Here's a listing of good books
and software for beginners through experts. These are titles I've read or
reviewed and can personally recommend as among the best for players of the
indicated skill level. Use the links below to jump to a list for each
category.
Newest books & software (published in the last
year)
The
Backwash Squeeze and Other Improbable Feats(Beginner and
general interest)
By Edward McPherson. Subtitled "A newcomer's journey into the world of
bridge", this entertaining book chronicles the author's learning process
and his experiences at his first tournaments. It includes interesting
interviews and anecdotes, bridge history and an overview of bridge rules.
Bidding in the 21st Century: Club
SeriesDiamond
Series (Beginner)
By Audrey Grant. Updates of instructional books used in American Contract
Bridge League teaching programs. The Club Series manual teaches bidding; the
Diamond Series teaches play of the hand.
How
to Play Winning Bridge(Beginner to intermediate)
By David Bird. A teaching course and guide to all things bridge, this
hard-cover volume includes a history of the game and its champions, a beginner
tutorial, sample games, rules and reference sections. It also features tips
for intermediate and higher-level players.
How
to Play Like an Expert (without having to be one)(Intermediate)
By Mel Colchamiro. This light-hearted book offers tips for advancing players
who want to make expert-level decisions. Its advice comes with anecdotes,
quizzes and some useful bidding guidelines and gimmicks.
Spotlight
on Card Play(Intermediate)
By Robert Darvas & Paul Lukacs. A new reprint of a 1960 title, this
well-organized book presents common play problems and leads the reader to each
solution through a series of questions and answers.
Leading
Questions in Bridge(Intermediate)
By Sally Brock. A thorough discussion of the questions and answers that affect
the selection of the best opening lead: Active or passive? Lead partner's suit
or your own? Lead trumps? Be deceptive? These and other issues are covered in
an approachable book aimed at players who want to improve this important
skill.
Bridge
Master vs. Bridge Amateur(Intermediate)
By Mark Horton. A collection of deals that illustrate the difference between
expert players and would-be experts. The examples illustrate common decisions
in bidding, play and defense where the amateur will often go wrong, but the
expert never will.
Plan
Before You Play(Intermediate)
By Howard Ringel. Fifty instructive deals that focus on how an expert
analyzes the opening lead and plans the play of the hand.
How
Good is Your Bridge?(Intermediate)
By Danny Roth. The author presents a series of card play problems and assigns
scores for various solutions, allowing you to rate your game. Readers can
expect their scores to improve as they work through the book.
Beat
the Experts at Bridge(Intermediate to advanced)
By Danny Roth. Experts make mistakes, too, as Roth demonstrates in this
analysis of errors made in 88 syndicated bridge columns.
Off-Road
Declarer Play(Intermediate to advanced)
By David Bird. A unique book that explores unusual ways to play a bridge hand,
with explanations of why and when such techniques may be necessary. The
methods include strategies for creating entries, surviving bad trump breaks,
elopements and inducing the defenders to help you.
Bridge
Endplays for Everyone(Intermediate to Advanced)
By David Bird. A guide to executing endplays, with clear instructions and many
example hands.
Misplay
These Hands With Me(Intermediate to advanced)
By Mark Horton. Written in the style of Terence Reese, this book leads the
reader through a logical but ultimately unsuccessful line of play that was
taken on actual deals from top-level events. The expert declarer then realizes
how he could have improved the play and why he should have found the winning
line.
Encyclopedia
of Card Play Techniques(All levels)
By Guy Leve. Originally published in France in 2005, this comprehensive volume
describes and classifies hundreds of card-play tactics, from simple finesses
to complex squeezes. Each technique is explained in detail and illustrated
with an example deal.
Canada's
Bridge Warriors(General interest)
By Roy Hughes. This is the fascinating account of the three-decades-long
partnership of Eric Murray and Sami Kehela, one of the best pairs in the
world. The book tells the story of their bridge triumphs and heartbreaks,
highlighted by their legendary battles against the Italians in the world
championships. Named book of the year by the International Bridge Press
Association.
Persistent
Human Bridge Errors(General interest)
By Danny Kleinman & Nick Straguzzi. A humorous look at mental errors made
by bridge players, with advice from Chthonic, the bridge-playing robot.
Double
Elimination: A Bridge Mystery(General
interest)
By Jim Priebe. The hero of Priebe's Takeout
Double, bridge-playing detective Art Fraser is confronted with a new
mystery involving multiple murders in upper New York State's cottage country.
Fraser again finds bridge is intrinsic in solving the case, and he wrestles
with career and family decisions while he tracks the ruthless killer.
The
Lone Wolff: Autobiography of a Bridge Maverick(General
interest)
By Bobby Wolff. A candid account of the bridge life of this world champion and
former president of the American Contract Bridge League.
New software:
Bridge
Baron 18 -- The newest update of one of the top-rated and most skilled
programs on the market. It features seven sophisticated levels of play, plus a
deal generator, ACBL tournament deals, challenge hands, double-dummy and
par-contract solvers, flow-chart bidding tutorials and a wide range of
conventions. Winner of five World Computer Bridge Championships. Available for
Windows and Mac.
Teach
Yourself Bridge Technique (Intermediate) from David Bird offers
instruction and interactive practice for mastering ten declarer-play
techniques. Two of the chapters feature the humorous stories starring the nuns
and monks from St. Hilda's Convent and the St. Titus Monastery. A free demo is
available.
