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Bridge books

#1 User is offline   kereru67 

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Posted 2026-June-12, 03:43

What bridge books have actually changed how you think about the game? One for me is Mike Lawrence's book on overcalls.
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#2 User is offline   DavidKok 

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Posted 2026-June-12, 10:30

I've read quite a lot of bridge books. Some of my favourites include:
  • "Virtual European Championship" by Krzysztof Martens
  • "Partnership bidding at bridge" by Robson & Segal
  • "Good, Better, Best" by Jan Eric Larsson
  • "Spingold Challenge" by Allan Falk
  • "Winning Declarer Play" by Dorothy Hayden Truscott
  • "How to read your opponents’ cards" by Mike Lawrence
  • "Killing Defense at bridge" by Hugh Kelsey
  • "Bridge squeezes complete" by Clyde E. Love


I've kept it to only the ones that had a significant impact on my way of thinking about the game at the time, but there's many more great books out there. Unfortunately I've also read "The Complete Book on Overcalls" by Mike Lawrence - it's near the bottom of the list for me (below the 100+ books I did not list). I think a lot of the advice in that book did not withstand the test of time, and I would struggle a lot with a partner who took a lot of advice from that book.
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#3 User is offline   mikeh 

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Posted 2026-June-12, 12:05

In no particular order other than memory and trying, imprecisely, to go from the earliest to the most recent, leaving out 80%+ of 'modern' bools and 100% of the many books published before 1940:

Five Weeks to Winning Bridge: my very first book, bought the day after my first attempt at playing, at the university bookstore. I would not recommend it now, since it is very dated in terms of bidding, but it was wonderful at the time

Opening Leads by Ewen: again, not one I'd recommend since there are far better books now, but it changed the way I thought about leads

Master Play by Reece. Opened my eyes to the possibilities of the game and how to think at the table. A classic but dated

How to Read Your Opponents' Cards Lawrence. Expanded my understanding of how to draw inferences. I'd definitely recommend this today to any beginner or intermediate

To Bid or Not to Bid: Cohen's first book on the Law of Total Tricks. Its faced some criticisms and personally I think a lot of non experts have misunderstood his ideas or overlooked the subtleties that should be borne in mind but I still strongly recommend it (I added this and put it out of chronological order)

Bridge Squeezes Complete by Love. Not an easy read: I do not think Love is a very good writer but this book taught me how to intentionally execute many squeezes: my first double squeeze happened by accident and it triggered my buying the book. I used to re-read it before any tournament

Aces Scientific by Goldman. Dated, not recommended but showed me more possibilities in terms of what was then considered very scientific bidding

Five Card Majors, Western Style by Hardy. Popularized the 2/1 method, putting together elements from the then leading West Coast US experts. I have played some form of 2/1 ever since. Not recommended...Hardy was not a good writer imo and there are better, more up to date, books out there

Precision...I don't recall the exact title but it was by CC Wei who invented the Precision Club. I played it for a few years and one partner and I developed our own big club method influenced by this and others. Not recommended because its dated and there are better books out there

Power Precision by Sontag. Expanded my ideas about complex methods. Not recommended because the methods are out of date.

A series of short books by Reese and Trezel, each dealing with a particular play technique, some declarer and some defence. Published mid 70's and hard (and expensive) to find. But very very good for the intermediate player. Highly recommended

A Design For Bidding by SJ Simon. Outlines the philosophy behind Acol as it was back in the day. I wasn't at all persuaded to take up Acol but the way he discussed his thoughts as he developed a coherent system was instructive. While my bidding ideas are almost diametrically opposed to the loose structure he described, I think this book helped me immensely when, as I have often done since, I was inventing or significantly changing methods. Don't read it for the system: it is way out of date

The Tough Match (may be The Tough Game) and The Needle Match both by Kelsey. Highly recommended. Each book presents you with 64 hands, in 8 board segments, imp scoring. Both defence and declarer. Ignore the very dated bidding and the fact that everybody gives honest count. Even today I sometimes get a hand wrong! I have probably read these every 5-10 years since I bought them a long time ago. Wonderful hands.

