Source: The Times, London. January 23, 2006. Orbituary by Alan Truscott

Bridge player who created the 'Benji' bidding system and imparted his wisdom via a daily newspaper column

April 1, 1909 - January 17, 2006

IN ONE of the great schisms within the game of bridge, Great Britain traditionally played the Strong Two; the rest of the world the Weak Two. It was a Scot, Albert Benjamin, who had the brilliant notion of combining the two some decades ago.

His “Benjaminised Acol” or simply “Benji” (and arguably more popular “Reverse Benji”) was soon adopted throughout Britain at club level. It remains one of the most popular bidding systems to this day, although many modern players who use it have no idea who this “Benji” is.

Albert Benjamin, “Lion of the North” (as a collection of his bridge columns was titled), was born in 1909 and, though no fool, he loved to jest. He was one of the great raconteurs and jokers in the game of bridge, and could speak for hours, regaling entranced audiences with such stories as the time he fell asleep at the bridge table. It was perhaps surprising that he should doze off when he did, for it was the 1964 England-Scotland match, and Scotland — whose team had never won — was level with just a few deals remaining.

A poke in the ribs by the scorer woke him up with a start, whereupon his reflex reaction was to say “no bid”. The problem was that it was not his turn to speak (and furthermore he had a good hand). The bad news was that, with a penalty resulting from his infraction, a poor result ensued. The good news was that his Scottish team-mates scored 2,200 points, a huge score, on the same deal in the other room. This ensured a big swing to Scotland and, ultimately, the match.

Benjamin lived in Glasgow all his life, but his mother was born in Siberia and his father Sweden. His education was of a scientific bent. His mother had, as he put it, the “my son, the doctor” syndrome, and he was somewhat pushed into studying medicine at Glasgow University.

It was at university that he discovered bridge, which effectively put paid to any medical career. He was soon immersed in the game, both through playing and journalism, and he wrote a daily bridge column from 1937 to 1976.

Just before the outbreak of the Second World War, Benjamin married Judy, with whom he enjoyed much success at the bridge table until her death in 1986.

During the war Benjamin was drafted into the ambulance service. The pay was just £3 per week and so, with a wife and mortgage to support, he became a professional poker player. He paid another ambulance man to take over his night shift and made a small fortune, with 47 winning months out of 48. Yet he regarded poker as the most boring and soul-destroying of card games.

After the war Benjamin resumed his bridge playing and writing, and also opened “Benjamin’s” (actually the Ken Muir Bridge Club) on the outskirts of Glasgow. It was there that he inspired the young prodigies Michael Rosenberg and Barnet Shenkin, both now professional players living in the US.

Benjamin loved to play with young players and bring them on, and he was always a true gentleman at the bridge table. He will be sorely missed. His bidding system (though he disliked using it himself) will live on.

Albert Benjamin, bridge player and newspaper columnist, was born on April 1, 1909. He died on January 17, 2006, aged 96.