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#1 User is offline   99_lvl 

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Posted 2015-May-14, 15:12

Hi, what books can you recommend a novice to read? :)
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#2 User is online   Cyberyeti 

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Posted 2015-May-14, 15:29

View Post99_lvl, on 2015-May-14, 15:12, said:

Hi, what books can you recommend a novice to read? :)


It might help to say what part of the world you're in, for bidding it would help as different systems are common in different parts of the world.

It also helps in books on play/defence as sometimes you will have to draw inferences from the bidding, and again it helps if you understand what opps are showing.
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#3 User is offline   patroclo 

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Posted 2015-May-15, 04:48

View Post99_lvl, on 2015-May-14, 15:12, said:

Hi, what books can you recommend a novice to read? :)

I suggest the books of Root
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#4 User is offline   patroclo 

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Posted 2015-May-15, 04:52

View Postpatroclo, on 2015-May-15, 04:48, said:

I suggest the books of Root and the Watson bridge book that you find as lin files here: www.bridgesights.com/hondobridge

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#5 User is offline   rmnka447 

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Posted 2015-May-15, 13:07

As a novice, you're first objective should be to become very proficient in the fundamentals of the game. It's something that takes a bit of time. But if you do so, the game will become a lot more enjoyable. You'll find yourself being able to compete reasonably well against just about anyone.

If you're just starting, then you have need to learn the fundamentals of bidding and card play (including declaring and defense).

In North America, a good place for the mechanics and fundamentals of good bidding is the ACBL Bridge series "Club" book written by Audrey Grant. It starts from the beginning and pretty much walks you through the fundamentals of SAYC bidding. It's more a text for a course, but covers the material in a manner that should get you well grounded in basic bidding.

For fundamentals of card play, Louis Watson's Classic Book on the Play of the Hand at Bridge is still a great book to start with. If you get it, I'd recommend working your way through Part 1 Fundamentals to start. Then after several months of play, go back and reread Part 1. You'll be surprised how much more you'll pick up. When you feel that the material in Part 1 is second nature to you, then proceed through Part 2. I'm still rereading Watson after 40+ years and always finding good stuff in it.

The books by Bill Root have also received a lot of good comments from friends who have progressed to intermediates from novice/beginners and are well on there way to becoming excellent, excellent bridge players.

In the UK, I don't have any idea about a book on bidding, but believe that Mollo's Card Play Technique is about equivalent to Watson over there.
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#6 User is offline   PhilG007 

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Posted 2015-May-16, 02:46

View Post99_lvl, on 2015-May-14, 15:12, said:

Hi, what books can you recommend a novice to read? :)

For Acol,I can recommend "The First Bridge Book" by Jeremy Flint & John Gullick or
"The ABC of Contract Bridge" by Ben Cohen & Rhoda Lederer.
The late Rhoda Lederer was one of the best bridge teachers in England.

For SAYC, try "Contract Bridge for Beginners" by Charles H. Goren
The books by Australian Grand Master Ron Klinger are also very good.
For entertainment as well as instruction,the classic book "Right through the Pack"
by Robert Darvas and Norman Hart has been a best seller for over 60 years.
"It is not enough to be a good player, you must also play well"
- Dr Tarrasch(1862-1934)German Chess Grandmaster

Bridge is a game where you have two opponents...and often three(!)


"Any palooka can take tricks with Aces and Kings; the true expert shows his prowess
by how he handles the two's and three's" - Mollo's Hideous Hog
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#7 User is offline   DelicaN 

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Posted 2020-December-28, 13:04

View PostPhilG007, on 2015-May-16, 02:46, said:

For Acol,I can recommend "The First Bridge Book" by Jeremy Flint & John Gullick or
"The ABC of Contract Bridge" by Ben Cohen & Rhoda Lederer.
The late Rhoda Lederer was one of the best bridge teachers in England.

For SAYC, try "Contract Bridge for Beginners" by Charles H. Goren
The books by Australian Grand Master Ron Klinger are also very good.
For entertainment as well as instruction,the classic book "Right through the Pack"
by Robert Darvas and Norman Hart has been a best seller for over 60 years.

