Peter Weichsel

Peter M. Weichsel (born 1943)^[1] is an American professional bridge player from Encinitas, California.^[1]

Peter Weichsel

College and war years

Early Weichsel started playing bridge at home with his family, but did not get hooked until 1963 when he was a student at Queens College, New York. He dropped out of college and became a Life Master in 1964. His bridge career was interrupted by the Vietnam War. He served two years duty in the Navy as a winch driver aboard the USS Mount Katmai, responsible for moving large bombs out of the hold. After discharge, he lived in San Francisco in a fleabag hotel and became an "active member" of the counterculture. He felt this was a transforming experience and to the present describes himself as a reformed hippie.

The Precision Team and Hall of Fame

Weichsel returned to New York and bridge playing in the mid-1960s. His appearance, with puka shells around his neck, "really long" straight hair, beads and bell bottoms, caused "the ultra-straight bridge community" to give him "tons of strange looks...and an occasional shake of the head." He did not get a haircut until 1980. ^[2] Seen as a young renegade,^[3] Weichsel feels that his looks may have helped his results, lulling unknowing opponents into thinking he could not have been much of a bridge player.^[2]

He came to prominence in 1970 as a member of C.C. Wei's "Precision Team", a group of young American players that won the Spingold, defeating the defending champions who were also 1970 Bermuda Bowl champions.^[4] The bridge world was described as being in disbelief by their victory.^[2] When he won the 2019 Mitchell BAM, he had the distinction of winning a national title in every decade since the 1970s.^[5]

Weichsel was inducted into the ACBL Hall of Fame in 2004.^[6]

Bridge accomplishments

Honors

• ACBL Hall of Fame, 2004

Awards

• Fishbein Trophy (2) 1980, 2000

Wins

• Bermuda Bowl (2) 1983, 2001
• World Mixed Pairs (1) 1990
• North American Bridge Championships (25)
  • von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs (2) 1977, 1984 ^[7]
  • Silodor Open Pairs (1) 1993 ^[8]
  • Wernher Open Pairs (2) 1980, 1984 ^[9]
  • Nail Life Master Open Pairs (1) 1971 ^[10]
  • Grand National Teams (1) 2003 ^[11]
  • Vanderbilt (4) 1972, 1985, 1989, 1999 ^[12]
  • Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams (5) 1979, 1987, 1996, 2001, 2019 ^[5][13]
  • Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (3) 1976, 1989, 2001 ^[14]
  • Reisinger (1) 1973 ^[15]
  • Spingold (6) 1970, 1971, 1980, 1982, 1992, 2000 ^[16]

Runners-up

• North American Bridge Championships (19)
  • von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs (1) 1972 ^[7]
  • Lebhar IMP Pairs (1) 1987 ^[17]
  • Blue Ribbon Pairs (1) 1983 ^[18]
  • Nail Life Master Open Pairs (1) 1989 ^[10]
  • Grand National Teams (2) 2000, 2001 ^[11]
  • Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (1) 2000 ^[19]
  • Vanderbilt (3) 1975, 1981, 2008 ^[12]
  • Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams (2) 1968, 1990 ^[13]
  • Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (1) 2004 ^[14]
  • Reisinger (2) 1983, 1998 ^[15]
  • Spingold (4) 1985, 1988, 1991, 2003 ^[16]