District 16

​The Aces

The original Dallas Aces, Billy Eisenberg, Bobby Goldman, Bob Hamman, Jim Jacoby, Mike Lawrence and Bobby Wolff was the concept of Ira Corn formed in the mid 1960s to compete with The Italian Blue Team and their legendary world championship dominance in international bridge. The Blue Team rein lasting until 1969 when the Italians announced their retirement – one year following the official formation of the Aces.

The Aces began to enjoy the success which their financier Ira Corn had envisioned, winning a number of NABC teams titles. Their greatest successes came in those first few years, although they remained the team to beat until they disbanded. The Aces were, and are, a legend to American bridge. All the original Dallas Aces have been inducted into the ACBL Hall of Fame with the exception of Mike Lawrence who, for some reason, has up to this point, declined to be on the ballot. He would be a slam dunk in Wolff’s opinion.

The composition of the team saw change beginning with Eisenberg’s departure after the 1971 Bermuda Bowl.* He was replaced with Paul Soloway for the remainder of 1971, but Paul also left after the 1972 Olympiad. Soloway was replaced with Mark Blumenthal. About this time Corn, due to financial reverses, decided he could no longer afford the luxury of paying them salaries resulting in the departure of first Jacoby, then Lawrence, and finally Goldman and Blumenthal.

Eric Murray and Sami Kehela, Canada’s leading pair, were added in 1974. Soloway and John Swanson were added for 1975 replacing Goldman and Blumenthal. The partnership of Hamman and Wolff had become the anchor pair, the only original members remaining on the team. Although Soloway and Swanson played as members of the Aces for three national teams events that year, the US Bermuda Bowl team of 1975 was not connected with Corn or the Aces. Soloway and Swanson, together with Kantar and Eisenberg had won the Grand National Teams and then the trials. Hamman and Wolff were added as a third pair for the Bermuda Bowl. The identical situation occurred in 1977, although then Hamman and Wolff were added before the trials.

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World Bridge Championships

In their published memoirs former Dallas Aces Bob Hamman, Mike Lawrence and John Swanson offer recollections of the famed Aces competing in world bridge play: Inside the Bermuda Bowl, by Swanson, Hamman’s At the Table, my Life and Times, and Mike’s new book, My Life with Bridge. All are in-depth, step by step chronicles of the thrill of victory and agony of defeat on the world bridge stage. The Swanson, Hamman and Lawrence books contain treasure troves of hands played at the highest of all levels. Two hands particularly amused me: one was when the best pair of the Aces reached a power 6♣ against the Italians. The ace and king of hearts were both cashed, followed by a heart ruff, down 2! The next was when two of our world/national champions arrived at a grand slam off a cashing ace – which was not led and the contract was made. You would assume the non leader held the ace, and partner did not find it. No, the ace was on lead but chose not lead it! 

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​​​The Blue Team (Italian: squadra azzurra) represented Italy, winning sixteen world titles from 1957-1975. From 1964-1969 and during a 1972 comeback, the team comprised three regular pairs: Walter Avarelli-Giorgio Belladonna, Pietro Forquet-Benito Garozzo, and Massimo D'Alelio-Camillo Pabis Ticci. Eugenio Chiaradia and Guglielmo Siniscalco played in early years; Dano De Falco, Arturo Franco, and Vito Pittalà in late years. The long-time coach, and non-playing captain through 1966 was Carl'Alberto Perroux.

When the famed Blue Team did reenter the world championship arena, they defeated the Aces in the 1972 Team Olympiad and again at the Bermuda Bowl games in both 1973 and 1974. The original Aces disbanded in 1974, and the Italians again beat the USA team in 1975. Finally, in 1976, the Bermuda Bowl was won by the US, and the Olympiad by Brazil, marking the end of Italy’s dominance. 

The Aces were dissolved after the 1977 Summer Nationals but were reformed one year later, this time as a four man team: Hamman-Wolff playing with Fred Hamilton and Ira Rubin. This foursome performed quite well, and in 1979 they were back in the team trials with Mike Passell added to play with Hamilton, and Paul Soloway added to play with Rubin. This was Soloway’s third time to join the team. They won the trials easily but lost to the French in the 1980 Team Olympiad. 

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Year 1981 was the last hurrah for the Aces. It was a good one. With Alan Sontag, Peter Weichsel, Michael Becker, Ron Rubin and, of course, Hamman-Wolff, they again won the trials and this time finally defeated the Italian Blue Team. Sadly, Ira Corn, age 60, passed away before the victory. The ever-changing Aces, following ins and outs of a plethora of pros, slowly disbanded after Corn’s heart attack death in 1982. Their final win in the 1982 Bermuda Bowl was dedicated to Ira. 

It was the end of an era.

Scandal

Some of Lawrence’s problem hands are invaluable lessons on how experts think, and some expose very questionable leads and bids by the Italians. Hamman and Swanson also go into detail of fascinating improprieties of the Blue Team during the Bermuda Bowl. Subject for the final edition of this story: Cheating Scandals at the Bermuda Bowl.

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