Countdown
to Winning Bridge(Intermediate)
By Tim Bourke and Marc Smith. A CD-ROM based on the authors' book of the same
title, this interactive program teaches the essential skills involved in
counting bridge hands.
Bridge
Master 2000 -- Sands/Janitschke (Intermediate to advanced) is the
newest version of Bridge Base's popular Bridge Master software. It includes
100 challenging deals analyzed by Norma Sands and Jan Janitschke.
Five
Weeks to Winning Bridge (Beginner)
By Alfred Sheinwold. This classic has taught millions to play, and it's the
very first bridge book I ever read. I read it in one weekend -- and then
reread it several times. It teaches 4-card majors, but the principles are
easily adapted to a 5-card-major system.
Classic
Book on the Play of the Hand (Beginner to intermediate)
By Louis Watson. This is the oldest and most comprehensive guide to
understanding the cards, with a wealth of information on suit combinations,
basic strategies, end positions and other principles of declarer play. It was
the second book I read, and it was slow going -- it requires careful study,
but what you learn from it is invaluable.
Bid
Better, Play Better (Beginner to intermediate)
By Dorothy Hayden (Truscott). It's interesting that in the promotional quotes
on the back cover of my very old copy, Alan Truscott (the author's future
husband) offered the endorsement "one of the best bridge books ever
written by a woman". Quite an understatement, as this is one of the best
bridge books ever written by anyone, men included. Hayden's clear approach and
sound advice will transform your game. This is an updated version of
this classic.
Commonsense
BiddingHow
to Play a Bridge HandHow
to Defend a Bridge Hand(Beginner to intermediate)
By William Root. You can't go wrong with any title from this master teacher,
and these are three of his best. Commonsense Bidding is the most
complete guide to basic bidding, published in 1986 but already regarded as a
classic. The How to titles are comprehensive guides to every aspect of
play and defense, with hundreds of hands that clearly demonstrate strategies,
techniques and psychological factors. Each title was named Bridge Book of the
Year (Commonsense in 1987; How to Play in 1990; How to Defend
in 1994).
Complete
Book on Hand Evaluation (Beginner to advanced)
By Mike Lawrence. One of the best books ever written on this subject, from one
of the most readable and popular of all bridge authors. Lawrence offers good
advice on everything from basic counting to expert-level inferences.
How
to Read Your Opponents' Cards (Intermediate to advanced)
By Mike Lawrence. Valuable tips for all bridge players, with great insights
into how experts read subtle clues and signals at the table.
Opening
Leads (Intermediate to advanced)
By Bob Ewen. One of the most thorough and well-written books on the most
difficult aspect of the game. The author covers all the basics -- plus many
advanced topics -- by presenting bidding scenarios and quizzes, with excellent
explanations of how to collect clues from the auction. Lead-directing
bids and doubles are also discussed. Now out of print, but used copies are
available. Also deserving of "classic" status (and also out of
print) is Mike Lawrence's Opening
Leads.
Right
Through the Pack (Intermediate to expert)
By Robert Darvas & Norman de V. Hart. A brilliant fantasy featuring
ingenious hands and humor as each card in the deck tells its own tale. Each of
the 52 stories offers shrewd advice for players of all levels. Voted one of
the top three books of all time in the ACBL survey.
Bridge
in the Menagerie (Intermediate to expert)
By Victor Mollo. Humorous tales of the Hideous Hog, Rueful Rabbit and the
other eccentrics at the Griffins Club, from one of the game's most
entertaining authors. Mollo's characters and expert, witty analysis make these
some of the most memorable hands ever published.
To
Bid or not to Bid: The Law of Total Tricks (Intermediate
to expert)
By Larry Cohen. A best-seller that will change the way you evaluate your hands
and make competitive bidding decisions. It contains many advanced topics and
analyses, but the basic principles of "the Law" can be easily
understood -- and successfully used -- by intermediate-level players. 1992
Bridge Book of the Year.
Card
Play Technique: Or the Art of Being Lucky(Advanced to
expert)
By Victor Mollo & Nico Gardner. Considered by many to be the best
book ever written on card play, this time-honored book teaches techniques you
can apply to both declarer play and defense. Reprinted in 2003.
Killing
Defence at Bridge (Advanced to expert)
By Hugh Kelsey. Brilliant advice on how to solve problems on defense, with
many very difficult quiz hands. Also recommended is the sequel, More
Killing Defence.
The
Secrets of Winning Bridge(Advanced to expert)
by Jeff Rubens. Detailed discussions on hand evaluation, matchpoint play and
many topics that are covered only lightly in other books.
Bridge
Odds for Practical Players (Advanced to expert) By Hugh Kelsey & Michael Glauert. The leading book on bridge
probabilities, now in its 7th printing. The authors provide short explanations
of the theories and detailed examples of how to calculate odds and solve
problems at the table.
Bridge
Squeezes Complete (Advanced to expert)
By Clyde Love. The time-honored, expert-level treatise on squeeze play. This
is definitely not light reading, but it's worth the time and study for serious
players.
Matchpoints
(Advanced to expert)
By Kit Woolsey. The best book ever written on expert-level matchpoint strategy
and tactics. The author tells you up front that you probably won't agree with
all his ideas, but they will definitely make you think -- and improve your
matchpoint decisions.
Why
you Lose at Bridge (All levels)
By S. J. Simon. Meet the Unlucky Expert, Mr. Smug, Mrs. Guggenheim and other
now-famous characters in a book with simple advice on how to attain the best
results possible. Published in 1946 and reprinted in 1996, this was voted the
#1 book of all time in the December, 1994, ACBL Bulletin survey.
