MindZine - Bridge

When beginners progress past the initial stage and start to play real bridge, much of what they have learnt can become very confusing. For instance, the instruction 'Lead the fourth best from your longest suit' may well be correct on one hand yet may be completely wrong on another, and so can many other maxims on defence and declarer play. Bidding can bring similar problems, and how many times have newcomers to the game used Stayman wrongly?

An appropriate proverb is 'Learn from your mistakes', but you have to bear the ignominy of making them in the first place and that is why this book can be Really Useful for budding players. They are able to go through the hands step by step, gaining in confidence as they do so, thereby learning from someone else's mistakes.

On each deal, the reader is given the bidding and/or the play, strewn with errors, then is shown the main mistake, the reasons for making it and why those reasons are wrong, before being given the correct action.

Key points are highlighted on bidding and play, such as: "A reverse after partner has responded at the two level is forcing to game. You must have extra values to make the bid." Or: "Make extra tricks with trumps by ruffing in the hand with fewer trumps. You might have to do this before drawing trumps."

Looking at the format and content of the book, it is difficult for an experienced player to judge how effective the whole process will be, but it seems to me that readers will be in a no-lose situation. Those who spot the mistakes straight away will have the warm glow of feeling that they are top of the class, while those who find the problems more difficult will feel that they have gained a lot from the experience.

The book is from an original by John Standley, a professional EBUTA teacher.

Peter Littlewood