Bridge books reviewed - 7

In "Marty Sez... vol 1" Marty Bergen gives 100 tips to improve your bridge game in his usual relaxed style. This bevy of Marty's bridge secrets is easy to read, and easy to learn, for any level of player up to intermediate. "Marty Sez... vol 2" and :Marty Sez... vol 3" are sequals in the same vein.                         "Bridge Squeezes for Everyone", by David Bird, is aimed at the intermediate to advanced player who is ready to tackle this difficult subject. The book is nicely organised with each topic clearly dealt with. There are lots of different squeeze types from the simple squeeze to compound and guard squeezes.   "Maastricht Challenge Bridge Problems" by Tim Bourke lets you pit your wits against 60 challenging declarer play problems from the World Championships. There is a particular emphasis on themes such as trump, criss - cross and multi - loser squeezes. It is definitely for the advanced player.                         "Inspired Card Play" by David Bird and Martin Hoffman uses example hands to illustrate the various topics, which include Combining Options, Entry Planning, Elimination Play, etc. Throughout the book "Top Tips" are presented for each of the particular hand types.   It sometimes seems that experts are able to see through the backs of the cards. Their finesses win more often and they choose the best of alternative lines of play. In "Reading the Cards" David Bird and Marc Smith shows how they draw the correct inferences about the opponents' hands; from the auction and the opponents' play to each trick.                         Alan Sontag's "The Bridge Bum: My Life and play" is on everybody's of the top ten bridge books ever written. Its 256 pages have everything ; history, stories about great players, Sontag's own fascinating hands, cheating, hustling, and the glamor and grind of the bridge professional's life. Most of all the book is about the game itself, which the author describes with such vigour and eloquence that it's easy to understand why he loves it so much. This edition, published in 2003, brings back to life a classic that has been out of print for over 20 years. This new edition has been revised and updated with new stories, new insights and perspectives, and the drama of Alan Sontag's first world title win over the Italians in one of the closest bridge matches of all time.                       "Canada's Bridge Warriors" by Roy Hughes is an in-depth story the top partnership of Sami Kehela and Eric Murray, who overcame the odds to dominate North American bridge but not the Italian Blue Team.   In "Playing with the Bridge Legends" by Barnet Shenkin describes his favorite hands and stories from his career as a player and bridge journalist. The book comes to a climax with the US team's record-breaking world title win in January 2000, an event which Barnet covered as a journalist.                             In "Off-Road Declarer Play" David Bird covers less well-known stratagems for non-routine situations: creating entries, surviving bad trump breaks, eliminations, getting help from the defenders, and more...   "Leading Questions in Bridge", by Sally Brock, covers the questions that should be asked before making the opening lead: active or passive, partner's suit or one's own, trump or not, deception, and so on...                             "Bridge for the Connoisseur" by Hugh Kelsey is a book with a special appeal for those who appreciate the finer points of the game. The text comprises 58 deals remarkable not only for their artistic value but also because they allow the author to enhance them with instructive points on bidding, play and defence. Many of the hands come from international tournaments and reflect the brilliances and blunders of the stars.                                     What are the hallmarks of the expert player? Why do some players appear regularly at the top? In the intriguing book "Sharpen Your Bridge Technique" Hugh Kelsey shows what the characteristics of the expert mind are, and how the less successful can learn by studying the techniques involved. Card reading and card sense, mental rehearsal, logic, mental concentration and relaxation, the assessment of probabilities, imaginative defence, table presence, and when to employ deceptive plays - all are considered and used by the expert mind to acheive above average results. With the help of many brilliant hands to illustrate his points, Hugh Kelsey demonstrates how you can revolutionise your game - by thinking like an expert.                                   In "The Bedside Book of Bridge" and its sequel "More Bedside Bridge" Elena Jeronimidis collects articles from the experts describing the challenges, downfalls and joys encountered in the game of bridge. Quizzes and example games provide an extra challenge while tips from teachers and internatoional players should give the reader a better understanding of the techniques behind the game.                               Martin Hoffman Marc Smith                   Martin Hoffman was born in Czechoslovakia but to England where he became one of the world's foremost bridge professionals, famous for his ability to achieve high placings even when partnered only by a client. "Over Hoffman's Shoulder", co-authored by Marc Smith, describes some of the most interesting hands he has played in the typical over-the-shoulder style of Terence Reese.                                                                       "Expert Defence" by Raymond Brock teaches you to master one of the hardest areas of the game of bridge. Aimed at the intermediate player, the book emphasises planning the defence and whether to be active or passive in defence. Partnership cooperation covers aspects of signalling, and making life easier for partner. Some advanced techniques such as ducking and coups are considered with example hands taken from top level play.           "Defend With Your Life" by Terence Reese and Eddie Kantar is complex enough to give you sleepless nights, but practical enough to offer solutions that can be applied to numerous situations at the bridge table. Or buy from Amazon.co.uk               go to the Bridge shop, Bridge CD-ROM's or Bridge book review index or page: - B1, B2, B3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24,       Visit Bridge Books website for a list of bridge books categorised by content and level.