Fisher and Schwartz cheating scandal

[2] The appeal involved Lotan Fisher and Ron Schwartz, Brogeland's teammates from the previous year when they won the Spingold.

[4][5][6][7][8] In September 2015, Per-Ola Cullin, a Swedish international bridge player, postulated that after removing the board from the bidding tray, Fisher and Schwartz placed it in particular locations as a code to indicate strength in a suit.

[12] On July 28, 2016, the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) announced that its Ethical Oversight Committee (chair: Jon Brissman; other members: Cheri Bjerkan, Dennis Clerkin, Lesley Davis, Bruce Ferguson, Bob Glasson, Hendrik Sharples and Eddie Wold) had unanimously found Fisher and Schwartz guilty both of collusive cheating and of giving false information to the ACBL about previous disciplinary convictions.

In consequence, Fisher and Schwartz were expelled from the ACBL, and all their masterpoints, titles, ranks and privileges declared forfeit.

Further, their partners and teammates were subject to mandatory forfeiture of all masterpoints, titles and ranks earned during the four years preceding the final of the 2015 Spingold Trophy.