Alan Sontag

Alan M. Sontag (born 1946) is a world champion American bridge player and author of bridge books.

Contents

Bridge career

Although he is a six-time world champion in contract bridge, winning the prestige Bermuda Bowl twice, Sontag is best known as the author of The Bridge Bum, a book "on everybody's list of the top ten bridge books ever written."[1] Among his other victories are the Rosenblum Cup, Transnational Open Teams, Senior Bowl, numerous North American Bridge Championships, and twice winning the London Sunday Times and Cavendish Invitational Pairs.[2]

In 1973, he and Steve Altman became the first American players to win the Sunday Times Pairs, at the time the premier invitational tournament in the world.[3] Two years later, Sontag returned to London and won the tournament again, this time with Peter Weichsel,[3] with whom he formed one of the strongest partnerships in the world from the 1970’s until 2005.[2] The two were partners in 1983 in Stockholm, Sweden, when the United States defeated Italy in one of the most exciting finals in the history of the event.[3] Sontag returned to the final of the Bermuda Bowl in 2001 in Paris, France to help Rose Meltzer become the first woman ever to win that championship.[3]

Sontag was inducted into the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) Hall of Fame in 2007.[4]

Personal

Widely regarded as one of the fastest players in the world,[3][4] he is known by his nickname Sonty.[2] Sontag and his wife, Robin, live in Gaithersburg, Maryland with their son Robert.[2]

Bridge accomplishments

Honors

Awards

Wins

Runner-ups

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ The Bridge Bum. Master Point Press
  2. ^ a b c d Meltzer Team. United States Bridge Federation
  3. ^ a b c d e ACBL - Hall of Fame Biography. American Contract Bridge League
  4. ^ a b 3 Champions Take Bows in Nashville. The New York Times

External links