Peter Weichsel
Peter M. Weichsel (born 1943)[1] is an American professional bridge player from Encinitas, California.[1]
College and war years
[edit]Early Weichsel started playing bridge at home with his family, but did not get hooked until 1963 when he was a student at Queens College, New York. He dropped out of college and became a Life Master in 1964. His bridge career was interrupted by the Vietnam War. He served two years duty in the Navy as a winch driver aboard the USS Mount Katmai, responsible for moving large bombs out of the hold. After discharge, he lived in San Francisco in a fleabag hotel and became an "active member" of the counterculture. He felt this was a transforming experience and to the present describes himself as a reformed hippie.
The Precision Team and Hall of Fame
[edit]Weichsel returned to New York and bridge playing in the mid-1960s. His appearance, with puka shells around his neck, "really long" straight hair, beads and bell bottoms, caused "the ultra-straight bridge community" to give him "tons of strange looks...and an occasional shake of the head." He did not get a haircut until 1980. [2] Seen as a young renegade,[3] Weichsel feels that his looks may have helped his results, lulling unknowing opponents into thinking he could not have been much of a bridge player.[2]
He came to prominence in 1970 as a member of C.C. Wei's "Precision Team" team, a group of young American players that won the Spingold, defeating the defending champions who were also 1970 Bermuda Bowl champions.[4] The bridge world was described as being in disbelief by their victory.[2] When he won the 2019 Mitchell BAM, he had the distinction of winning a national title in every decade since the 1970s.[5]
Weichsel was inducted into the ACBL Hall of Fame in 2004.[6]
Bridge accomplishments
[edit]Honors
[edit]- ACBL Hall of Fame, 2004
Awards
[edit]- Fishbein Trophy (2) 1980, 2000
Wins
[edit]- Bermuda Bowl (2) 1983, 2001
- World Mixed Pairs (1) 1990
- North American Bridge Championships (25)
- von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs (2) 1977, 1984 [7]
- Silodor Open Pairs (1) 1993 [8]
- Wernher Open Pairs (2) 1980, 1984 [9]
- Nail Life Master Open Pairs (1) 1971 [10]
- Grand National Teams (1) 2003 [11]
- Vanderbilt (4) 1972, 1985, 1989, 1999 [12]
- Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams (5) 1979, 1987, 1996, 2001, 2019 [5][13]
- Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (3) 1976, 1989, 2001 [14]
- Reisinger (1) 1973 [15]
- Spingold (6) 1970, 1971, 1980, 1982, 1992, 2000 [16]
Runners-up
[edit]- North American Bridge Championships (19)
- von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs (1) 1972 [7]
- Lebhar IMP Pairs (1) 1987 [17]
- Blue Ribbon Pairs (1) 1983 [18]
- Nail Life Master Open Pairs (1) 1989 [10]
- Grand National Teams (2) 2000, 2001 [11]
- Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (1) 2000 [19]
- Vanderbilt (3) 1975, 1981, 2008 [12]
- Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams (2) 1968, 1990 [13]
- Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (1) 2004 [14]
- Reisinger (2) 1983, 1998 [15]
- Spingold (4) 1985, 1988, 1991, 2003 [16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Francis, Henry G.; Truscott, Alan F.; Francis, Dorthy A., eds. (1994). The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge (5th ed.). Memphis, TN: American Contract Bridge League. p. 766. ISBN 0-943855-48-9. LCCN 96188639.
- ^ a b c "September 2020 -The Rise and Fall of the Precision Team". www.nxtbook.com. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
- ^ [ "Weichsel, Peter"]. Hall of Fame. ACBL. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
- ^ "Charles C. Wei Dead; A Top Bridge Theorist". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
- ^ a b "WEINSTEIN Wins BAM". Bridge Winners. 2019-12-03. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "Induction by Year". Hall of Fame. ACBL. Retrieved 2014-12-16.
- ^ a b "List of Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-06-18. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
- ^ "List of Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-07-27. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
- ^ "Wernher Open Pairs Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-07-22. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
- ^ a b "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 2014-10-16.
- ^ a b "List of Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2009-07-24. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
- ^ a b "List of Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-03-24. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
- ^ a b "Mitchell BAM Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2013-12-01. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
- ^ a b "List of Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-07-24. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
- ^ a b "Reisinger Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2013-12-06. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
- ^ a b "List of Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-07-21. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
- ^ "Lebhar Imp Pairs Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-03-21. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
- ^ "Blue Ribbon Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2013-12-03. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
- ^ "List of Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-03-29. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
External links
[edit]- Citation at the ACBL Hall of Fame (archived) – with video interview
- "International record for Peter Weichsel". World Bridge Federation.
