| Isadore EPSTEIN |
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Isadore Izzy Epstein, nacque in Russia a Grodno il 9 ottobre del 1909 e la sua famiglia emigrò a Tacoma negli States quando lui aveva solo tre anni.
Si diplomò alla Stadium High School di Tacoma, dove in seguito insegnò per oltre 35 anni, e si laureò in matematica all'università di Washington.
Giocò ed allenò la squadra di tennis dell'università ed imparò a suonare il violino prima di sposarsi con Dorothy Rashbam Epstein di origine russa ma nata a Seattle.
Ottimo scacchista, Isadore fu un buon giocatore di bridge che vinse diversi tornei regionali e che ideò un movimento per i tornei che fu sostituito dalla ACBL solo nel 1945.
Universalmente conosciuto ed apprezzato nell'aria di Tacoma, Eppy scomparve a Lakewood, città nella quale viveva con la moglie, il 18 aprile del 1992.
Dorothy nata a Seattle il 7 luglio 1912 e scomparsa a Lakewood il 28 dicembre 2008, insegnò anche lei nella Scuola Superiore di Tacoma.
Isadore Epstein, known by some as Eppy or Izzy, was born in
1909, in Grodno, Russia. The family went to New York in 1912, later moving to
Tacoma.
He graduated from Stadium High School where he would later teach for 35 years. He died in 1992.
At the University of Washington, Isadore earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics. While there, he played on the university’s tennis team. Isadore took violin lessons at the Cornish School and briefly considered playing the violin as a career.
Isadore married Dorothy, whose family also came from Russia. Born in Seattle in 1912, Dorothy taught German and retired from Wilson High School in Tacoma. She died in 2006. Isadore taught at Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington from 1939 until he retired in 1974. He taught primarily business subjects. He coached the tennis team from 1939 to 1949.
This was still his passion up to the day he had to give it up, and we all remember that he played tennis on a regular basis with his cousin Ken Farber.
At the World’s Fair, in New York, in 1939, Isadore entered the amateur contest for speed typing and placed second. Isadore was using the Dvorak keyboard, patented by Dr. August Dvorak in 1936. He later designed a keyboard for students who could use only their left or right hand, but never applied for a patent. It was also reported that Isadore defeated a renowned chess champion twice in 1932. Unfortunately the name of his opponent was not recorded.
Isadore played bridge mostly with Ken Farber, but he did play with many others, which was a wonderful way to tutor. Isadore was a demanding player with the ability to analyze mathematically the best way to bid, play or defend a hand.
In 1932, Isadore devised a movement that allowed for one winner in a 16-plus table game. The ACBL replaced this with the Mitchell movement in 1945.
For those who think that 2/1 game force is relatively new, Isadore was playing this convention more than 47 years ago. As an innovator by broadly modifying Cansino he created his own convention named “Epstein” to play over opponents’ weak or strong notrump opening bids. What name would be better?
According to the 1st and 5th Editions of The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge, Isadore won the Northwest Regional Men’s Pairs 1949, Open Team 1956, and Masters Pairs 1957; The Arizona Desert Empire Regional Open Pairs 1952; The Northern Rocky Mountain Regional Open Team 1956 and 1958; and the Open Pairs and Masters Pairs in 1960. In September, 1989, although playing only at local clubs, Isadore ranked well ahead of the other unit members with 3129 points.
When on lead or as declarer, Isadore Epstein was truly the Grand Master of Tacoma Bridge
.