Ben Cohen (bridge player)

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Ben Cohen (1907 – 1971) was an author, publisher and distributor of bridge books and stationery supplies. Cohen pioneered duplicate bridge in the UK in the early 1930s and contributed, with others, to the development of the Acol bidding system in the mid 1930s. His main claim to fame was as co-author of the first – and for a long time the only – textbook of the Acol System, written with a young man who later became rather famous. Cohen also contributed to newspapers and journals in South Africa, India, Japan as well as the UK.

With Rhoda Barrow, he co-edited the European edition of The Bridge Players' Encyclopedia 1967 (based on America's The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge 1964).

[edit] References

• Cohen, Ben and Terence Reese 1938. The Acol Two Club: with an introduction by S.J.Simon. Leng, Sheffield. This book was the first text-book of Acol, its authors wisely disclaiming any claim to originality: "We do a job of reporting". The book had a famous Preface by Skid Simon on 'Attitude of Mind'
  Second and subsequent editions issued under the title of The Acol System of contract bridge. Joiner & Steele, London.
  2nd ed 1939; 3rd ed 1946, with 13 hands from the Waddington Par Contest; 4th ed 1949, with a selection of hands from the 1949 International Series. In this 4th ed there were three new chapters, on competitive bidding, mistakes to avoid, and two clubs over one no-trump (Marx version). 5th ed [1956?], with a selection of hands from the 1955-56 international events and an Introduction by Guy Ramsey.
• Cohen, Ben 1953. Change to Acol. Allen & Unwin, London.
• Cohen, Ben 1960. Bridge quiz. Foyle, London.
• Cohen, Ben 1960. World Olympic bridge. Arco.
• Cohen, Ben 1962. Test your bridge: an anthology of posers and problems. Arco. Reprints the whole of the four par contests designed by Terence Reese and Skid Simon for Waddington in the late 1930s.
• Cohen, Ben and Rhoda Barrow 1965. Calling a spade a spade – or, Acol in action. Blond, London.
• Cohen, Ben and Rhoda Barrow 1967. The Bridge Players' Encyclopedia Paul Hamlyn, London.
• Cohen, Ben and Rhoda Barrow 1969. All about Acol. Allen & Unwin, London.