[ArcLight]

I think I should have selected a different problem!
I don't want to restate again why I don't like it, and I do understand Bens point.
So I will let it rest.


There was another problem involving card combinations (I'm sure Fred would have gotten it) that increased the chance of success by a small amount, perhaps 1-2%. I don't think thats all that great a problem. I'm not saying it's of no value, but I think there are so many better problems that Reese has presented.
Not just technique, but deception, and discovery plays.
One could argue than ANY problem has value, and thats true on an absolute basis, but not on a relative one. Reese has done so much better in other books, and thats why I buy his books.


I would never ever say a book is bad because it's too advanced for me.
Last year, after playing Bridge for all of 5 months, I tried Kelseys "Killing Defense" and found it too hard, so I put it aside for later. I find many of Kelsey's problems intricate and something I'd never find at the table (and not even in my armchair). I don't say those books are bad, just too advanced for me that I don't find them useful.

But I stand by my original post, I was very disappointed with the problems in Reese book. Many were marginal, and as I have read about 10 of his books (and many other very good bridge books so as to be able to make a meaningful comparison), I've seen him come up with better, mor evaluable problems. If it was a case of "gosh these problems are too hard for me" then that would not cause me to rate the book poorly.
I would not have posted a review at all!

I have read many more bridge books than I post reviews on. I try and post on books that made an impression on me, rather than just list all the books I've read.


PS I just started Freds "Master Class: Lessons from the Bridge Table". I very much like the problems and the presentation.

[Chamaco]

Hi Arc ,
keep up the good review work.

I think it is a good thing that you selected some concrete examples to explain your liking/disliking/rating of books, because, by doing so, you give the forum readers the chance to agree/disagree with you, and this is always extremely useful, even in the cases where the readers' opinion will differ from yours

[ArcLight]

Card Reading by Eric Jannersten 1972

Very good intermediate level book on deductive reasoning, and it also soem good play problems. The book presents around 75-85 non double dummy declarer problems, with bidding. Based on the first few tricks, the reader is expected to figure out distributions and HCP placement. Then make the hand using proper technique.

The deductive reasoning part is well done, and the inferences are reasonable (though not always obvious!). There are sections on topics like clues from the bidding, leads, discovery plays, putting yourself in your opponents position, assuming the only distribution that will let you make the contract, etc.
I enjoyed it, and it reminded me a lot of Mike Lawrences Counting at Bridge vol 1&2 software (available from Bridge Base)

The play part involves a number of squeezes (most are not too hard, though some I missed), plus a few other techniques. Nothing extremely hard, and overall good declarer play problems.

Overall I think its a great book, and I enjoyed reading it, though it takes a while to read because of all the thinking you need to do. Because its an older book (1972) it may be available in Libraries (that tend to have older Bridge books as opposed to newer ones).

(Funniest quip in the book "If wishes were horses beggars would ride, and you're not riding this one")

I also read about a third of Julian Pottages new Clues from the Bidding and didn't much care for it. I think other books on the subject are better, and more worthy of your hard earned money. I felt the problems were of two types:

1. Bidding clues were obvious, but the play of the hand was difficult (and hence it was more of a declarer play puzzle book which is not what I was looking for)

2. Bidding clues were skimpier, and might only slightly increase the odds of a certain break. (Maybe that means its a more advanced book, but I found it inferior to any others on the subject. Kelsey has a book on deductive reasoning called Logical Bridge Play which is better, and he is an advanced writer)

I no longer have the book so I can't list some examples of what I consider skimpier clues).

Here is a simpler problem, based on the bidding alone, no play skill involved.

Bidding
W N E S
1♠ X
- 2♥ 2♠ 3♦
3♠ 4♦ - 4♥
- 5♦ - -
-

---

West leads 3♠, taken by Easts J, followed by his K.
Then East leads the ♥Q.

Plan the play.

Hidden card play:

Spoiler

Win the Ace of hearts, lead to the ♦ King , both following.
Play for the finesse or drop?

Solution:

Spoiler

West couldn't even dredge up a raise even with an enemy take out double, but all of a sudden he's able to bid 3♠? It must be on distribution, namely diamond shortness. Play for the finesse.

A more difficult problem:

Bidding
W N E S
1♠ X
- 2♥ 2♠ 3♦
3♠ 4♦ - 4♥
- 5♦ - -
-

---

West leads the ♦3, East playing the K and you win the A.

Plan the play: (hidden cards next)

Spoiler

You have a Club loser and maybe a trump loser.
You play the K♥, everyone follows, then lead to the Ace♥ and West shows out!
Ouch. A trump loser and a Club loser! What do you do?

A few more cards are played: (hidden)

Spoiler

If the Clubs are split, an elimination end play (trump) may work.
You lead to the ♠Ace, ruff the last diamond, then play 2 more rounds of Spades, everyone following!
You now know what to do!

