HISTORY
OF COPC
The
first Canadian Open Pairs Championship was held in 1985. Originally
Canadian Olympiad Fund games and ACBL International Fund games
were used as club qualifying games along with special games held
only in September at Canadian clubs.
The
event was then developed further with a three month club qualifying
period and Unit Finals. Most COPC finals were held at Regionals
in Canada and each year they were held in a different Zone so
that the Championship moved around the country.
The
first prizes for winning were subsidized trips to tournaments
in other countries. When a pairs event was added to the 1994 World
Championships, the CBF began to use the COPC as a means of qualifying
four subsidized pairs to the World Open Pairs Championships.
In
1995 the CBF changed the Unit Final into a playoff for subsidy
only - this allowed players who had qualified in the club to still
advance to the National Final without qualifying in their Unit
Final.
Turnout
at the National Final kept declining so in 1996 the CBF made the
decision to hold the COPC National Final in conjunction with the
CNTC National Final. Beginning in 1998 Unit Finals were totally
eliminated and an extra month of club qualifying games was added.
Also in 1998 the CBF began offering cash prizes to the winners
since the WBF had opened the World Open Pairs Championships to
more players.
With
the start of Canadian Bridge Week in 1998, all three major Canadian
Championships were now held at one time and players qualifying
for the CNTC or CWTC were also awarded qualification to the COPC.
Cash prizes have continued since 1998 but the CBF is currently
looking at the possibility of going back to awarding a trip to
a prestigious international tournament as the prize for winning
the COPC.
1985 (Winnipeg)
Boris Baran & Mark Molson
1986 (Toronto) – winners represented Canada in three European
Tournaments
Gary Whiteman & Ken Warren
1987 (Edmonton) – sponsored by Air Canada and winners received
plane tickets to anywhere Air Canada flew
Maurice de la Salle & Mark Chalfin
1988 (Quebec City) – winners selected to represent Canada
in Open Pairs at 1990 World Championships
John Valliant & David Willis
1989 (Toronto) - winners selected to represent Canada in Open
Pairs at 1990 World Championships
Ron Borg & Michael Strebinger
1990 (Toronto – 30 tables) – winners represented Canada
in Open Pairs at the 1990 World Championships
Katie Thorpe & John Carruthers
1991 (Toronto – 24 tables) - winners represented Canada
in Open Pairs at the 1994 World Championships
Michael Cafferata & Ken Warren
1992 (Halifax – 10 tables) - winners represented Canada
in Open Pairs at the 1994 World Championships
Pierre Treuil & John Zaluski
1993 (Ottawa – 14 tables)- winners represented Canada in
Open Pairs at the 1994 World Championships
Pierre Treuil & John Zaluski
1994 (Vancouver – 6 tables)- winners represented Canada
in Open Pairs at the 1994 World Championships
Dick Anderson & Peter Basarsky
1995 (Toronto – 11 tables) – winner received a cash
prize
Jim Reigle & Pierre Treuil
1996 (Saskatoon – 21 tables) – 1st and 2nd place received
a cash prize
1. Dave Willis & John Valliant
2. Nicolas L’Ecuyer & Darren Wolpert
1997 (Vancouver – 16 pairs) – 1st and 2nd place received
a cash prize
1. Michael Betts & Randy Bennett
2. Felipe Hernandez & Michael Neagu
1998 (Montreal – 28 tables)- cash prizes awarded to 1st
thru 4th places
1. Douglas Heron & Alex Heron Jr.
2. Ken Scholes & Peter Herold
1999 (Toronto – 23 Pairs)- cash prizes awarded to 1st thru
4th places
1. Dan Jacob & Lawrence Hicks
2. Paul Janicki & Detlef Ladewig
2000 (Halifax – 20 tables) )- cash prizes awarded to 1st
thru 4th places
1. David McLellan & William Treble
2. Gloria Silverman & Andy Altay
2001 (Montreal – 9 tables) - cash prizes awarded to 1st
thru 4th places
1. Jean Castonguay & Andre Chartrand
2. Barbara Saltsman & Nancy Koffler
2002 (Edmonton – 26 tables) - cash prizes awarded to 1st
thru 4th places
1. David McLellan & William Treble
2. Charles Roberts & Glenn Cossey
2003
(Penticton, BC)
1 John Rayner, Oakville ON; John Duquette, Oshawa ON
2 Carole Berry, Orleans ON; John Gillespie, Ottawa ON
2004
(St.Catharines, Ontario)
1. Jurek Czyzowicz - Darren Wolpert
2. Stephen Cooper - Jordan Cohen
2005
(Montreal PQ)
1. Waldemar Frukacz - Pierre Daigneault
2. Ken Scholes - Peter Herold
2006
(Mississauga ON)
1. Rashid Khan, Toronto ON; Bradley Bart, Burnaby BC
2. Jerry Richardson, London ON; William Koski,
King City ON
2007
(Winnipeg, MB)
1.
Kamel Fergani, Montreal QC; Pierre Daigneault, Westmount QC
2. Thomas Gandolfo - Maurice De La Salle, Edmonton AB
2008
(Montreal, PQ)
1. Cameron Doner, Richmond; Bradley Bart, Burnaby
2. Judith Gartaganis - Nicholas Gartaganis, Calgary
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