Zia Mahmood

Mir Zia Mahmood (born 7 January 1946) is a Pakistani-American professional bridge player. He is a World Bridge Federation and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master. As of April 2011 he was the 10th-ranked World Grand Master.

Biography Zia was born in Karachi, British India, now Pakistan. Zia was educated in England from the age of six to twenty-one. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant of the Institute of England and Wales and spent three years running a family business in Pakistan. He also spent eighteen months in Abu Dhabi developing business interests.

Mahmood is married to Lady Emma. They have two sons: Zain and Rafi.

Bridge Mahmood achieved international bridge fame, almost overnight, during one fortnight in 1981 when he led Pakistan to a second-place finish in the Bermuda Bowl tournament. Nickell has replaced Hamman and Zia with Bobby Levin–Steve Weinstein.

Zia has represented the United States in world competition, and thus he won his first major world championship, the 2009 Bermuda Bowl. Although he won the quadrennial Mixed Teams in 2004 with Sabine Auken and a French pair. He still considers himself Pakistani, however: "I am proud and happy to be representing America, but my Pakistani identity is in no way submerged. I feel like a Pakistani who is living in America and playing for America." To prove his point, Zia and his American teammates once played their opening match in Pakistani dress.

Mahmood spends much of his time in Great Britain and the United States and is very much part of the London bridge scene. He wrote a weekly column for The Guardian newspaper until January 2012, when the paper stopped covering bridge.

The ACBL Hall of Fame inducted Zia in 2007. In early 2019, Puczyński had by chance the opportunity to partner Zia in a tournament in Poland. Someone told Zia about Puczyński's gesture, and he warmly complimented him for it. On 15 May 2019, Puczyński received a package through the post as a present. It contained the Gold Medal which Zia had won at the 2009 Bermuda Bowl.

Honors ACBL Hall of Fame, 2007 ACBL Honorary Member of the Year 2006

Awards ACBL Player of the Year 1991, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2012 Mott-Smith Trophy 1991, 1996 Herman Trophy 2005, 2012 IBPA Award (Personality of the Year) 2007 Le Bridgeur Award (Best Played Hand of the Year) 1984 Romex Award (Best Bid Hand of the Year) 1983, 1987 Precision Award (Best Defended Hand of the Year) 1995

Wins Bermuda Bowl (1) 2009 World Transnational Mixed Teams (1) 2004 Gold Cup (1) 2010 North American Bridge Championships (26) von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs (3) 2000, 2004, 2007, 2023 Blue Ribbon Pairs (1) 1998 Nail Life Master Open Pairs (5) 1990, 1991, 2005, 2007, 2012 Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (1) 2009 Vanderbilt (4) 1994, 1996, 2015, 2023 Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams (4) 1991, 1996, 2006, 2008 Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (1) 1999 Reisinger (5) 1987, 1989, 1996, 2008, 2009 Spingold (2) 1991, 2003 United States Bridge Championships (3) Open Team Trials (3) 1997, 1999, 2006 Asia & the Middle East Championships (5) Open Teams (5) 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1991 Other notable wins: Buffett Cup (1) 2006 Richard Lederer Memorial Trophy (7) 1978, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006 Cavendish Invitational Teams (1) 1986 Staten Bank World Top Invitational Pairs (1) 1988 Cap Gemini Pandata World Top Invitational Pairs (1) 1992 Cap Volmac World Top Invitational Pairs (1) 1995 Cap Gemini World Top Invitational Pairs (2) 1998, 2000 Cap Gemini Ernst & Young World Top Invitational Pairs (1) 2001 Politiken World Pairs (1) 1995 Omar Sharif Individual (1) 1990 Portland Club Individual (1) 1990

Runners-up Bermuda Bowl (2) 1981, 2007 Rosenblum Cup (2) 1986, 2010 World Open Pairs Championship (1) 2002 Buffett Cup (1) 2008 Cavendish Invitational Pairs (1) 1998 Gold Cup (1) 1982 Nail Life Master Open Pairs (2) 2000, 2001 Reisinger (3) 2002, 2003, 2005 Roth Open Swiss Teams (1) 2013 Silodor Open Pairs (4) 1991, 1994, 2006, 2007 Spingold (3) 1993, 1995, 2011 Vanderbilt (4) 1988, 1990, 1991, 2000 Wernher Open Pairs (1) 1987 von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs (5) 1992, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014 United States Bridge Championships (5) Open Team Trials (5) 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005 Other notable 2nd places: Forbo-Krommenie International Teams (1) 1997 Cavendish Invitational Teams (2) 1995, 2006