Harry Fishbein

Harry J. Fishbein (April 18, 1897 – February 19, 1976) was an American bridge player and club owner.[1] He used to be a professional basketball player. In teams-of-four competition, Fishbein was a runner-up for the world championship in the 1959 Bermuda Bowl, playing on the United States team in a three-way round-robin among Europe, North America, and South America representatives.[2] Fishbein was "the presiding genius" of the famous Mayfair club [or Mayfair Bridge Club][3] for more than 20 years"[1] – proprietor of the training ground of experts from 1943 to 1966. As of 1960 he was also ACBL Treasurer.[3]

Harry J. Fishbein
Born	(1897-04-18)April 18, 1897 Manhattan, New York City
Died	February 19, 1976(1976-02-19) (aged 78) Manhattan, New York City
Nationality	American
Known for	bridge player and club owner

He developed the Fishbein convention as a defense against preemptive opening bids.

Biography

He was born on April 18, 1898 in Manhattan, New York City. He died on February 19, 1976 at the New York Infirmary following a heart attack.[1]

Legacy

Fishbein was inducted into the ACBL Hall of Fame in 2000.[4][5]

He was a second cousin of the noted Orthodox Jewish scholar J.D. Eisenstein.

Publications

• —— (1960). The Fishbein Convention. New York: Crown Publishers. LCCN 60008621.

Bridge accomplishments

Honors

• ACBL Hall of Fame, 2000[4]

Wins

• North American Bridge Championships (16)
  • Master Individual (2) 1942, 1952 [6]
  • von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs (2) 1939, 1940 [7]
  • Wernher Open Pairs (1) 1959 [8]
  • Hilliard Mixed Pairs (3) 1937, 1942, 1946 [9]
  • Vanderbilt (5) 1936, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1958 [10]
  • Marcus Cup (1) 1967
  • Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams (1) 1965 [11]
  • Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (1) 1947 [12]

Runners-up

• Bermuda Bowl (1) 1959
• North American Bridge Championships
  • Master Individual (1) 1938 [13]
  • Silodor Open Pairs (2) 1959, 1968 [14]
  • Wernher Open Pairs (1) 1940 [8]
  • Nail Life Master Open Pairs (1) 1963 [15]
  • Open Pairs (1928-1962) (5) 1934, 1937, 1940, 1941, 1942 [16]
  • Masters Team of 4 (1) 1937 [17]
  • Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams (3) 1952, 1953, 1960 [11]
  • Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (2) 1945, 1948 [12]
  • Reisinger (4) 1942, 1953, 1957, 1959 [18]
  • Spingold (3) 1943, 1945, 1958 [19]

References

1. "Harry J. Fishbein Is Dead at 78; Won 16 National Bridge Titles". The New York Times. February 21, 1976.
2. "9th World Team Championships" (1959). WBF. Retrieved 2014-11-05.
3. Contract Bridge: Mr. Fishbein Writes a Book to Explain His Convention and Its Corollaries". Albert H. Morehead. The New York Times. April 18, 1960. Page 26.
4. "Induction by Year". Hall of Fame. ACBL. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
5. "Fishbein, Harry". Hall of Fame. ACBL. Retrieved 2014-12-21.
6. "List of Previous Winners". American Contract Bridge League.
7. "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.
8. "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.
9. "Mixed Pairs Previous Winners". American Contract Bridge League.
10. "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.
11. "Mitchell BAM Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2013-12-01. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
12. "Mixed BAM Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-07-24. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
13. "List of Previous Winners". American Contract Bridge League.
14. "Silodor Open Pairs Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-07-27. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
15. "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.
16. "Open Pairs Previous Winners". American Contract Bridge League.
17. "List of Previous Winners" (PDF). American Contract Bridge League. 2014-07-21. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
18. "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.
19. "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.

External links

• Citation at the ACBL Hall of Fame
• "International record for Harry Fishbein". World Bridge Federation.