Camouflage by Martens. Not sure where you can get it: I emailed Martens and he sent me a digital copy. Full of ideas about how to bid constructively while not telling the opps too much. Not sure if he invented 1N 2S as clubs or range ask, but that's where I first read about it and that one passage justified my getting the book, and my main partner and I have tried, in system design, to incorporate some of his concepts. But not recommended for the majority of players: it is esoteric

The Bird and Anthias books on leads v notrump and against suits. I think that the authors underestimate the double dummy issues but on the whole the books are brilliant. I used to be an aggressive leader...these books persuaded me that passive openng leads are (often) a better choice. Plus shortly after reading them my partner was on lead against 1N 3N, with xx Kx xxx xxxxxx. He led the heart King....dummy had QJ tight and I had A1098xxx! Declarer called the TD because, he claimed, nobody would find that lead and I had hesitated over 3N. Fortunately we were on video (playoffs in the national finals of the GNT) and the TD said I had paused for almost precisely 10 seconds (which is my invariable habit after a mump bid on my right). The lead was made based on the notrump book!

I second David's comments on Lawrence's book on overcalls. I read it at the time and used his style, especially 4 card overcalls with length in RHO's suit. Didn't work out very well very often. His style was always a minority view amongst experts and I definitely do not recommend it
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari
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#4 User is offline   Gerardo 

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Posted Yesterday, 17:11

View Postmikeh, on 2026-June-12, 12:05, said:

A series of short books by Reese and Trezel, each dealing with a particular play technique, some declarer and some defence. Published mid 70's and hard (and expensive) to find. But very very good for the intermediate player. Highly recommended


8 short books? Pretty sure they have been reedited as 2 books: Accurate Cardplay and Imaginative Cardplay.

Accurate Cardplay comprises Safety Plays in Bridge; Blocking and Unblocking Plays in Bridge; Elimination Play in Bridge; When to Duck and When to Win in Bridge.
Imaginative Cardplay is based on Master the Odds in Bridge; Snares and Swindles in Bridge; Those Extra Chances in Bridge; The Art of Defense in Bridge.

Available as E-book, too.

#5 User is online   mike777 

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Posted Yesterday, 18:22

Terrific thread, ty all, please keep posting.
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#6 User is online   dave251164 

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Posted Today, 05:21

Here's a small selection from my collection.
Not all good ones by every author are included, as David Bird's alone for example would take many pages!
Sorry for the capitals, but it's how it's done on my book list and stored on my computer.

