jeffrey | Mike Cappelletti Jr., John Morris | |
| 2007 | Ira Chorush, Hemant Lall | Tom Carmichael, Joel Wooldridge | Fred Hamilton, John Jeffrey | |
| 2008 | Tom Carmichael, Joel Wooldridge | Wojciech Kurkowski, Roger Lord | Billy Eisenberg, Connie Goldberg | |
| 2009 | Leo Bell, John Jones | Wafik Abdou, Gaylor Kasle | Leonard Ernst, Fred Hamilton | |
| 2010 | Magy Mohan, Miriam Rosenberg | Howard Parker, David Siebert | Fred Hamilton, John Jeffrey | |
| 2011 | Barry Schaffer, Colby Vernay | Reese Milner, Matt Granovetter | Laurie Kranyak, Frank Treiber |