I keep reading that in 1934 Louis H. Watson was ranked the number 4
bridge player in the world.

He died tragically in 1936 at age 29.

Why was he ranked number 4 ? Who were numbers 1, 2 and 3 ??

I have searched newspaper reports from 1932-1934 and it seems that
Watson was winning almost everything. The one time that his team
finished only second, it was attributed to a series of highly
irregular distributions. (After all, there is luck in Bridge.)

See "4 ACES AGAIN WIN VANDERBILT CUP; Defeat Watson Team by 4,090 to
Capture Bridge Trophy", The New York Times, November 13, 1935.

Other than this one loss, Watson seems to have won everything.

I have just reprinted his two books. I just re-did the cover on the
first one. They will soon be available at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/092389182X

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0923891749

See also:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0923891943

Sam Sloan