Official
Encyclopedia of Bridge (All levels)
Edited by Henry Francis. A thick volume packed with information on people,
conventions, card combinations, bridge terms, history and just about anything
else you might ever want to know about bridge. 6th edition was updated in late
2001.
Goren's
New Bridge Complete
By Charles Goren. The original "bible" for the Standard American
5-card-major system, this classic was updated in 1985 and remains a solid
reference for beginners and advancing players.
Titles
by Audrey Grant Books include a complete course and several separate volumes that
teach basic bidding and play skills. Many of the titles are designated for use
in American Contract Bridge League classes.
Introduction
to Declarer's PlayIntroduction
to Defender's Play
By Eddie Kantar. These popular books feature easy-to-understand "how-to's"
on all the basics, from one of the game's best teachers and most readable
authors. Both volumes include some advanced material.
Bridge
for Dummies
By Eddie Kantar. An entertaining, detailed introduction to the basics of
bidding and play. 1997 Bridge Book of the Year.
Bridge
BasicsFive-Card
Majors
By Ron Klinger. Two volumes with succinct lessons that teach the basics of the
standard bidding system used by most players in North America.
The
Fun Way to Serious Bridge
By Harry Lampert. Now in its 20th printing, this is a sound introduction to
the basics, with lots of illustrations and a pleasant writing style. The tips
here are valuable for learners and for party-bridge players who want to make
the transition to duplicate bridge.
The
Complete Idiot's Guide to Bridge
By Anthony Medley. A comprehensive lesson book for learners, with good
explanations of the logic behind bridge bidding. Each chapter has many quiz
hands.
ABC's
of Bridge
By William Root. Clear descriptions of the basics from this late,
award-winning teacher.
An
Introduction to the Science of Bidding: Bridge with Brian
By Brian Richardson. A beginner's text that will appeal to those who
eventually want to play duplicate bridge. In addition to the basics, the
author teaches weak two-bids, Jacoby transfers and other popular conventions.
Bridge
in 3 Weeks By Alan Truscott. A comprehensive, 21-day course for the absolute
beginner. The basics are presented in an easy series of short steps, with a
handy index for quick reference.
Bridge for Beginners & Beyond
By Karen Walker. The 16th edition of a self-teaching textbook for learners and
advancing players who want to tune up their skills. Lessons begin with the
bare basics and progress to more advanced topics, including tips on how to add
popular conventions to your system. Order direct from the author through this
link.
Bridge:
Tips and Techniques from the Masters Various contributors. This heavy volume is an edited compilation of
several bridge books, most by English authors, including Tony Sowter, Brian
Senior, Sally Brock and Tony Forrester. It includes 4249 diagrammed deals in
sections on bidding, defense and declarer play.
Matchpoint
Tricks
By Ib Axelson & Villy Dam. A series of declarer-play problems with a
theme of finding extra tricks and a discussion of how to determine when it's
necessary to risk your contract.
By Marty Bergen. Modern advice and interesting ideas
-- all with a good dose of humor -- on how to evaluate bridge hands, tune up
your bidding and make at-the-table decisions. Points,
Schmoints was named 1996 Bridge Book of the Year. Declarer
Play the Bergen Way was 2005 Bridge Book of the Year.
Step
by Step: Card Play in Notrumps
By Robert Berthe and Norbert Lebely. An excellent intermediate-level guide to
playing notrump contracts, with concise explanations and more problems than
are found in similar books.
(entire series).By David Bird, Tim Bourke & Marc Smith.
Named 2002 Bridge Book of the Year, this "Bridge Techniques" series
teaches the most important aspects of card play. Each 64-page book features
specific techniques, example hands and explanations of the strategies from
declarer's and defenders' points of view.
Suit
ContractsDefensive
PlaysNotrump
Contracts
By David Bird, Brian Senior & Sally Brock. Three volumes in the
"Essential Bridge Plays" series. Each 160-page book describes
standard techniques and advanced strategies. Bird's Notrump
Contractswas named 2003 Bridge Book of the Year by
the American Bridge Teachers Association.
Bridge
Squeezes for Everyone
By David Bird. Straightforward explanations of the basic principles of squeeze
play, written in a conversational style with excellent quizzes and recaps.
Ten
Ways to Improve Your Bridge
By David Bird. An analysis of ten important topics in bidding and play,
ranging from cuebids to special doubles to creative fit-showing bids.
Demon
Defense & Demon Doubling By Augie Boehm. A two-part discussion that emphasizes defense first, then
how to use those skills to double and defeat more contracts.
Private
Sessions: A Bridge Education
By Augie Boehm. An interesting discussion of how to think at the bridge
table. The author offers tips for improving your memory, visualizing layouts,
evaluating hands, timing your bids and plays, and becoming a successful
declarer. Hardcover edition, 229 pages.
Three
Notrump in Depth
By Augie Boehm. A treatise on how to bid, play and defend
"everyone's favorite contract." Part I offers a wide range of
easy-to-use bidding tools to help you and partner discover when to choose 3NT
and when to avoid it. Part II covers play and defense of 3NT contracts.
Countdown
to Winning Bridge
By Tim Bourke & Marc Smith. A highly recommended book with detailed tips
and techniques on how to develop the critical skill of counting a bridge hand.
If you can count to 13, this book is sure to improve your defense and declarer
play. The content is also available in an interactive CD-ROM
version.