Solution:

Spoiler

You know from the lead of the diamond 3 that West has at least 3 diamonds, though it could be 4 or 5. In any case that means East must have at least 5 diamond. Along with 3 Spades and 3 Hearts, and 2 clubs.
Cash the AK of Clubs and throw in East with a trump for a ruff and discard.

[mike777]

Win the Big Match, Julian Pottage, 2004, 160p, 16.95$
Grade=B+

64 Imp match where you bid and play the hands.

Mainly a play book. Very entertaining with good tough hands for intermediate level players. Good practice in counting and visualizing the hands. For the newer players I find reading these play books, Reese, Pottage and of course Fred's a quick way to improve one's play level from the beginner level.

[luke warm]

ArcLight, on Nov 25 2005, 06:46 PM, said:

"Improve your bridge- fast!" by Sontag- Steinberg, 1982

On Chamacos suggestion I bought this book. I wonder if its the same book?
It has the same title, authors, and publication date.

Buts its geared entirely towards beginner players with 3 months experience or less. I mean its so basic that I'd say its about as tough as Bridge Master Level 1 problems.

Not only are all the "problems" double dummy, they only involve 4-6 cards (the other 7 to 9 have already been played). The "problems" consist of elementary finesses (sometimes repeated) or simple end plays (with 4 hands exposed).

I found the book to be a complete waste of time and money.

I will send my copy for free to anyone who wants it, for the cost of shipping by US Media mail (probably around $2).

Rating: F

ok, i just finished the book (thanks arc, email me your info and how much to credit your paypal account)

my impression is, it can't be a book for beginners... i would think one would need to be intermediate to intemediate+ to understand most of the plays in the book, and advanced to have actually heard of some of the plays (surround plays, uppercut, etc)

i didn't find a lot the plays especially difficult (difficult would be counting/infering the position needed to make the plays), but i would definitely recommend this book for anyone from inter to advanced...

again, thanks for this book arc, i enjoyed it

[Chamaco]

luke warm, on Dec 31 2005, 04:00 PM, said:

my impression is, it can't be a book for beginners... i would think one would need to be intermediate to intemediate+ to understand most of the plays in the book, and advanced to have actually heard of some of the plays (surround plays, uppercut, etc)

i didn't find a lot the plays especially difficult (difficult would be counting/infering the position needed to make the plays), but i would definitely recommend this book for anyone from inter to advanced...

Yes, the idea is not so much that the plays are difficult, but rather typical.
Basically you get to build an internal database of "goal positions" to aim to when you tackle a hand that has some specific features.

The idea is that one should be at a point of not even have to think of them, if he has to execute at the table an ending based on these positions.

====

I got this concept of studying typical endgames from playing and teaching chess (2 of my kids became national junior champions): studying and memorizing several simpe positions, until it becomes a second nature to have them right is the way to learn solving more complex problems.

This is even more so in bridge, IMO, where the available time for thinking is less than in chess.

[Winstonm]

Perhaps a reader here could help me. Long ago I read a fascinating book written by Jose le Dentu that covered a wide range of international tournaments.

I particularly remember a hand credited to Georgio Belladonna that the author says Belladonna could not remember playing.

Another quote (paraphrase ) was "meeting Terrence Reese in Amsterdam in the red light district too late for a single nymph to be diplayed in any window and calling out, 'Master Reese. A hand and I will let you pass.'"

This was a wonderfully entertaining read and I would be interested in once again obtaining a copy but have forgotten the title.

Any ideas, anyone?

Winston

[pigpenz]

remind me i think i have a copy of it at work, but wont be there until next week. I think it was a intersting book with different stories like the 3 card monty ending where it asks if you want to bet on defending or delcaring.

[mike777]

Play Bridge with Reese, Terence Reese, 2001, 17.95$, 240p.
Grade=A-

One of my favorite Reese books. Reread after several years.
Excellent for the advancing player. 75 play hands with lots of counting and visualization. Most of the hands are advanced but require no special expert knowledge. As in real life a few of the hands require less than perfect defense and our ability to take advantage or induce defensive errors.

Very enjoyable read and I highly recommend this book.

[pclayton]

I don't post much on this thread. However:

Here are the books sitting on my bedstand and next to my commode:

1. Masterpieces of declarer play by Pottage (great! adv to exp stuff)

2. Thinking on Defense by Jim Priebe (I love it, but the problems don't always have a clear link between reasoning and the answer)

3. Play Swiss Teams with Mike Lawrence (easy stuff)

4. 2003 and 2004 binders of BW's

5. My binder of system notes

Not far from my reach at any time are Adventures in Card Play and both issues of Killing Defense.

Also - if you are interested:

1. A Short History of Byzantium by Norwich

2. Goedel, Escher and Bach by Hofstadter (I'm really TRYING to understand this crap)

3. The 8 step swing by Jim McLean

4. 1453 by Crowley

[CarlRitner]

Winstonm, on Dec 31 2005, 02:02 PM, said:

Perhaps a reader here could help me.  Long ago I read a fascinating book written by Jose le Dentu that covered a wide range of international tournaments.


Any ideas, anyone?

