Bridge books reviewed - 18

Defensive play is regarded by top players as the most difficult aspect of the game in that, unlike declarer play, cooperation is needed between the two defenders to acheive success. In addition, the combined assets of the defensive partnership are often an unknown quantity and assumptions need to be made from both the bidding and play.
"Secrets of Expert Defence" by David Bird and Tony Forrester deals systematically with modern defensive ideas such as suit preference signals, count signals, defending against squeezes, killing entries, preserving communications and the need for calculation at all times. The authors' experience in national and international play provide valuable instruction and most of the hands are taken from major events. A really excellent book for the intermediate + player.

In "Modern Constructive Bidding" Marshall Miles gives his expert opinion on which modern conventions are useful and which aren't. All the popular conventions and system choices are covered: 2/1 Game forcing or not? 1NT forcing or semi-forcing? Fourth suit forcing one round or to game? You may not agree with all of Miles's opinions but he will provide you with ideas to help you make your own system decisions.
In "Competitive Bidding in the 21st Century" Marshall Miles looks at the modern trends in competitive bidding. Covering both the situations where the opponents have intervened and when your side intervenes.

In "My System: The Unbalanced Diamond" Marshall Miles describes his own preferred bidding system, featuring an artificial 1♣ opening covering 15-20 point hands, a 1♦ opening that promises a minimum opening and an unbalanced hand without a 5-card major, opening bids of 1♥/♠ promising a 5+ card suit and limited to 15 HCP, a weak 1NT, and a traditional strong 2♣ opening. Halfway between Standard and a strong club system, it's like nothing else you've played against; but it's all legal and playable in ACBL tournaments.

Why do bridge players so often fail to make the right decisions? The answer to successful card play lies in correct thinking and in asking the right questions. In "Dormer on Deduction" Albert Dormer, internationally respected both as a player and as a writer of great distinction shows how, through the use of deduction, bridge players can greatly enhance their card play and enormously increase their bridge pleasure. This is a brilliant book, lucidly written and packed with practical advice.

Terence Reese's aim behind his book "The Game of Bridge" was to provide a complete and objective account of how to become acquainted with the fascinating game of bridge. The author was not concerned to simply give rules of thumb, as were so many authors both before and after him. He was concerned with providing a basic handbook of bridge that tells the reader the reasons for certain lines of bidding and play. The principles of strategy, starting with the fundamentals and working up to some quite advanced points, are explained. No rules are laid down without the reasons for them being explained. Here you will find not only what you should do but, most importantly, why you should do it.

"50 More Winning Bridge Tips" by Ron Klinger is published, like the first book, in the Master bridge Series. It is divided into five sections with ten top tips in each; dealing with constructive bidding, competitive bidding, opening leads, declarer play, and defensive play.
There are several unique and controversial ideas in the constructive bidding section. For example splintering with Kx and psyching when you have a good fit for partner. Not my cup of tea, but perhaps something for the rubber bridge player. There are many more nuggets of advice, but don't expect to agree or even understand all of the content - some of it is very high powered.

Mark Horton and Brian Senior are both experienced British international players, and also two of the world's top bridge journalists. In one or the other capacity they have attended every World Championship and major international tournament over the last twenty years, and in the book "For Love or Money" they share their unique knowledge and experience as well as the stories only they can tell. The reader will share the excitement of the key hands and plays that made the difference between winning and losing - the successes and the disasters - of bridge at the very top level. In addition, the authors afford us a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a bridge journalist, as we see them following the top players around the world in search of stories and adventure. Do they do it for love or money - or is it something else? Read the book and find out! The illustrations draw on the authors' personal collection of candid photographs.

"The Bidding Dictionary" by Alan Truscott, first published in 1996, is a reference book explaining bidding sequences. This book is something new in bridge literature - it really is a dictionary of bridge. Think of a bidding sequence of up to as many as four bids. What manings have been conveyed? To find out, just check it out. You'll find just about every possible sequence, together with all relevant explanations in this book. The chapters are arranged to make for easy checking. If you want to find out about a constructive sequence starting with 1 heart it will be in Chapter 3 - One Heart Constructive. If you are not sure how the meanings of bids change after an opening pass, you'll find it in Chapter 8 - Passsed Hand Bidding. Every serious player should have this book in his library alongside the Encyclopedia of Bridge.

Exactly why men outperform women at the highest levels of bridge has always been a great mystery. An attempt to probe the anonymity was made by Joyce Nicholson of Australia. She circulated a questionnaire to members of the International Bridge Press Association and analyzed the results without finding any clear-cut answers. Are women less logical, or less intelligent? Are they hurt by their education, domestic situation, or other environmental factors? Are their brains different? The results of her research are available in her book, "Why Women Lose at Bridge " (or buy from Amazon.co.uk).
"Why Women Win at Bridge" (right) by Daniel Roth is a provocative response to Joyce Nicholson's controversial book. Roth attempts to give the other point of view, questioning the difference between male and female brain and what effects, if any, these differences have on their respective performances at the bridge table.