ACCURATE CARDPLAY-REESE/TREZEL,2014(1st),PB,MPP
ADVENTURES IN CARD PLAY- OTTLIK & KELSEY,1989(3rd),PB,GOLLANCZ
BALANCING IN CONTRACT BRIDGE-LAWRENCE,2012(REV ED),PB, BARON BARCLAY
BRAINS IN BRIDGE-ABRAHAMS,1962(1st),HB,CONSTABLE
BRIDGE CARDPLAY-ATTACK & DEFENCE-SMITH,2000(1ST),PB,FINESSE
BRIDGE ENDPLAYS FOR EVERYONE-BIRD,2008(1ST),PB,MPP
BRIDGE ENTRY TECHNIQUES-BIRD.2021(2ND),PB,MPP
BRIDGE FOR THE CONNOISSEUR-KELSEY,1991(1st),HB,GOLLANCZ
BRIDGE IS STILL AN EASY GAME-DONOVAN & MACLEOD,1988(1st),HB,ASHFORD
BRIDGE MASTER THE BEST OF EDGAR KAPLAN-K,2004(1ST),HB,BRIDGEWORLD
BRIDGE OUTSIDE THE BOX WITH VAL KOVACHEV-DAWSON/WILKINS,2020(1st),PB,MPP
BRIDGE SQUEEZES COMPLETE-LOVE,2017(2ND),PB,MPP
BRIDGE SQUEEZES FOR EVERYONE-BIRD,2002(1ST),PB,MPP
BRIDGE SQUEEZES INTERPRETED-SEMP,2002(1st),PB,BS
BRIDGE THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO DEFENSIVE PLAY-STEWART,1990(1ST),HB,HALE
BRIDGE THE ULTIMATE LIMITS-MANSFIELD,1986(1st),HB,HALE
BRIDGE TIPS BY WORLD MASTERS-REESE,1980(1ST),HB,HALE
BRIDGE:TRICKS OF THE TRADE-REESE/BIRD,1989(1st),HB,GOLLANCZ
BRIDGE WITH A TWIST-COCHEME,2020(1st),PB,MPP
BRIDGE WIZARDRY-KELSEY,1986(1ST),HB,METHUEN
RIDGE'S FIRST HIPPIE:BOOK 1-WEICHSEL,2023(1st),PB,MPP
BRIDGE'S FIRST HIPPIE:BOOK 2-WEICHSEL,2024(1st),PB,MPP
CANADA'S BRIDGE WARRIORS-HUGHES,2007(1st),PB,MPP
CARD READING AT CONTRACT-MILES,1974(1st),HB,KAYE
CARDS ON THE TABLE-JANNERSTEN/BARROW,1971(1ST),PB,A&U
CLEVER PLAYS IN THE TRUMP SUIT-BIRD,2017(2ND),PB,MPP
CONFESSIONS OF A BRIDGE ADDICT-SILVER/CARRUTHERS,2025(1st),PB,MPP
COUNTDOWN TO WINNING BRIDGE-BOURKE/SMITH,2000(2nd),PB,MPP
CROCS ON SQUEEZE PLAY VOL 1-KENNEDY,2019(1st),PB,MPP
CROCS ON SQUEEZE PLAY VOL 2-KENNEDY,2019(1st),PB,MPP
DECEPTIVE PLAYS IN BRIDGE-KELSEY,1982(1st),HB,HALE
DEFEND WITH YOUR LIFE-REESE/KANTAR,1981(1ST),HB,FABER
DEFENSE ON THE OTHER HAND-BIRD/COHEN,2020(1st),PB,MPP
DEFENSIVE SIGNALING AT BRIDGE-BIRD,2010(1st),PB,MPP
DORMER ON DEDUCTION-DORMER,1995(1st),PB,GOLLANCZ
DOUBLE SQUEEZES – KELSEY,1987(1ST),HB,GOLLANCZ
DYNAMIC DECLARER PLAY 1-MARTENS,2006(1st),PB,MARTENS
DYNAMIC DECLARER PLAY 2-MARTENS,2007(1st),PB,MARTENS
DYNAMIC DEFENSE-LAWRENCE,1985(5th PR),PB,DEVYN
EXPERT BRIDGE SIMPLIFIED-RUBENS,2009(1st),PB,BR WORLD BKS
FALSECARDS-LAWRENCE,2014(2nd),PB,MPP
FIND THE MISTAKES-JANNERSTEN,1982(1ST),HB,GOLLANCZ
FOLLOW THE LAW-COHEN,1995(3RD PR),PB,NATCO
FOR EXPERTS ONLY-GRANOVETTERS,1993(1st),PB,GRANOVETTER BOOKS
FRANK STEWART'S BRIDGE CLUB-STEWART,2003(1st),PB,MPP
FRANK STEWART'S WORLD OF BRIDGE-STEWART,2008(1st),PB,VIVISPHERE
GRAND MASTER OF BRIDGE-FOX,1999(1st),HB,G+T
GUARANTEE YOUR CONTRACT-MEYER,2025(1st),PB,MPP
HELGEMO’S WORLD OF BRIDGE-TISLEVOLL,2000(1ST),PB, 5 ACES