Dormer
on Deduction
By Albert Dormer. Practical advice on how to use logic and different
types of reasoning to enhance your card play and enjoyment of the game.
Teach
Me To Play: A First Bridge Book
By Jude Goodwin & Don Ellison. A unique way to introduce bridge to
children, full of cartoons, activities and quizzes. 1988 Bridge Book of the
Year.
How
the Experts Win at Bridge
By Burt Hall, Lynn Rose-Hall and Larry Cohen. Insight into how experts think
at the table, with interesting explanations of how to adopt their strategies
and techniques. 1997 Bridge Book of the Year.
Mammoth
Book of Bridge
By Mark Horton. This new book includes hundreds of illustrated hands and
covers a wide range of topics -- from bidding systems and conventions to
declarer-play tips to a history of the World Bridge Championships. It also
includes information on bridge software and advice on playing clubs,
tournaments and online sites.
Kantar
for the Defense: Volume 1 and Volume
2
By Eddie Kantar. Each volume has 100 challenging defensive problems,
with excellent, easy-to-follow explanations of the logic behind the
recommended plays.
New
Approach to Play and Defense: Volume I and Volume
2
By Eddie Kantar. Instructional quiz hands in an interesting format --
each is presented first as a declarer-play problem, then as a defensive
problem. Volume I was 1986 Bridge Book of the Year.
Eddie
Kantar Teaches Topics in Declarer Play
By Eddie Kantar. The author offers very detailed analysis of specific topics
in declarer play, including finesses (when and how to take them, and
equally importantly, when to avoid taking them), endplays, eliminations,
issues with entries, suit establishment and counting.
Winning
Contract BridgeCompetitive
Bidding in Modern Bridge
By Edgar Kaplan. Two excellent books with timeless advice from one of the
game's greatest players and authors. Winning is two complete books in
one volume -- a basic course and an advanced section with insights into
expert-level strategy and psychology. Competitive Bidding was the first
complete treatment of defensive bidding, offering sound, timeless advice that
can improve any player's judgment.
The
Bridge PhilosopherReturn
of the Bridge Philosopher By James Kauder. "Bridge with a bite" -- a series of bridge
problems with logical answers and connected stories, presented with acerbic
commentary by the title character.
Bridge
Conventions Complete
By Amalya Kearse. A comprehensive, 1100-page encyclopedia that covers hundreds
of conventions and treatments. It doesn't have information on newer
conventions (last printing was in 1990), but it's still a valuable addition to
any bridge library.
Logical
Bridge Play
By Hugh Kelsey. Another good book on how to use clues from the bidding
and play to make logical inferences about the best line of play.
Match
Point Bridge By Hugh Kelsey. An excellent introduction to the thought processes and
strategies that affect success in matchpoint events. The book also includes
expert-level analysis that will benefit players of all skill levels.
365
Winning Bridge Tips By Danny Kleinman. A collection of simple, common problems that often
cause trouble for advancing players.
Card
Play Made Easy: Volume IVolume
IIVolume
IIIVolume
IV
By Ron Klinger and Andrew Kambites. A series with instructional tips and
quizzes designed to make you a brilliant declarer. Each volume focuses on a
specific declarer-play technique -- safety plays and endplays (Vol. I),
playing suit combinations (Vol. II), trump management (Vol. III) and timing
and communication (Vol. IV).
By Ron Klinger. Supplements to the Master Bridge
Series, these "fast-fact" reference guides offer rules, guidelines
and lists in a handy, flip-open format.
The
Fun Way to Advanced Bridge
By Harry Lampert. A sequel to The
Fun Way to Serious Bridge, this entertaining volume features tips on
counting, refining your bidding system and developing advanced declarer
skills. 1985 Bridge Book of the Year.
All
52 Cards
By Marshall Miles. A clear discussion of counting, card-reading and other
techniques experts use to reconstruct concealed hands at the bridge table.
Victor
Mollo's Bridge Quiz Book
By Victor Mollo. A recently updated collection of some of the late
author's best problems for intermediate and advanced players.
Bridge:
Defending TogetherBridge
Unravelled By Freddie North. Defense and declarer-play problems with a focus on
inferences, common themes and partnership defense skills. The explanations
include example hands and revision quizzes.
The
Fall of the Cards
By Donald Parson. A recently reprinted book with 100 provocative bridge hands
and a cast of fictional, historical and mythological characters.
Play
or Defend: 68 Hands to Test Your Bridge Skill
By Julian Pottage. A unique problem book where you're shown all four
hands and asked whether declarer or defenders should prevail with best play. A
fascinating challenge for the advancing player. 2003 IBPA (International
Bridge Press Association) Book of the Year.
By Julian Pottage & Marc Smith. Each chapter
features a "golden rule", with good descriptions of how and when to
use each technique, how it works, and when the rule should be broken.
Matchpoint
Defense
By Jim Priebe. Defensive tips for for club and tournament players.
Andrew
Robson's Bridge: Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them By Andrew Robson. A hardcover book designed for less experienced or social
player who is eager to improve but keeps making the same mistakes — and is
often unaware that they are mistakes.
By Terence Reese. These classics were out of print
for many years, but are now available in attractive new volumes reprinted in
2001 and 2002. All offer valuable instruction and fascinating, often
brilliant, analyses. They should be read by every improving player.
Things
Your Bridge Teacher Won't Tell You
By Dan Romm. The author discusses bridge techniques and some intangibles --
adaptability, psychology, partnership skills -- that are necessary to become a
winning bridge player. The emphasis is on when to ignore rules and use your
judgment to find the best bid or play.
