David Bird

Played and enjoyed around the world, bridge is a rewarding and enduring leisure pastime. This guide explains the basic elements of the game, from bidding and play to scoring, so that soon the reader will be able to take part with confidence. It assumes no prior knowledge, encouraging the reader to play as much as possible to improve their game gradually by applying what they learn. Originally written by Terence Reese, this book has been revised by David Bird and includes exercises to test your knowledge and progress and websites for further information.

Bridge

Tim Bourke

A collection of bridge problems which provide a fun way to practice an important play technique. This is part of a twelve book series that will add an extra dimension to the Bridge Technique series (Bird & Smith), which won the American Bridge Teachers' Association Book of the Year award in 2002.

Planning in Suit Contracts

Ron Klinger

David Bird, the world's leading humorous bridge writer, joins forces again with Ron Klinger, one of the world's best-known bridge teachers and authors. The result is a scintillating new collection of stories about the bridge-playing Rabbi. Where else would you find an unnervingly plausible account of a Rabbi gambling his holiday money in a high-stake rubber game against three wealthy Arabs? And where might you chance upon a parable such as the Synagogue team facing a team of Catholic priests and nuns (hired professionals!) as part of the St Benedict Commemoration celebrations? As readers of KOSHER BRIDGE and THE RABBI AND THE WEAKER SEX (previously KOSHER BRIDGE 2) will expect, the humour is sparkling and the bridge brilliant. Sit back, hold tight, and enjoy this vastly entertaining book.

The Rabbi's Magic Trick

Marc Smith

"This book covers declarer's fundamental strategies in notrump contracts and the tactics available for developing extra tricks. Topics covered include hold-up plays, deciding which suit to attack, reading the opening lead, keeping the danger hand off play, combining your chances and exerting pressure on your opponents."--Back cover

Planning the Play in Notrump

Squeezes are an aspect of bridge declarer play that many intermediate players think they will never grasp. Yet while squeezes can be extremely complex, the basic principles of squeeze play are not. This is the first comprehensive book on squeeze play since Clyde E Love's classic 'Bridge Squeezes Complete', and much more approachable. Using the same straightforward, conversational style with recaps and quizzes that characterised the 'Bridge Technique' series, this book will make squeezes understandable to many readers who have been afraid to attempt to learn them.

Yes, Even You!

Bridge Squeezes for Everyone

The first half of the book features the word's finest players at work, tacking all manner of ANT contracts -some commendable, others truly awful. You will have the chance to plan your play in these contracts yourself, before seeing what fate befell the original declare. The second half contains humorous short stories featuring many of David Birds well-loved character: the bridge-crazy monks of St. Titus Monastery, the nuns of St. Hilda's Convent, the Rabbi and his entourage. There is further action from Cholmeley School, from the missionaries whose main task in life is to convert the Bozwambi tribe to the Acol bidding system and even some tales of Sir Guy of Gisburne.

Somehow We Landed in Six Notrump

Endplays are an aspect of bridge declarer play that many intermediate players think are beyond them. Yet while they can be extremely complex, the basic principles are not. Using a straightforward, conversational style with recaps and quizzes, this book will make endplays understandable to many readers who have been afraid to attempt to learn them.

Bridge Endplays for Everyone

Short and full of practical examples, each book in the 'Bridge Technique Series' takes the reader through the most important aspects of card-play technique at bridge. Where appropriate, play is examined from the point of view both of declarer and defenders. Full of quizzes and chapter reviews, these award-winning books will also reinforce the bridge concepts you learn. At this price, what bridge player could stand not to have all twelve?

Taf Anthias

To discover which opening lead is best from a given West hand against a particular auction, the authors use computer software to generate 5000 deals that match the North-South bidding. (The West hand remains the same and the other three hands are chosen randomly.) The software then plays these deals automatically, seeing which of the 13 possible opening leads works best at both IMPs (rubber bridge/Chicago) and match-point pairs. By analysing the results, the authors pass on to the reader the secrets of finding the best lead against notrump contracts on a wide range of different auctions.

