MABC Players Inducted Into Bridge Hall of Fame

The ACBL Hall of Fame will gain six new members at the annual Hall of Fame banquet in Long Beach CA on Thursday, July 17. Two of the inductees have very deep MABC roots and truly deserve this honor.  The two are the late Ed Manfield and current Washing star Steve Robinson.  Below is part of the story that appeared on the ACBL website and in the Daily Bulletins from the Spring 2003 NABC in Philadelphia.

Manfield, who was an economist and an options trader, was a World Life Master and an ACBL Grand Life Master with more than 11,000 masterpoints.. He was the author of two influential series of articles in The Bridge World. The first, The Philosophy of American Slam Bidding, dealt with the importance of establishing a fit early in slam auctions. The second, High-Level Bridge, dealt with competitive bidding, in which he proposed the use of fit-showing jumps. He won International Bridge Press Association award for best article in 1982-83 for I’ve Got A Secret, and he shared the award in 1979-80 for High Level Bridge. He also won an award in 1987 for The Five Level Belongs to the Opponents.

He won the World Rosenblum Teams in 1986 and placed second in the same event in 1982., His North American championships included the Vanderbilt ‘91, Blue Ribbon Pairs ‘86, ‘87, ‘90. Spingold ‘79, ‘81, Reisinger ‘80, Men’s Pairs ‘85, Open Pairs ‘87, ‘89, Men’s BAM Teams ‘86, ‘89, Open BAM Teams ‘94, Grand National Teams ‘84, ‘88, ‘92.

He was victorious in the Cavendish Invitational Pairs 1979. He also won the Lou Herman Trophy in 1986 and the Bols Brilliancy Prize for best defended hand in 1982.

Robinson, a retired computer specialist who is now a bridge professional, is a World Life Master and an ACBL Grand Life Master with about 28,000 masterpoints, ninth in the ACBL.

He was victorious in the Rosenblum Teams in 1986, the World Mixed Teams in 1974, the World Senior Teams in 2000 and the World IMP Pairs in 1901.

His long list of North American triumphs includes the Vanderbilt ‘87, ‘91, ‘97, Reisinger ‘72, ‘86, Blue Ribbon Pairs ‘73, ‘75. Men’s Swiss Teams ‘86, Men’s BAM Teams ‘78, ‘89, Open BAM Teams ‘94, Grand National Teams ‘84, ‘88, ‘92, Men’s Pairs ‘72, Mixed Pairs ‘85, North American Pairs ‘85. He won the Lou Herman Trophy in 1972 and the Mott-Smith Trophy in 1987.

He is the author of Washington Standard and the inventor of the CRASH convention. He has been very active in the Washington Bridge League since 1971 and in District 6 since 1975.