How
to Play a Bridge HandHow
to Defend a Bridge Hand
By Bill Root. Two comprehensive guides to every aspect of play and defense,
with tips on strategy, technique and psychology. Hundreds of example hands
clearly demonstrate the principles. Each was named Bridge Book of the Year (How
to Play in 1990; How to Defend in 1994).
Modern
Bridge Conventions
By Bill Root & Richard Pavlicek. Explains many of the major conventions
used by modern players in a more readable (but not as comprehensive) format
than Kearse's Bridge
Conventions Complete. If you're just beginning to add new conventions to
your system and want to know which are most valuable, this is an excellent
choice.
By Danny Roth. Six valuable
books that concentrate on developing your judgment and decision-making skills.
Roth explains the most common causes of errors and provides clear, readable
explanations of how to recognize the dangerous situations and correct your
technique.
By Barbara Seagram, David Bird, Marc Smith, Paul
Thurston & others. All books in the "25" series offer clear,
simple explanations of practical aspects of bidding and play. Each book has
good material on the basics and includes tips and ideas for more advanced
players. 25
Conventionswas 1999 Bridge Book of the Year.
By Barbara Seagram & Linda
Lee. The "Practice Your Bidding" series, featuring simple
explanations and many examples for each bidding tool. Each of the CD-ROM
versions combine three volumes into one interactive CD.
Becoming
a Bridge ExpertFrank
Stewart's Bridge Club
By Frank Stewart. Highly readable books, each with a good collection of
helpful tips for the improving player. In addition to advice on bidding and
play strategies, Stewart offers an interesting focus on the psychological
aspects of the game.
Winning
Declarer Play
By Dorothy Hayden Truscott. Well-written, often humorous, advice for beginners
who know the fundamentals and want to reduce their mistakes.
Better
Bidding with Bergen Vol. 1 (Uncontested Auctions) and Vol.
2 (Contested Auctions)
By Marty Bergen. Bergen outlines his personal recommendations for conventions
and treatments, many of which are now widely used by tournament players. Read
these books with your partner. You'll need to choose your agreements carefully
and discuss them at length, but you'll find that many of his gadgets are
practical, powerful weapons.
Inspired
Cardplay
By David Bird & Martin Hoffman. An exploration of twelve important areas
of declarer play and defense. The authors show how expert plays that appear to
be inspired guesses are actually the result of careful logic.
Complete
Book of Bols Bridge Tips(Excerpt)
By Sally Brock (editor). This special gift edition features winning articles
from the annual Bols Bridge Tips contest. The practical, insightful advice
comes from almost 100 of the best bridge writers in the world.
100
Bridge Problems: Using Poker Tactics in Contract Bridge
By Mike Cappelletti Sr. An interesting set of bridge problems that are solved
by the author's unique approach to planning the auction, using deceptive
bidding and judging your opponents. The author writes a monthly poker column
for Card Player magazine.
To
Bid or not to Bid: The Law of Total TricksFollowing
the Law
By Larry Cohen. Named 1992 Bridge Book of the Year, the first title is so
widely read that it revolutionized modern competitive bidding. It contains
many advanced topics and analyses, but the basic principles can be easily
understood and used by intermediate-level players. The sequel clarifies
and reinforces some of the most important principles of "Law"
bidding.
Larry
Cohen's Bidding Challenge
By Larry Cohen. Bidding problems and expert analysis of hands played at the
prestigious invitational tournament at The Hague. An optional tear-out section
at the back can be used by partners who want to practice bidding the hands
before reading Cohen's analysis.
The
Losing Trick Count: A Book of Bridge Technique
By Dudley Courtenay. Originally published in 1935, this is a detailed manual
of technique "as used by the leading contract bridge tournament
players". The chapters offer numerous examples of expert bidding and
play, with an interesting selection of hands from tournament play.
You
Have to See ThisThere
Must Be A Way
By Andrew Diosy. Two very challenging collections, each with 52 diabolical
play and defense problems where the "obvious" answer is usually
wrong. Diosy analyzes each deal from declarer's and defenders' perspectives,
with a trick-by-trick description of how each side can counter the other's
strategies.
Partnership
Agreements By Clarke Fairbrother. A guidebook that's designed to take a partnership
through the process of designing a system. It covers conventions,
treatments and system agreements in detail both Standard American and
2-over-1 systems in detail, along with many conventions. The included
Partnership Agreements Checklist offers an organized outline for discussing
agreements and conventions.
Bridge
with the Blue Team By Pietro Forquet. A collection of 140 of the most spectacular hands
played by the legendary Italian Blue Team. The book also includes a summary of
the Italian bidding systems and accounts of Blue Team triumphs world
championships.
Master
Class: Lessons from the Bridge Table By Fred Gitelman. This is the first book from the world-class player who
developed the popular Internet bridge club Bridge Base Online. The
over-the-shoulder format offers insights into the author's thinking on dozens
of hands from actual play. There's also a focus on bridge personalities, and
the author includes many interesting observations about his partners and
opponents.
Better
Signaling Now
By Mark Horton. This text discusses the modern options for defensive signaling
and helps you construct a system that suits your partnership style.
Based on a previous book by the same author, this revised edition incorporates
new ideas from experts Tim Bourke and Sandra Landy.
The
Bridge Magicians: Spellbinding Plays from the Polish Stars
By Mark Horton & Radoslaw Kielbasinski. Many bridge hands and analysis,
along with personal insights into the group of Polish experts who have had
incredible international successes over the past ten years.
