Jeff Meckstroth
Jeffrey John Meckstroth is an American professional contract bridge player. He is a multiple world champion, winning the Bermuda Bowl on USA teams five times. He is one of only ten players who have won the so-called triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the World Open Pairs and the World Team Olympiad. As of May 16, 2016, he was the fifth-ranking World Grand Master. For decades Meckstroth has been in a regular partnership with Eric Rodwell and together, nicknamed "Meckwell", they are one of the most successful bridge partnerships of all time. They are well known for playing an aggressive and very detailed system that derived from Precision Club.
One of Meckstroth's iconic achievements was winning three of the four available major events contested at the ACBL's 2008 fall championships, the Open Board-A-Match Teams, Blue Ribbon Pairs, and Reisinger Teams.
He became ACBL's all-time leading masterpoint holder when he went past Paul Soloway's long held record during the Indianapolis Winter Regional in March 2010.
Meckstroth was born in Springfield, Ohio. He is a full-time bridge professional and lives in Clearwater Beach, Florida with his wife, Sally Chapleau-Meckstroth.
Bridge accomplishments
Awards
- ACBL Player of the Decade 1990s, 2000s, 2010s
- ACBL Player of the Year 1992, 2004, 2009
- Barry Crane Top 500 1993, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008
- Mott-Smith Trophy 1979, 1980, 1985, 2000, 2009, 2017
- Fishbein Trophy 1996, 2004, 2007
- Herman Trophy 1980, 1982, 1995, 2004
- ACBL King of Bridge 1974
- Le Bridgeur Award 1998
- IBPA Award 1999
- Goren Trophy 2009
Wins
- Bermuda Bowl 1981, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2009
- World Open Team Olympiad 1988
- World Open Pairs 1986
- World Mixed Pairs 2002
- North American Bridge Championships
- * Senior Knockout Teams 2013, 2014, 2016
- * Grand National Teams 1990, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018
- * Jacoby Open Swiss Teams 1989, 1994, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009
- * Blue Ribbon Pairs 1982, 2008, 2016
- * Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams 1984, 2008
- * Nail Life Master Open Pairs 1979
- * Reisinger 1979, 1985, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009
- * Rockwell Mixed Pairs 1980
- * Silodor Open Pairs 1979, 1992, 2016
- * Spingold 1984, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2007
- * Vanderbilt 1980, 1982, 1985, 2000, 2003, 2014, 2017
- * Wernher Open Pairs 1999
- United States Bridge Championships
- * Open Team Trials 1980, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2017
- European Open Bridge Championships
- * Open Pairs 2003
- Other notable wins:
- * Buffett Cup 2010
- * Cavendish Invitational Teams 2000, 2003
- * Cavendish Invitational Pairs 2019
- * Macallan Invitational Pairs 1995, 1996
Runners-up
- Bermuda Bowl 1997, 2005
- World Open Team Olympiad 1992
- Rosenblum Cup 2010
- North American Bridge Championships
- * Senior Knockout Teams 2012
- * Grand National Teams 1994, 2003, 2005
- * Jacoby Open Swiss Teams 2005, 2010
- * Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams 1998, 1999
- * Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match 1983, 1992
- * Nail Life Master Open Pairs 1985, 1992
- * Norman Kay Platinum Pairs 2013
- * Reisinger 1980
- * Spingold 1985, 1990, 2011, 2012
- * Vanderbilt 1979, 1991, 1996, 2002, 2018, 2019
- * Keohane North American Swiss Teams 2022
- * von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs 1983
- United States Bridge Championships
- * Open Team Trials 1982, 1984, 1985, 1997
- Other notable 2nd places:
- * Cavendish Invitational Teams 1997
- * Cap Volmac World Top Invitational Pairs 1994
- * Sunday Times–Macallan Invitational Pairs 1993
- * Cavendish Invitational Pairs 1984
Publications
- "New Minor Forcing & Fourth Suit Forcing & Artificial", Championship Bridge no. 28 – pamphlet
- Win the Bermuda Bowl With Me, Meckstroth and Marc Smith,, 188 pp.