New -- and recommended -- bridge books

Bridge authors have been prolific in the past few years. Whether you're looking for instruction or entertainment or a gift, there have been many excellent titles published in the last year are so. Here are some of the best:

Recommended bridge books published in 2021 and late 2020:

Bridge Cardplay: Easy Guide Series  (Beginner to intermediate)
By David Bird & Marc Smith. Ten booklets on the essential skills for declarer. Topics range from the basics (finessing, drawing trumps, establishing long suits) to more advanced techniques (entry management, holdup plays and safety plays).

Larry Teaches Modern Bidding (Kindle versions):  Vol. 1     Vol. 2     Vol. 3   (Beginner to intermediate)
By Larry Cohen. Basic instruction on opening bids and responses, opener's rebid, responder's rebid and competitive auctions. Winner of the 2021 Beginner Book of the Year award from the American Bridge Teachers Association.

Coming Back to Bridge   (Intermediate)
By Paul Goldfinger. Those who haven't played for a few decades are often amazed at how much the game has changed when they start to play again. This book summarizes the key changes in bidding systems, conventions, alerts and other aspects of bridge that will help returning players update their skills. 

Combining Your Chances   (Intermediate)
By Danny Roth. The first in a series of six books on skills and techniques for the play of the hand. 

25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know - 2nd Edition   (Intermediate)
By Barbara Seagram & Marc Smith. A revised and updated edition of the top-selling bridge book of all time. It incorporates changes in bidding over the last 20 years and adds three new chapters.

Shortness: A Key to Better Bidding   (Intermediate)
By Dr. James Sternberg.  A thorough discussion of bidding decisions when you hold singletons and voids -- how to show them, ask for them, evaluate their true power, take advantage of them in the play. It includes advice for declarers and defenders. Sternberg and Danny Kleinman have collaborated on nine new titles that feature tips on how to improve bidding, defense and declarer play.

Over Hoffman's Shoulder: A Year in the Life of a Bridge Pro   (Intermediate to advanced)
By Martin Hoffman and Marc Smith. Once one of the world's best pairs players, Hoffman was known for his imaginative bidding and brilliant cardplay. In this book, he relives some of his most spectacular deals and shares his thought process at every bid and trick.

Misbid These Hands with Me       Misdefend These Hands with Me   (Intermediate to advanced)
By Mark Horton. Entertaining collections of problems that will help you learn from others' mistakes. Presented in quiz format, all the deals are taken from high-level play.

Swing Deals  (Intermediate to advanced)
By Rakesh Kumar. A review of more than 100 deals that generated big scoring swings. Presented as quizzes, the deals illustrate how effective bidding methods and logical play or defense led to favorable results.

A Compendium of Double Dummy Problems   (Advanced to expert)
By Hugh Darwen. A collection of 1000 double-dummy problems, originally published from 1896 to 2005.

Bridge with Another Perfect Partner   (General interest)
By John Carruthers. An homage to the P. F. Sanders classic "Bridge with the Perfect Partner". It features witty analysis of many entertaining deals.

Bridge Crosswords 2   (General interest)
By Jeff Chen. One of the nation's top crossword constructors is also a bridge player, and he combines his talents in this book of 52 clever, bridge-themed puzzles. His first book, Bridge Crosswords, is also available.

Bridge at the Top: Behind the Screens   (General interest)
By Samantha Punch. Interviews with some of the leading experts and most intriguing personalities in the bridge world. They share their views of what it takes to become a top player and each offers his or her favorite bridge tip.