Harry J. Fishbein (April 18, 1897 â February 19, 1976) was an American bridge player and club owner. He used to be a professional basketball player. In competition, Fishbein was a runner-up for the world championship in the 1959 Bermuda Bowl, playing on the United States team in a three-way round-robin among Europe, North America, and South America representatives. Fishbein was "the presiding genius" of the famous Mayfair club [or Mayfair Bridge Club] for more than 20 years" â proprietor of the training ground of experts from 1943 to 1966. As of 1960 he was also ACBL Treasurer.
He developed the Fishbein convention as a defense against preemptive opening bids.
He was born on April 18, 1898, in Manhattan, New York City. He died on February 19, 1976, at the New York Infirmary following a heart attack.
Fishbein was inducted into the ACBL Hall of Fame in 2000.
He was a second cousin of the noted Orthodox Jewish scholar J.D. Eisenstein.