Card
by Card: Adventures at the Bridge Table
By Roy Hughes. Many interesting and challenging hands, where you watch an
expert declare and defend, with opportunities to make your own decisions at
critical points in the play.
Building
a Bidding System
By Roy Hughes. A detailed discussion of bidding theory and the principles that
govern the design of an effective system. The author offers creative ideas and
clear explanations of concepts that have not been covered extensively in other
books. Runner-up for the Bridge Book of the Year award from the International
Bridge Press Association.
Card
Reading: The Art of Guessing Right at the Bridge Table
By Eric Jannersten. An excellent guide to gathering clues from the bidding and
drawing inferences from the play, with a good selection of challenging
problems. Also recommended is Jannersten's Play
It Safe - And Win, which offers good advice on how to play fairly
difficult hands.
Imagination
and Technique at the Bridge Table
By Patrick Jourdain & Martin Hoffman. Difficult defensive problems with
unexpected twists. The problems and analyses demonstrate how to assess the
situation, picture the unseen hands and decide if an unusual or psychological
solution is needed.
Roman
Keycard Blackwood: Slam bidding for the 21st Century By Eddie Kantar. The updated and expanded fourth edition of the definitive
book on the convention used by virtually all serious tournament pairs. This
edition includes many new ideas and a wealth of examples, quizzes and practice
hands.
Bridge
Master: The Best of Edgar Kaplan
By Edgar Kaplan. A "greatest hits" collection of Kaplan's articles
from Bridge World magazine, published after his death in 2004.
Kelsey
on Squeeze Play By Hugh Kelsey. All four of Kelsey's squeeze-play books -- Simple
Squeezes, Strip Squeezes, Double Squeezes and Triple Squeezes --
unabridged, in one valuable volume.
Adventures
in Cardplay
By Hugh Kelsey and Geza Ottlik. This is a 2006 reprint of a classic that is
one of the most challenging bridge books ever written. The deals are
ingenious, sometimes spectacular, and the analysis is incredibly deep.
Bridge
for the Connoisseur
By Hugh Kelsey. Analysis of 58 interesting and instructional deals, many
featuring blunders and brilliancies from international tournaments.
The
Notrump Zone By Danny Kleinman. A detailed discussion of the principles and concepts
that apply to notrump auctions, with many challenging concepts and system
recommendations. The author covers all 1NT ranges and offers excellent
discussions of how they affect your other system bids.
Win
the Bermuda Bowl with Me
By Jeff Meckstroth & Marc Smith. A fascinating look into expert thinking
as one of the world's best players competes in the Bermuda Bowl world team
championship. The format gives readers the opportunity to make their own
decisions at critical stages in each deal and compare their solutions with
what the author did at the table.
Inferences
at Bridge
By Marshall Miles. The author shows how to collect vital clues from the
bidding and play to make logical conclusions about the unseen hands. He
includes many common situations where even advanced players will often miss
the correct inferences. Remembering just one or two of the ideas explained
here will improve any player's results.
Competitive
Bidding in the 21st CenturyModern
Constructive Bidding
By Marshall Miles. Designed for serious tournament players, these books offer
interesting analyses of bidding decisions and approaches. Miles discusses
current thinking, poses original ideas and recommends methods that will be
successful over the long term.
Bridge:
Case for the Defence By Victor Mollo. A recently reprinted instructional book, with
excellent analysis of many difficult defensive problems.
Card
Play Technique: Or the Art of Being Lucky
By Victor Mollo & Nico Gardner. A 2003 reprint of a previously
hard-to-find classic that's considered by many to be the best book ever
written on card play.
Easier
Done than Said: Brilliancy at the Bridge Table
By Prakash Paranjape. A collection of brilliant plays from real life, with
well-written explanations of the logic behind each decision. The problems
range from "technically simple" to extremely complex, with a focus
on plays that are difficult to find, but easy to execute.
Back
Through the Pack
By Julian Pottage. An homage to Right Through the Pack, one of the most
popular and successful bridge books of all time. The author uses the same
theme as Darvas did in the original, where all 52 members of the deck of cards
tell their stories.
The
Mistakes You Make at Bridge
By Terence Reese & Roger Trezel. This is an update of a classic that
offers an illuminating look at the three types of mistakes -- costly, common
and forgivable -- made by bidders, defenders and declarers. The new edition
was updated by Ron Klinger to include more modern bidding theories.
Defend
with your Life
By Terence Reese & Eddie Kantar. A classic and very challenging quiz book.
Kantar says anyone who correctly solves at least 60 percent of the 75 problems
has the right to consider himself an expert defender.
The
Most Puzzling Situations in Bridge Play
By Terence Reese. Excellent instruction on the techniques needed to handle
common but difficult problems in the play. Reese groups the problems by theme
so you can study different variations of the same situation.
Squeeze
Play Made Easy
By Terence Reese. The author stresses that learning to execute a squeeze
requires study in addition to play, and he provides a clear, well-organized
manual for spotting squeeze positions and mastering the most common
techniques.
The
Bridge World's Test Your Play
By Jeff Rubens. This "workout for the mind" is an extremely
challenging collection of 100 of the author's favorite hands from the
magazine's popular column.
Test
your Play as Declarer Vol. 1 & Vol.
2 By Jeff Rubens & Paul Lukacs. Two internationalists teach you how
to analyze and play out a wide range of difficult hands. Updated and reprinted
in 2003.
