Bridge books reviewed - 37

"Hold Our Bridge Hands by" Charles J. Soloman and Bert Wilson is a 1969 classic. Here's what some of the masters have to say about the book:
Alan Truscott: 'Two of the country's top bridge writers offer enthusiasts an interesting collection of deals from practical play'.
Jay Becker: 'Charlie Solomon and Bert Wilson analyze a host of intriguing bridge hands and include a succinct rundown on bidding techniques in this handy book which should interest a wide variety of players from beginner to experts.
Alfred Sheinwold: 'This book should interest a wide variety of players from beginner to experts. Here's a book that will not only fit into your pocket, but also help improve your game. A delightful work, it makes for both good reading and good bridge. These hands by Charles Solomon and Bert Wilson are fascinating and instructive.'

In their classic 1953 book, Charles J. Solomon and Bennet L. Disbraw give the answers to the two most perplexing problems of Contract Bridge - "How to bid and what to lead". Their simplified system is easy to learn and easy to apply. It is ideal for the beginner, excellent for the average player, and an indispensable review book for all Bridge fans. Numerous illustrative hands demonstrate how to use point count in both opening and responding. The Solomon and Disbrow system has repeatedly proved its accuracy in all games, including national championship competition. The book also answers the important question 'What shall I lead?' in concise, step-by-step fashion. It tells the suit to select, the card to lead, and covers all aspects of this important subject. Once and for all these experts bury such time-worn sayings as 'When in doubt, lead a trump,' 'Lead through dummys strong suit' and 'Never lead from a King'.

"The Theory of Bidding" by Norman Squire is a classic on bidding structures. It is not concerned with any particular bidding system, but rather with the logic of the sequences.
You may invent a gadget to discover the distance to the moon but you cannot invent the distance. Analysis in depth of card structure as dealt at the table, shows irrefutably what is sound. Time and again we find that methods sanctified by tradition and employed by millions are inefficient. The right way is not invented; it is discovered.
You may invent and then discard conventions but must not discard correctly discovered principles. In artificial systems authority is paramount; players are told to do this or that without question. Natural systems are different. If an author states that so-and-so is theoretically correct, he has the responsibility to supply evidence in support"

"Bridge: The Modern Game" by Terence Reese and David Bird is a bridge book which presents the simplest and the best of the modern methods, featuring both responses and techniques. The authors present a ready-to-play system which allows the reader to play at the highest levels. The second half of the book covers the principle techniques of declarer play, handling different suit combinations, trump coups, deception and squeeze plays.

"Bridge Maxims: Secrets of Better Play" by Audrey Grant and Eric Rodwell is a very clearly written book in which the authors teach declarer play strategy to novices. They cover topics in notrump play (count your winners), trump play (count your losers and when to and when not to pull trump) and introduce the finesse. The book is targeted towards beginners/improvers, and does a very good job. It includes quizzes on how to play out hands.

Most bridge players find the subject of squeeze play difficult but fascinating. It is the art of making an extra trick or two by embarrassing an opponent, and sometimes both opponents. A recent (2008) book in this field is "The Squeeze at Bridge" by Wang Jianhua (spelled Chien-Hwa Wang by his British publisher), who was making important contributions to theory almost 40 years ago when practically nobody else in China had heard of the game. This is a well-written book, covering all important aspects of squeeze play.

When Jim Jacoby, long one of the USA's best players, died early in 1991, he had a book in preparation. It is "Bridge Toolkit," and his co-author, Allan Falk, completed the work and it is now published. The book offers useful insights into areas that most other books neglect. Most of the chapters are about bidding, but there is also some valuable material about defense.

"Frank Stewart's World Of Bridge" describes how an expert sees the current state of the game. Included in his opinions are: The standard of play has declined; There's been an explosion of professionalism in tournaments; An influx of foreign experts is dominating U.S. tournaments. Following on from his opinions and observations on the current state of bridge, Stewart then guides you through hands that will increase your understanding and appreciation of the game. His 'over-my-shoulder' style provides good insight into the way experts view the bidding and play as they develop.

An invaluable addition to any bridge player's library, Douglas Bernard's "Social Bridge With Serious Fun" illustrates the author's belief that there is a lot more to bridge than just a card game. For him, as for many players, it is a perfect opportunity for enjoyable social interaction, while at the same time allowing for the development of the life skills of observation, good judgement, communication, cooperation, planning, flexibility and adaptability. Whether you are a beginner to the game or an experienced player, this book offers invaluable advice on bidding, play and etiquette.

"Doubles and Redoubles" (The New York Times Bridge Series) by Alan Truscott is a book in which various sorts of doubles and redoubles are featured, as are some brilliancies in play and defense. There are also sections dealing with the history of the game, some leading personalities, and many of the unusual facets of bridge, both factual and fictional. Mr. Truscott’s expert commentary and the accompanying illustrations of each hand make this required reading for bridge enthusiasts everywhere.

"Signal Success in Bridge" by Danny Roth is aimed at any bridge player interested in defensive card-play. This book has two interwoven parts. These consist of a wide-ranging description and evaluation of currently-used methods, and examples both in the descriptions and in quizzes.

"The Art of Good Bidding" by Terence Reese and David Bird provides ammunition for players of both rubber bridge, where conventions are relatively few, and tournament bridge, where conventions are more commonly used.. The book deals with good, convention-free bidding, as well as with the most valued conventions. These are assessed on a star system: 3-star conventions are rated an essential part of your weaponry; 2-star conventions should be used by any aspiring tournament player; 1-star conventions are more specialized and are of interest only to regular partnerships.

With just a few new concepts, Power can increase your bidding vocabulary a hundredfold. Power caters for more hands than standard methods and enables you to bid many hands more accurately. "The Power System - Five Bids to Winning Bridge" by Ron Klinger contains hundreds of example hands to illustrate Power methods. It also allows you to check how your present system would manage and quizzes your progress.

Unavailable at Amazon.co.uk

"Bridge Over Troubled Bidding" by Jan Pittelli shows how to 'channel' bidding techniques and will appeal to the beginner or ripe bridge player. With the help of large graphic symbol it tells the rudiments of bidding principles, teaches the communication of bidding, suggests bidding techniques and strategies and presents exercises to test your progress. This book is an absolute must for beginners and for those who have not played bridge for a while.