Bridge books reviewed - 41

Rules are made to be broken, and bridge is no exception. The first of a planned four-book series on cardplay, "Breaking the Bridge Rules: first hand play" by Barry Rigal deals with situations where the player who is on lead – defender or declarer, at the start of the deal or in the middle – needs to do something that involves ostensibly ‘breaking the rules’. Not, obviously, the rules of bridge itself, but the well-tried adages that every player is taught – the rules of thumb that work in the majority of cases. Knowing when to break those rules is one of the marks of an expert player.

Robert Tischman is just looking for a game of bridge, but when a mysterious woman persuades him to partner her in a two-session event at the Engima Club, he gets much more than that. This book, "Bridge at the Enigma Club" by Peter Winkler, can be enjoyed on several levels: 1) as a fun read with lots of great bridge deals; 2) as a glimpse of what the game might be like if technology were applied to it with more imagination; 3) as an exposition of the author's ideas on encrypted bidding and encrypted signals – bids and plays where, in full compliance with the Laws of Bridge, partners can exchange information that cannot be deciphered by their opponents. Consumer warning: these methods, though fascinating and ingenious, are illegal in most bridge jurisdictions.

Matchpoint and IMP events are based on very different scoing systems. matchpoint scoring rewards the frequency of gain; how often do you find the winning action? IMP scoring rewards the amount of gain, the same basis for rubber bridge. Each form of competition is distinctive, and a successful, well-rounded player must master a broad range of strategies. This book looks at the tantalizing question of which form of scoring is the more skillful, examines the role of luck, and shows how to pick a personal style. This book, "Matchpoints Versus IMPs: Different Games, Different Strategies", by Augie Boehm, like the author's books on demon doubling and 3NT, is intended for the intermediate and advanced intermediate club and tournament player.

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"Doctor Dave's Wit and Wisdom at the Bridge Table" is a new (2010) book by Dr. David S. Shelton, an American Contract Bridge League accredited teacher, life master, and player for over fifty years. In this book he shares his love of the game, his bidding, and play of the hand expertise with you. His writing style makes it easy to understand his wit and wisdom and how you can apply it to improve your game

"Better Balanced Bidding - The Banzai Method" is an important, and in some ways revolutionary, book. The point count method of hand evaluation was first introduced in 1914 and was popularized in 1934 by Milton Work. The Banzai Method, evolved by David Jackson and Ron Klinger, improves on Milton Work by reassessing the relative values of the honour cards but also adds a further dimension to accurate hand evaluation by including the tens and is of crucial importance when assessing balanced hands. According to Eric Kokish, an internationally respected North American authority, the many example deals are an eye-opener. When you finish this book, it is unlikely that you are going to look at your hand the same way as you have in the past.

"Bridge, Its Principles and Rules of Play" by Joseph Browne Elwell. This is a pre-1923 historical [Paperback] reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.

"Deadly Defence" by Ron Klinger, Wladyslaw Izdebski and Roman Krzemien covers every important aspect in bridge to make good bridge players into excellent defenders. It deals with opening leads (how to convey maximum information), defensive play when playing second hand, third hand and also when you are first to play to a trick, how to use signals more effectively and how to think on defence like an expert. 'Deadly defense is the most interesting book on defence that I have ever read' - quoted by Julian Klukowski (World Seniors Championship 2006 gold medallist)

In "Defensive Signalling at Bridge" David Bird begins this thorough discussion of a neglected but vital topic by examining the real purpose of defensive signalling, and the basic kinds of signals that are available. He goes on to recommend a comprehensive set of signalling agreements, and analyzes more complex situations in the light of these agreements. Most of the chapters are followed by a quiz, the answers to which will demonstrate the effectiveness of the recommended signal. The book finishes with a chapter that looks at the signalling methods of eight world-class pairs, with examples of their methods in action. This is a book any player looking to improve his or her results will want to read.

Many players feel trepidation when faced with playing a no-trumps contract. "Improve Your Declarer Play at No-Trumps" by Ron Klinger is an invaluable bridge guide to better declarer play teaches players how to approach such contracts without fear. The correct lines and logical thinking are explained clearly and you will not only make your contracts, but also score overtricks as well. The first section covers the approach you should adopt before you even play a card from dummy; followed by practical examples, problems to solve, and deals that arose in major competitions where the very best players did not always find the right answer. Most importantly, the solutions include the logic behind the right play, the clues to locate the missing cards, and ideas on how to induce opposition error when you have no legitimate chance for success. Where you might have felt reluctance when playing no trumps, you will emerge from this handbook with a new sense of confidence.

"Out of Hand and Off the Fairway: The Humorous Side of Bridge and Golf" is an amusing book by cartoonist Bill Buttle, well-known to readers of the American Contract Bridge League's Bridge Bulletin for his trenchant lampooning of bridge and bridge players. In this, his first book-length collection, he aims his darts not only at bridge players but golfers. This book of hilarious one-panel cartoons will make a great holiday gift for any bridge nut or golf addict.

"Who Are These People: A Story about Bridge Players in the Washington Bridge Unit" by Cassandra Foster contains stories about African American men and women bridge players. They all turned at least 80 years old by May 1, 2008. They have in common membership in a duplicate bridge club¿the Washington Bridge Unit where they play the card game bridge. The book contains several stories, with one story for each subject or married couple. The stories are based on taped interviews of the subjects made between May 1, 2007 and May 16, 2008. To help with the time perspective, the date of the interview is at the end of each story. The location point of view is Washington, DC. The stories in the book tell about the lives of the subjects¿when and where they were born, where they grew up, their careers, their families, their struggles, and their philosophies of life. There are pictures of the subjects. The stories include how bridge was introduced into their lives and how they came to be members of the Washington Bridge Unit. Keeping with the bridge tradition, these stories discuss the subjects using their first names. These people are the trailblazers. They have worked hard. You will find that most of these persons are still active in competitive tournament bridge. Most are currently church members, and most are still quite active in the church. Many are voracious readers, travel extensively, and have other hobbies. They appear youthful and healthy. They are close to their families. They are lively, insightful, and accomplished African American men and women. They have lived life in these United States and survived. They are enjoying life. So much inspiration and good advice in one place!

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