Playing
with the Bridge Legends
By Barnet Shenkin. The author puts you at the table with Meckstroth-Rodwell,
Martel-Stansby, Garozzo-Belladonna and many more of the world's top pairs. The
chapters feature lots of hands and analysis, with detailed personal insights
into the players' successes (and disasters). Excerpt
(Adobe Acrobat format).
Probabilities
& Alternatives in Bridge
By Antonio Vivaldi & Gianni Barracho. A thorough overview of when and how
to calculate odds and percentages at the table, with an interesting focus on
situations where you should instead rely on imagination, deduction and
inference.
Partnership
Defense
By Kit Woolsey. The author provides a good overview of basic signaling
strategies, but adds an expert spin with excellent discussions of more
sophisticated methods. They include masking the defenders' communication,
deceptive signaling and new ideas for suit-preference signals.
Lawrence, one of the most popular authors today,
has a unique, "table-side" writing style that appeals to almost every
reader. Most of these titles are aimed at intermediates, but all contain
material that can benefit players of any skill or experience level. Every title
here is a
Play
Bridge with Mike Lawrence -- Perhaps my all-time favorite bridge book,
this hand-by-hand account of a tournament session shows you how an expert
thinks and how to develop that elusive quality called "table feel".
Play
a Swiss Teams with Mike Lawrence -- Good tips and insights into the
thinking processes, strategies and techniques the author uses in a
team-of-four event.
Judgment
at Bridge -- Subtitled "What Went Wrong", this is an
easy-to-understand discussion of many neglected areas of bidding and defense,
with good recommendations on how to avoid common mistakes.
Mike
Lawrence's Opening Leads -- An outstanding and quite complex
discussion of how to analyze the auction, evaluate alternatives and choose the
best suit and card for your opening lead. Now out of print, but used copies
are available.
How
to Read Your Opponents' Cards -- A classic with valuable tips
for all bridge players and interesting insights into how experts read subtle
clues and signals at the table.
Complete
Book on Hand Evaluation -- One of the best books ever written on this
subject, with good advice on everything from basic counting to expert-level
inferences.
Complete
Book on Overcalls -- Now-classic advice -- with more than 750 examples
-- about making and responding to suit overcalls, using conventions and
judging competitive auctions.
Complete
Book on Balancing -- Comprehensive advice on how and when to keep the
bidding open, including details on helpful conventions and expert treatments.
Complete
Guide to Passed-Hand Bidding -- How to evaluate your hand, make
competitive decisions and use conventions to improve your passed-hand
auctions.
Complete
Guide to Contested Auctions -- An interesting, easy-to-follow
explanation of the judgment and weapons you need to win in competitive
auctions.
Complete
Book on Takeout Doubles -- This may sound like a topic for beginners,
but even the most experienced players will find valuable ideas here. Lawrence
covers all the tools and evaluation skills you need to improve your
takeout-double auctions, with many expert tips. 1995 Bridge Book of the Year.
Dynamic
Defense -- A look at how experts think when defending a hand, with
advice that even beginners can use successfully.
False
Cards-- A complete look at how defenders and declarer can take
advantage of all the opportunities for falsecarding, with good advice on how
to read opponents' false cards, too.
I
Fought the Law of Total Tricks-- Lawrence and co-author Anders Wigren
offer evidence and examples that take issue with the theory of The Law of
Total Tricks. Very interesting reading for advanced players.
Official
Encyclopedia of Bridge: 6th edition
Edited by Henry Francis. The bridge reference book,
packed with information on conventions, card combinations, bridge terms,
biographies, history and everything else you might ever want to know about
bridge. Hardcover, 1000 pages.
I
Love This Game
By Sabine Auken. An entertaining personal account of the German team's
comeback in the 2001 Venice Cup. Focusing on the final 16 deals, the author
describes the hands in detail and offers an instructional discussion of
bidding and carding methods, conventions and how to develop team chemistry.
Named 2006 Book of the Year by the International Bridge Press Association.
Vulnerable
in Hearts
By Sandy Balfour. Subtitled "A Memoir of Fathers, Sons and Contract
Bridge", this hardcover is a touching and humorous history of the
author's family and the game of bridge in pre-WWII Scotland, England and South
Africa.
By David Bird. Part history and part
instruction, these books feature spectacular feats (and blunders) of top
players from around the world. The deals are presented as quizzes so you can
test your skill against the experts.
Bridge
Hands to Make You Laugh and Cry By David Bird & Nikos Sarantakos. Funny and heartbreaking stories of
bad luck and disasters at the bridge table, with a good discussion of how to
avoid the calamities suffered by others.
By David Bird & Tim Bourke. The celebrated series
about the bridge-playing monks of St. Titus. The stories are highly
entertaining, with many well-chosen and instructive hands. Considered by
many to be Bird's best series.
By David Bird. More titles from this prolific author,
who combines bridge and humor. All feature eccentric characters who find
themselves playing challenging and fascinating bridge hands in unusual
settings.
Bridge
Below the Belt
By Larry Cohen and Liz Davis. A bridge novel set at a Miami bridge club, with
egocentric pros and eccentric clients as the main characters.
Cook
and Deal
By Dorothy Cook. A unique gift that's a combination of a cookbook (the recipes
are great) and a selection of interesting and challenging bridge hands.
Standard
Bidding with SAYC By Ned Downey & Ellen Pomer. A thorough, well-organized discussion on
how to play "Standard American Yellow Card", the popular bidding
system used by players in online clubs.