Winning Notrump Leads

Barbara Seagram

Seagram and Bird's Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand was named Book of the Year in 2010 by the American Bridge Teachers' Association. It introduced the basic principles of how to go about making a plan as declarer for beginning and improving players, and is a popular text for bridge teachers. This sequel extends the concept to more complex situations, and covers ideas such as safety plays, avoidance play, trump control, dummy reversal, and endplays. It will appeal to players who have a good grasp of the basics of declarer play, and are looking to improve from there. Book jacket.

The Next Level

Planning the Play

Whether you are just setting out to discover the wonderful game of bridge, or have played for some time, your success will be limited without a sound understanding of the basic techniques of cardplay. In this series, two of the game's top writers explain clearly the various cardplay skills that you will need. Every booklet contains six chapters - each ending with a short Quiz. The topics covered in this third book, on Discarding Losers, are: Discarding to reduce the loser total Should I draw trumps immediately? Establishing discards Loser on loser play Combining different chances Planning the necessary discards

An Easy Guide - 3. Discarding Losers

Bridge Cardplay

Using the same format as The Pocket Guide to Bridge, this book provides a handy pocket summary of about two dozen basic concepts in defensive cardplay. In a concise but readable manner, it summarizes most of the material presented in 25 Ways to be a Better Defender by the same author team.

The Pocket Guide to Defensive Play at Bridge

: Declarer Play at Bridge: a Quizbook, by the same author team, was named the 2013 Book of the Year by the American Bridge Teachers' Association. Building on the success of that title, this book gives the near-beginner a chance to practice the principles on which sound bidding is based, from the opening bid onward. This is not just a series of problems, however. Each section contains a brief introduction to its topic, and the ideas are reinforced with carefully explained solutions and helpful tips throughout. Bridge teachers and students will find this book invaluable.

A Quizbook

Bidding at Bridge

This book, starting from the basics, explains how to make a plan as a declarer. The reader learns how to recognise which technique to apply on a given deal, both in notrump contracts and suit contracts.

Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand

new edition: Learn how to play the classic game with full step-by-step instructions, techniques and tactics for players of all ages, skills and experience.

History, Rules, Skills and Tactics

How to Play and Win at Bridge

Sabbath Challenge, Sabbath Delight

Setting out both to entertain and instruct bridge players, whatever their level of expertise, Bird presents the adventures of Robin Hood, Maid Marion and the rest of the band from Sherwood Forest. The opposing medieval players in this book are led by the Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisburne.

The Bridge Adventures of Robin Hood

David Bird's hilarious accounts of the bridge-playing monks of St Titus are famous throughout the bridge world. These new stories are heavenly - funny and also instructive. Readers of David Bird's humorous bridge stories will give a delighted welcome to this new addition to the celebrated series. As ever, the irascible Abbot makes his acerbic presence felt and the long-suffering fraternity diverts itself with much entertaining and excitingly interesting bridge. For more than 30 years, David Bird's tales of the bridge-crazy monks of St Titus have appeared in magazines around the world. In this tenth collection in book form, the pompous and self-important Abbot hosts a tricky visit from Monsignor Vecchio, a representative of the Vatican authorities. Everything must be done to ensure that the visitor, a very moderate bridge player, finishes well in the monastery duplicate. In another story, the Abbot visits the Convent of St Hilda's and is not overjoyed to be put in partnership with the 80-year-old Mother of Discipline. Regular followers of David Bird's work will know what to expect - a first-rate mixture of excellent bridge, entertaining characters and sparkling dialogue.

Celestial Cardplay

Each book this series is a collection of bridge problems which provide a fun way to practice and develop your skill in an important cardplay technique at bridge. These books are designed to add an extra dimension to the detailed instruction contained in the Bridge Technique series (Bird & Smith).

David Bird

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