Winston

Here's two possibilities:

Bridge: Triumphs And Disasters (1990, Paper, Gollancz, London)

Championship Bridge (1974, Cloth, Harper & Row, New York)

The first one was co-authored with Reese, so it sounds very likely. I do have one copy left.

Cheers,

Carl Ritner
ACBL Library Book Sale

[Winstonm]

There are two books - both out of print - I'd like to get my hands on: Championship Bridge by Jose le Dentu and Bridge with the Blue Team by Forquet.

Anybody know where these two books might be found?

Winston

[pdmunro]

Quote

There are two books - both out of print - I'd like to get my hands on: Championship Bridge by Jose le Dentu and Bridge with the Blue Team by Forquet.

Try PostFree Bridge Books

http://www.users.big...books/authL.htm

http://www.users.big...books/authF.htm

[sceptic]

I just read step by step Discarding, by Danny Roth, I think this is suitable for intermediates, though the chapters on avoiding endplay and discarding against squeezes, I found to be a bit harder to understand fully and I will probably have to read those chapters again a few times, before I am happy that I understand them fully.

I like the style they are written in and the examples given helped me to understand the concepts he was teaching.

[Winstonm]

pdmunro, on Jan 8 2006, 10:39 AM, said:

PostFree Bridge Books

http://www.users.big...books/authL.htm

http://www.users.big...books/authF.htm

Thanks.

[ArcLight]

>There are two books - both out of print - I'd like to get my hands on: Championship Bridge by Jose le Dentu and Bridge with the Blue Team by Forquet.

>Anybody know where these two books might be found?


At my local library of course.
(They are on my reading list for this year or next. Along with "Focus on Defense" by Danny Roth, some by Victor Mollo , "Spot Light on Card Play" by Darvas, "Logic, Intuition and Instinct at the Bridge Table" by Jayaram, and maybe a few by Randal Baron/Frank Stewart.)


Step by Step Discarding is an excellent book. I'll have to reread it eventaully.


Championship Bridge
http://www.campusi.com/bookFind/asp/bookFi...odId=006012542X


Bridge With the Blue Team (Master Bridge Series)
www.buy.com

[AceOfHeart]

The Most Puzzling Situations in Bridge Play by Terence Reese 1979


It is an interesting book on how to play cards properly, not of those triple squeezes but simple card play that will maximise your chance to make a contract like tackling side suits properly, combining chances for finesse, how to aviod ruffs etc. I can solve only about 20% of the hand in the first read but i am only intermediate.

A sample hand from this book is this:may or may not agree on bidding but it is bidding 27 years ago

Scoring: IMP

---

Bidding goes 1NT(1) by south, 2NT(2) by north 3NT by south all pass
Lead 5 of spades
(1) Opening 1NT have many merits as compared to 1♥:it is descriptive: you aviod the awkward situation when partner respond 1nt to an opening 1H;concealment of the five card major may work to your advantage making west harder to compete in spades.

(2)based on a 15-17 1nt opening

The early play 5 of spades and dummy 9 is covered by 10 and won by Q.

First look

Declarer notes that although there are 9 hearts in the two hands,3nt is at least as good a contract as four hearts. However the spades are probaly 5-3 or 6-2 so South cannot afford to lose the lead.


Solution: There is no good reason for south to reject the heart finnese. If the king is wrong he will go down at once , but if East have the Kx or Kxx, he will make the contract easily. But another possiblity must be considered, East haveng K10xx.?

---

To pick up hearts without loss when the cards lie as above south need 3 entries to dummy. Since two diamond tricks will be enough for game,assuming 5 tricks can be made in hearts South should begining by overtaking the King diamond with the ace and finese the jack heart. When west discards a club. South can now finnese the jack of diamonds of an additional entry to dummy and end up with 10 tricks.

To begin with a low diamond to the Queen is not good,because west may be smart enough to insert the jack on the next round blocking the entry-finesse.

[cherdano]

That's a good hand for the thread on safety plays! Assuming this were IMPs, the safety play would lose an IMP on almost 50% of the deals (K onside but not KTxx). It would gain 10 IMPs (assuming not vulnerable) on very roughly 4% of the deals (♥KTxx and ♦J onside). So it is very close.

However, the safety play also loses 10 IMPs when West has the ♥K, spades are 4-4, and East has the ♦J. I am too lazy to work out probabilities, but it seems to me that at IMPs, Reese's line would be wrong.

Arend

[Gerben42]

Quote

A sample hand from this book is this:may or may not agree on bidding but it is bidding 27 years ago smile.gif

Agree with the bidding! It is timeless.

Probablility of both ♦ and ♥ finesse wrong is 25%, times 32% (♠ 4 - 4) times 25% (must have ♠2 and 3 in East, otherwise not 4th best). About 2.0%.

♥KTxx and ♦J onside is about 2.8% of the deals btw (50% of 59% of all 4-0 breaks, which have probability 9.6%)

So we're talking about a 0.8% improvement of the line if I got it all right.