Do you remember collecting shrapnel and listening to Children's Hour? Carrying gas masks or sharing your school with evacuees from the city? The 1940s was a decade of great challenge for everyone who lived through it. The hardships and fear created by a world war were immense. Britain's towns and cities were being bombed on an almost nightly basis, and many children faced the trauma of being parted from their parents and sent away to the country to live with complete stran...

This is a story spanning some of the most turbulent decades in recent world history. James Marsh was born during the first year of the Second World War and many of his infant years were spent in air-raid shelters outside his home. Bombs rained down from the German Luftwaffe as they tried to destroy the city of Southampton, which has now been James' home for more than sixty years. The gritty determination, community spirit and, above all, the humour, with which the local co...

Bridge is a game of mistakes. It’s not a matter of being brilliant; the expert players never make basic mistakes that the good player does occasionally. Yes, sometimes there is a deal where the expert makes a brilliant play. But what often separates the expert from non-expert players is their play at Trick One, then trying to decide how to continue. So often it’s already too late. The key to the deal was Trick One. More contracts are lost or are allowed to make at Trick One than at any oth...

One of the most frequently encountered problems in bridge is knowing when to win, when to duck. A player may need to hold up a winner to hamper the enemy communications or concede a trick to facilitate his own. But there are no steadfast rules one can fall back on. Each deal is different; so much depends on the particular setting. In this book studying the example deals either as the declarer or a defender, the author explains not only when to win or duck, but also why one play is right an...

The dummy comes down. Have you seen this deal before? Probably; not this exact deal but likely the same type of deal. There are only so many themes in bridge, second suits, crossruffs, squeezes, and others. Recognizing the underlying theme, either as the declarer or a defender, will guide you to the correct line of play.There are many variances and after studying the deals in this book, you will have a keener awareness of the underlying themes and how to recognize them at the table...

Timing is everything. Playing a bridge hand, either as declarer or defender is often difficult enough. But in addition, knowing when to do whatever it is you are supposed to do adds another perspective to the game. Card play includes recognition of deal types that can guide you to the best plan. This book examines which of the tasks you hope to accomplish must be done when. Whether you declare or defend, you must make some useful plays promptly, but others can or must wait. After studying ...

Squeezes. Just the word strikes fear into the heart of many bridge players. But simple squeezes are actually quite simple. The single or simple squeeze accounts for 90% of squeezes and 90% of this book deals with simple squeezes. If you wish to become more than just a mediocre bridge player mastering the techniques of basic simple squeeze play is a must. In any session of bridge of twenty or so deals, the opportunity of some form of squeeze invariably arises on three to four deals even if ...

Innumerable books have been written on declarer play. Far less attention has been paid by bridge writers to defense, which is the weakest part of most players’ game. This book presents a series of problems in defensive play, the central theme being active versus passive defense. This problem may start with the opening lead, arise at Trick Two, or be a decision later during the play of the hand. Going ‘active’ when one should have remained ‘passive’ and vice versa is probably the most commo...

Becoming a good declarer starts with some basic principles. All the books tell you the same thing; before playing to Trick 1, think and form a plan. But what should you think about? Players often look at a deal and see a new mystery, a complex problem. They become overwhelmed. Of all the ways of winning tricks, cashing high cards and taking finesses are easiest. But establishing a long suit requires effort and care. To set up intermediate cards, lose tricks you cannot avoid losing. The mos...

Three hundred. What’s so special about the number 300? It’s the magic number all serious bridge players seek, often unsuccessfully. It takes three hundred masterpoints of varying types to become a Life Master in the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL). When Dr James Sternberg took up the game, he had never played, but thought it was a game that could be learned in a few weeks and would provide a recreational outlet. Wow, was he In for a surprise. Fortunately he met one of the foremost b...

SUIT PREFERENCE SIGNALS If there was ever an area in bridge that resembles walking thru a mine field this is it. No topic causes more confusion and arguments than suit preference signals. “Partner, I played a deuce. Why didn’t you switch to a club?” is heard everywhere all the time. Most signals in bridge are attitude and some are count. At the end of the line are suit preference signals. And yet, they can be found in the most unusual and useful opportunities, often overlooked. The authors...

This book is about only one thing. Shortness, singletons or voids. It’s impossible to overestimate the value distribution plays in bidding accuracy. High cards are nice; anybody can bid games and slams when the high cards are falling out of their hands onto the table. But usually those results don’t get you very far. It’s usually an average or maybe just above. You don’t win bridge tournaments that way. The pairs who bid games and slams on less and who accurately stay out of bad games and ...