HOFFMAN ON PAIRS PLAY-HOFFMAN,1982(1ST),HB,FABER
HOW TO PLAY(AND MISPLAY)SLAM CONTRACTS-KARPIN,1962(1ST),HB,HARPER
HOW TO PLAY CARD COMBINATIONS-LAWRENCE,1988(1st),PB,DEVYN
HOW TO READ YOUR OPPONENTS CARDS-LAWRENCE,1992(REP),PB,HALE
I FOUGHT THE LAW OF TOTAL TRICKS-LAWRENCE/WIRGREN,2004(1st),PB,MIKEWORKS
IMAGINATIVE CARDLAY-REESE/TREZEL,2014(1st),PB,MPP
KELSEY ON SQUEEZE PLAY-KELSEY,2002(1ST),PB,CASSELL
MASTER OF BRIDGE PSYCHOLOGY-JUHL/FREDIN,2018(1ST),PB,MPP
MATCHPOINT DEFENSE-TERRY/ASSERSON,2019(2nd PR),PB,BOWKER
MATCHPOINT OFFENSE-TERRY/TOOMBES,2020(2nd PR),PB,BOWKER
MATCHPOINTS-WOOLSEY,1982(1st),PB,DEVYN
MORE TALES OF HOFFMAN-H,1983(1st),HB,FABER
NORTH OF THE MASTER SOLVERS CLUB-VINE,2008(1st),PB,MPP
NORTHERN LIGHTS BEST OF CANADIAN MP MAGAZINE-LEES,2003(1ST),PB,MPP
OFF-ROAD DECLARER PLAY-BIRD,2007(1ST),PB,MPP
ON THE OTHER HAND-BIRD/COHEN-2019(1ST),PB,MPP
ONE HUNDRED BRIDGE PROBLEMS-CAPPELLETTI,2004(1ST),PB,CARDOZA
OPENING LEAD-MARTENS,2009(1st),PB,MARTENS
OPENING LEADS-LAWRENCE,1996(1st),PB,C&T
OVER HOFFMAN’S SHOULDER-HOFFMAN/SMITH,2001(1ST),PB,FINESSE
PARTNERSHIP DEFENSE IN BRIDGE-WOOLSEY,1991(1st),PB,DEVYN
PLAY BRIDGE WITH ME-STEWART,2018(1ST),PB,BARON BARCLAY
PLAY BRIDGE WITH MIKE LAWRENCE-L,1983(1st),PB,DEVYN
PLAY BRIDGE WITH REESE-REESE,2002(REV),PB,C+B LTD
PLAY CARDS WITH TIM SERES-COURTNEY,1995(1st),PB,LUDUS BOOKS
PLAY SAFE & WIN-JANNERSTEN/WOHLIN,1981(1ST),HB,GOLLANCZ
PLAY THESE HANDS WITH ME-REESE,2001(REV),PB,C+B LTD
PLAYING SUIT COMBINATIONS-GITELMAN,2017(1st),PB,BRIDGE WORLD BOOKS
PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF DECLARER PLAY-MARTENS,2007(1st),PB,MARTENS
PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGY IN CONTRACT BRIDGE-KARPIN,1960(1st),HB,HARPER
REESE ON PLAY-R,2001(REV),PB,C+B LTD
RIGHT THROUGH THE PACK-DARVAS/HART,1996(REP),PB,DEVYN PRESS
RIGHT THROUGH THE PACK AGAIN-KLINGER,2008(1ST),PB,W&N
ROMAN KEYCARD BLACKWOOD; THE FINAL WORD-KANTAR,2013(5th ED),PB,MPP
SIMPLE SQUEEZES-KELSEY,1985(1ST),HB,GOLLANCZ
SOMEHOW WE LANDED IN 6NT-BIRD,2009(1st),PB,MPP
SPOTLIGHT ON CARD PLAY-DARVAS/LUKACS,1960(1ST),HB,KAYE
SQUEEZE PLAY IS (OR MADE) EASY-REESE/JOURDAIN,1980(1st),HB,A&U
STEP BY STEP CARD PLAY IN NO TRUMPS-BERTHE & L,1981(1st),HB,BATSFORD
STEP BY STEP CARD PLAY IN SUITS-SENIOR,1994(1st),PB,BATSFORD
STEP BY STEP DECEPTION IN DEFENCE-RIGAL,1997(1st),PB, BATSFORD
STEP BY STEP DECEPTIVE DECLARER PLAY-RIGAL,1996(1st),PB,BATSFORD
STEP BY STEP DISCARDING-ROTH,2000(1st),PB,BATSFORD
STILL NOT FINDING SQUEEZES-LADERMAN,2011(1st),PB,MPP
STRIP SQUEEZES-KELSEY,1986(1ST),HB,GOLLANCZ
SUBLIME DECLARER PLAY-NICK SMITH,2023(1ST),PB,MPP
TALES FROM THE PAST-WILSMORE,2025(1st),PB,WILSMORE