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#8 User is offline   DelicaN 

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Posted 2020-December-28, 13:05

Hi, I bought the book of Robert Darvas while using old software version of BBO but i cannot download it. How can i reach to the book i have bought?
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#9 User is offline   AL78 

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Posted 2020-December-29, 05:06

For bridge defence for a novice:

Modern Bridge Defence, Eddie Kantar

Advanced Bridge Defence, Eddie Kantar

Books by Ron Klinger are excellent, very easy to read and follow.

For declarer play, the Bridge Master hands on BBO, work your way up from the beginning, they get progressively harder, and if you can't find the solution, the walkthrough option is very easy to follow.
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#10 User is offline   blackshoe 

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Posted 2021-January-02, 11:09

For bidding:

https://www.baronbar...dding-volume-1/
https://www.baronbar...dding-volume-2/
https://www.baronbar...dding-volume-3/

The first one is on opening bids and responses, the second on opener's rebid, the third on responder's rebid (so far, opponents are just passing) and competitive bidding (and now they're not).
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#11 User is offline   spade7 

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Posted 2021-January-11, 05:15

Ron Klinger's Guide to Better Card Play. The first half is excellent for a beginner. The second half is geared for intermediates.
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#12 User is offline   spade7 

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Posted 2021-January-11, 05:19

View Postrmnka447, on 2015-May-15, 13:07, said:

As a novice, you're first objective should be to become very proficient in the fundamentals of the game. It's something that takes a bit of time. But if you do so, the game will become a lot more enjoyable. You'll find yourself being able to compete reasonably well against just about anyone.

If you're just starting, then you have need to learn the fundamentals of bidding and card play (including declaring and defense).

In North America, a good place for the mechanics and fundamentals of good bidding is the ACBL Bridge series "Club" book written by Audrey Grant. It starts from the beginning and pretty much walks you through the fundamentals of SAYC bidding. It's more a text for a course, but covers the material in a manner that should get you well grounded in basic bidding.

For fundamentals of card play, Louis Watson's Classic Book on the Play of the Hand at Bridge is still a great book to start with. If you get it, I'd recommend working your way through Part 1 Fundamentals to start. Then after several months of play, go back and reread Part 1. You'll be surprised how much more you'll pick up. When you feel that the material in Part 1 is second nature to you, then proceed through Part 2. I'm still rereading Watson after 40+ years and always finding good stuff in it.

The books by Bill Root have also received a lot of good comments from friends who have progressed to intermediates from novice/beginners and are well on there way to becoming excellent, excellent bridge players.

In the UK, I don't have any idea about a book on bidding, but believe that Mollo's Card Play Technique is about equivalent to Watson over there.


Watson's The Play of the Hand at Contract Bridge has a completely different style to Mollo's Card Play Technique. Watson's book is is verbose. It is good if you would like every single trick explained to you.
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#13 User is offline   Douglas43 

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Posted 2021-January-11, 09:03

Not sure if you can get his books in the US but Paul Mendelson writes clearly. "Mendelson's Guide to the bidding battle" is a good book on competitive bidding (and describes some gadgets). It doesn't include support doubles though (they are less popular in UK, mainly because they don't work quite as well in a system with a weak no trump)
He also wrote a book of bridge tips.
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#14 User is online   DavidKok 

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Posted 2021-January-11, 09:57

I've been reading quite a lot of bridge books the past few months, and kept some notes to split them by topic, level of the intended audience and quality as learning material. Some of them have been really excellent, while others where little more than long droning lists of techniques with one example game each. The original question in this post appears to be a few years out of date, but I would love to discuss which books to read to cover what topics (perhaps in another post, if that is more appropriate).
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#15 User is offline   spade7 

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Posted 2021-January-11, 16:37

Yes, novices don't need books which mention grand coups, devil's coups and smother plays just for the sake of it.
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#16 User is offline   spade7 

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Posted 2021-January-11, 16:38

I wonder if the OP is still a novice?
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