Book Suggestions

Author

Paulo Brum

Reading good books is the best way to improve your game quickly. When it comes to declarer play, the more you see of any maneuver, the easier it becomes to identify it at the table. There is more to declarer play to that, but this is a fundamental step.

We will have weekly suggestions of bridge books in this series of articles. Bridge books about card play (declarer and defensive) have one great feature: they do not get old. Books from 70 years ago are as instructive as books printed yesterday. 

That said, let us see the two books for this week. (Please note that these links send us some commission if you click them to get to the Amazon store).

This is an excellent primer on declaring techniques by one of the greatest American teachers, and the book makes it clear why Bill Root deserves that title. The topics are presented in a very logical and straightforward sequence. There are quizzes at the end of each chapter, and the examples are clear and uncluttered with any side tracks that some times hamper the progress of the student.

After reading this book you will be equipped to deal with >90% of the bridge deals you will encounter.

This book gives me fond memories. It was one of my first bridge reads. I remember having a thrill by getting a few problems right, but also the frustration (and later the elation) given by the tougher nuts. Don't forget to try the problem in the cover. 

There are easy, hard, and harder problems in this book, but they are all explained in the unimitable Kantar easy-going style (if this is going to be your first Kantar book you are in for a treat). Eddie Kantar will be a frequent star of this column, and this is a worthy first entry.

See you next week!