TEST YOUR PLAY AS DECLARER VOL 1-RUBENS & LUKACS,1983(REP),PB,DEVYN
TEST YOUR PLAY AS DECLARER VOL 2-RUBENS & LUKACS,1982(1ST),PB,DEVYN
THE ART OF CARD READING-KARPIN,1973(1ST),HB,H & R
THE ART OF DECLARER PLAY-BOURKE/CORFIELD,2014(1ST),PB,KDBOOKS
THE BEST OF BRIDGE-MOLLO/JANNERSTEN,1973(1ST),HB,FABER
THE BEST OF BRIDGE TODAY DIGEST-GRANOVETTER,2001(1ST),PB,MPP
THE BRIDGE BUM-SONTAG,2003(1ST REV ED),PB,MPP
THE BRIDGE WORLD'S TEST YOUR PLAY-RUBENS,2001/2(1ST),PB,MPP
THE COMPLETE BOOK ON HAND EVALUATION-LAWRENCE,2000(11th PR),PB,DEVYN
THE COMPLETE BOOK ON OVERCALLS-LAWRENCE,2010(2nd),PB,MPP
THE COMPLETE BOOK ON TAKEOUT DOUBLES-LAWRENCE,2019(2nd),PB,MPP
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO PASSED HAND BIDDING-LAWRENCE,2016(2nd),PB,MPP
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CARD PLAY TECHNIQUE-LEVE,2007(1st),PB,MPP
THE LONE WOLFF-WOLFF,2008(1st),PB,MPP
THE MAGIC OF BRIDGE-BIRD/BOURKE,2001(1ST),PB,FINESSE
THE ONLY CHANCE-JANNERSTEN,1980(1st),HB, BODLEY HEAD
THE PLAY OF THE HAND-ROOT,1995(REP),PB,HALE
THE RODWELL FILES-RODWELL/HORTON,2012(3RD),PB,MPP
TIGER BRIDGE-FLINT/NORTH,1970(1ST),HB,H & S
TIGER BRIDGE REVISITED-FLINT/NORTH,1991(1st),PB,MAXWELL MACMILLAN
TIPS ON CARDPLAY-LAWRENCE,2018(2ND),PB,MPP
TO BID OR NOT TO BID-COHEN,1997(9TH PR),PB,NATCO
TOURNAMENT BRIDGE AN UNCENSORED MEMOIR-MACHLIN,1980(1st),PB,MAX HARDY
TRICKS OF THE TRADE...-COHEN,2018(1st),PB,BRIDGE WORLD BOOKS
TRIPLE SQUEEZES-KELSEY,1990(1ST),HB,GOLLANCZ
TWELVE IMPORTANT BRIDGE LESSONS ON DECLARER PLAY-BIRD,2023(1st),PB,MPP
TWELVE IMPORTANT BR LESSONS:DEC PLAY:THE NEXT LEVEL-BIRD,2024(1st),PB,MPP
TWELVE IMPORTANT BRIDGE LESSONS ON DEFENSE-BIRD,2023(1st),PB,MPP
WINNING DUPLICATE TACTICS-BIRD,2015(2nd),PB,MPP
WINNING NOTRUMP LEADS-BIRD/ANTHIAS,2011(1st),PB,MPP
WINNING PAIRS TECHNIQUE-JANNERSTEN/WOHLIN,1980(1st),PB,GOLLANCZ
WINNING SUIT CONTRACT LEADS-BIRD/ANTHIAS,2015(3rd),PB,MPP
WITH OPEN CARDS-JANNERSTEN,1980(1ST),HB,BIBLIAGORA
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#7 User is offline   pescetom 

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Posted Today, 09:19

'How to read your opponents cards' was an eye opener to me too.

'Bridge Odds for Practical Players' by Kelsey is another accelerator I really needed.

The oldest book I still open regularly is "La logica del bridge naturale" by Franco di Stefano in 1987. It is uncompromisingly top down and theoretical, but rock solid in logic and rich with footnotes that often anticipate the conventions we now adopt. Unfortunately his successive five card majors book is not as good, his heart was not in it.
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