Bridge
Player's Bedside Book
By Tony Forrester. An entertaining collection of stories, tips, quizzes,
jokes, bridge trivia and famous hands, including classics from some of the
game's greatest writers. Designed by the author to be a "jolly good
read", this hardcover edition makes a nice gift for players of all skill
levels.
Ace
on the River: An Advanced Poker Guide By Barry Greenstein. This isn't a bridge book, and it's much more than a
poker book. The author, who is a bridge player, offers an interesting
discussion of attitudes, strategies and psychology that can be applied to any
competitive endeavor.
At
the Table
By Bob Hamman & Brent Manley. A fascinating look at the life and bridge
career of the world's top-rated player, Hamman's autobiography offers insights
that will help you improve your game. Right after I read it, I started
thinking differently about my overall strategy -- and discovered that I was
bouncing back better from my bad results.
Classic
Kantar: A Collection of Bridge Humor
By Eddie Kantar. Kantar is not only one of today's best bridge writers,
he's also one of the funniest. In this collection, he pokes fun at experts,
confesses his disasters at the table, tells stories from his famous home
bridge game, and recounts his misadventures as a world traveler. This will
entertain players of all skill levels.
Kantar
on Kontract By Eddie Kantar. An excellent collection of Kantar's best bridge columns,
with lots of humor and valuable bridge tips.
The
Jack Who Would Be King By Jim Kaplan. Subtitled "To Life Master and beyond", this is an
account of the author's quest to make Life Master. His travels take him to
five continents for play with many colorful partners, and each chapter
includes detailed discussion of interesting hands.
The
Bridge PhilosopherReturn
of the Bridge Philosopher
By James Kauder. Two volumes featuring a curmudgeonly title character and
funny, instructional stories on a wide range of bridge topics, from gripes
about ACBL to how to think like a bridge expert.
By Phillip & Robert King. The first six titles
are novellas that combine fiction, witty satire and first-rate bridge hands.
The last title is a new collection of Menagerie bridge adventures based on
Mollo's characters. All very entertaining.
The
Principle of Restricted Talent By Danny Kleinman & Nick Straguzzi. A collection of clever stories
about the exploits of Chthonic, a fictional bridge computer. Named 2005 Book
of the Year by the International Bridge Press Association.
Northern
Lights
Ray and Linda Lee, editors. A compilation of bridge humor, puzzles, people
stories and features originally published in Canadian Masterpoint
magazine.
Richelieu
Plays BridgeSamurai
Bridge
By Robert MacKinnon. Unusual bridge novels with historical settings. The
well-written narratives offer compelling characters, clever plotting and many
excellent bridge hands.
By Victor Mollo. Highly entertaining and very
clever stories about the bridge adventures of the Hideous Hog and the
eccentric characters of the Griffins Club. Every title matches the
quality, humor and energy of the original.
King
of HeartsDeath
Takes A HandGrand
SlamDoubled
in Spades
By Susan Moody. Something different for mystery lovers, these cleverly
plotted, entertaining British mysteries feature the exploits of
"circumferentially challenged" bridge instructor Cassandra Swann. King
of Hearts is also available in hardback.
Most are out of print, but you can find used copies on Amazon.
Tickets
to the Devil
By Richard Powell. Published in 1968, this is one of the first -- and funniest
-- bridge novels. The story offers clever humor, sexual liaisons, bridge hands
and even new bridge systems ("I play the Hoffmeister Notrump") as it
follows quirky characters at a national tournament. Out of print, but used
copies are available.
Death
by Contract
By Shirley Presberg. A fast-paced bridge murder mystery, set at a cash-prize
tournament in Virginia Beach. Detailed reviews and a book excerpt are included
in the Amazon.com listing.
For
Love or Money: The Life of a Bridge Journalist (Excerpt)
By Brian Senior, Mark Horton & Omar Sharif. Two of the world's top bridge
journalists take you behind the scenes on the international bridge circuit.
The book is packed with fascinating character studies, great stories, humor
and lots of hands.
By David Silver. Four gems packed with challenging
hands and witty satire. The bridge deals are fascinating and unusual, but the
emphasis here is on humor, and Silver is a master at telling a funny story.
World
Class: Conversations with the Bridge Masters
By Marc Smith. Fascinating interviews with 26 of the world's top
players. The interviews feature personal background on how they started their
careers, their best and worst bridge memories, their views on the future of
our game, and lots of their favorite hands. You'll find ideas here to help you
improve your game.
The
Bridge Bum
By Alan Sontag. A reissued version of the author's 1977 book about his life as
a bridge professional. It has a light-hearted (sometimes hyper) style, funny
stories and interesting insights about how to play your best.
How
to Play Bridge with Your Spouse (and survive)
By Roselyn Teukulsky. This updated and expanded version of the author's
original title offers a humorous look at the challenges of playing bridge with
a wife, husband or Significant Other. It includes many entertaining,
well-analyzed hands.
The
Great Bridge Scandal by Alan & Dorothy Truscott Story
of an Accusation by Terence Reese
Reprints of two books that present both sides of the "Bridge Scandal of
the Century" from the Buenos Aires world championships.
The
New York Times Bridge Book
By Alan & Dorothy Truscott. This hardcover, subtitled "An Anecdotal
History of the Development, Personalities and Strategies of the World's Most
Popular Card Game", makes a great gift for any bridge player. It's a
unique collection of stories, trivia, gossip and famous hands that show how
our game has developed over the past 75+ years.
designates titles that are my choices as the best in each category.
