Holiday
gifts for bridge playersHoliday
gifts for bridge playersIf you're looking for gifts for your friends and relatives who play bridge (or who would like to learn), here are some recently published -- and recommended -- books.
Bridge books published in 2018 and late 2017:
A Taste of Bridge (Beginner)
By Jeff Bayone. A series of six lessons based on the beginner
course taught at the largest club in North America -- the Honors Club in
New York City. Bayone keeps it simple and emphasizes how to have fun learning
and playing. Named 2018 Newcomer Book of the Year by the American Bridge
Teachers Association.
How to Play and Win at Bridge
(Beginner to intermediate)
By David Bird. A complete tutorial for learners, plus features for players of
all skill levels, including bridge history, reference material, famous
players, bridge on TV and video, computer and online play. Formatted for gift
giving -- hard cover, 256 pages and more than 700 illustrations and photographs.
More Conventions, More Practice (Intermediate)
By
David Bird and Barbara Seagram. A companion book to the authors' popular
25 Conventions You Should Know. It includes a brief summary of those 25
conventions. supplemented with practice hands to test your knowledge.
Thinking About Bridge (Intermediate)
By
Paul Mendelsohn. Subtitled "A thought-based approach to declarer play, defence
and bidding judgement", this book focuses on how to stop relying on memorization
and develop thinking skills to solve problems.
Attack and Defense: Winning Cardplay at Bridge (Intermediate)
By
Marc Smith. A revised and enlarged edition of the author's 2002 book on how to
make more hands as declarer and beat more of the opponents' contracts.
Keys to Winning Bridge (Intermediate)
By
Frank Stewart. The newest title from this prolific author focuses on
common-sense advice about how to improve basic techniques and avoid errors.
Judgment at Bridge 2: Be a Better Player and More Difficult Opponent
By
Mike Lawrence. The original Judgment at Bridge, now a classic, is the
basis for this 232-page volume, which includes new material on
modern bidding. Lawrence offers opinions on conventions you should consider
adding and those that should be removed from your system. It's all written in
the straightforward, conversational style that has made Lawrence one of the most
popular of all bridge authors. 
The
Language of Bridge (Intermediate to expert)
By Kit Woolsey. This is an interesting and sophisticated discussion of
communication at the bridge table. Woolsey offers valuable insights about how to
make better use of the limited vocabulary of bridge bidding and improve the
messages we send with bids and the play of the cards. He includes numerous
example hands and clear, logical analysis.
Named 2018 Book of the Year by the International Bridge Press Association.
The Blue Team in the History of Bridge (General interest)
By
Marc Horton and Maurizio Di Sacco.
A behind-the-scenes look at the Italian team that dominated world championships
for 15 years. The story is told through the translated diaries of the team
founder and captain, Carl Alberto Perroux.
Master of Bridge Psychology: Inside the Remarkable Mind of Peter Fredin (General interest)
By
Jeppe Juhl. An entertaining biography of Swedish champion Peter Fredin,
featuring memorable deals from international tournaments.
Close Encounters: Bridge's Greatest Matches: Book 1 (1964-2001)
and
Book 2 (2003-2017)
(General interest)
By
Eric Kokish and Mark Horton. Two volumes featuring memorable matches for
national and world titles. They include analysis of critical deals in close
matches, comebacks and overtime
victories, along with insights into how the game has changed over the
years.
Under the Table: The Case Against the Blue Team (General interest)
By Avon Wilsmore. An investigation into the decades-long charges of cheating
leveled against the Italian Blue Team. The writer analyzes the controversial
hands and explains how the cheating was finally exposed in 2015.
Bridge books on Kindle (All levels)
Many new titles and old classics formatted for the Kindle, Amazon's e-reader.
Games and software:
Learn to Play Bridge I & II (Beginner) are two self-teaching software programs that make great stocking stuffers for anyone who wants an easy introduction to the basics. Best of all, both are totally free from ACBL. Use the link to request a download link, burn the files to a CD (both programs fit on one disk) and give copies to everyone on your list. Print out copies of ACBL's quick-start How to Play Bridge page to go with your gifts.
aBRIDGEd game (Beginner) is a box game that's as close as you can get to "real" bridge, without the complexities of bidding. The set includes color-coded cards and simple rules that can be learned in 20 minutes. It's a great introduction to bridge-style card play and bidding principles for children and adults.
Bridge Baron 29 (All levels) is the newest update of one of the most skilled bid-and-play software programs on the market. It features seven sophisticated levels of play, plus a deal generator, double-dummy solver, ACBL tournament deals, challenge hands, flow-chart bidding tutorials and a wide range of conventions. Available for Windows and Mac.
Need more ideas? You'll find other books and gift suggestions on these shopping pages for bridge players:
Karen's Bridge Library Bookstore features short reviews of recommended bridge books, along with an updated listing of the newest books and software. Books are grouped by skill level and can be purchased at discounted prices from Amazon.com by following the links.
Great Bridge Links offers a full directory of specialty products and online shopping sites for bridge players. You'll find links to unusual and hard-to-find gifts here, along with some special discounts.
Sevennotrump.com -- Cards, jewelry, greeting cards, trophies, apparel and bridge novelty items.
Playing Cards & More -- Cards, tables, bridge jewelry and game accessories.
Baron-Barclay Bridge Supplies -- Cards, bridge jewelry, party supplies, pens, clothing and the popular bridge table covers.
