Chris Willenken

Chris Willenken (born 1975)^[1] is an American bridge player.

Willenken is an American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master and a World Bridge Federation World Grand Master. In 2011, he won the gold medal at the inaugural Sport Accord World Mind Games Individual Championship.^[2] In World Bridge Federation competition, Willenken won the 2023 World Mixed Team Championships and reached the finals in 2018 and 2021.

Willenken is also a Partner and Co-founder at the venture capital firm Blackwoood Healthcare Breakthroughs.

Bridge accomplishments

Wins

• North American Bridge Championships (6)
  • Fast Open Pairs (2) 2000, 2005 ^[3]
  • Wernher Open Pairs (1) 2001 ^[4]
  • Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (1) 2004 ^[5]
  • Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match (1) 2008 ^[6]
  • Vanderbilt Knockout Teams (1) 2022 ^[7]

• SportAccord World Mind Games
  • Open Individual Championship (1) 2011 ^[8]

• United States Bridge Championships
  • Open Team Trials (1) 2013 ^[9]

Runners-up

• North American Bridge Championships (8)
  • Fast Open Pairs (1) 2002 ^[3]
  • North American Pairs (2) 2004, 2007 ^[10]
  • Grand National Teams (1) 2007 ^[11]
  • Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (1) 2014 ^[5]
  • Roth Open Swiss Teams (2) 2011, 2013 ^[12]
  • Spingold (1) 2018 ^[13]
• United States Bridge Championships
  • Open Team Trials (1) 2016 ^[14]