Bols Bridge Tips

I was very happy to learn that we had just published the ebook edition of The Complete Book Of Bols Bridge Tips.

Why was I so pleased about this book?  Well first it is out of print.  Apparently there are 30 copies in a warehouse in England and that is it.  So if you want it you can’t get it.  I always hate to see a good bridge book become unavailable.

I have fond memories of this book.  Years ago when Ray and I started Master Point Press we went into bookstores and made presentations to whatever customers we could round up.  Sometimes we taught them how to play bridge in half an hour and sometimes we were lucky enough to have a few bridge players around and I would give them tips from this book.  I didn’t have to prepare.  I could open the book at random and find something worthwhile to talk about.

Where else can you get some of the favorite bridge tips from all the best in the world like Terence Reese, Bob Hamman, Larry Cohen, Giorgio Belladonna, Bobby Wolff, Mike Lawrence, Jim Jacoby, Eric Kokish and others?

Any time I pick up this book I learn something.  You don’t sit down and read this book from end to end.  You savor it, dipping in and reading a bit at a time.  At least that’s what I do.  So I am going to do it again.  I am going to open this book at a random page and see what pops up.

Well what do you know?  It’s Jeff Rubens, editor of the Bridge World.  The article is called Honor Thy Partner and it is in the defence section.

He starts out with an auto crash where Car A’s erratic driving causes Car B who is following behind him to crash into a tree.   Jeff is talking about bridge crashes where one defender makes a mistake but he is “abetted” unintentionally by his partner.  A good partner is alert to his partner’s problems and tried to help him.   He starts off with an easy example where East is on lead in a notrump contract and purposefully doesn’t cash a winner to give his partner a discard problem.  That is a theme I am familiar with and I do think about when defending.  There are several other good examples of other ways you can help your partner do the right thing.   A great thing to do because beside winning imps it makes partner happy.

Another random flip gets me to an article I know I will like because it is something I have been thinking about lately (as a teaching point).  It is the idea of holding up the ace of trump written by Giorgio Belladonna.  There is a nice bio but anyway back to the article.  He points out the value of holding up the ace of trump using an example of a deal where you have a suit to force with.  A cuter example is this deal:

You, East, are defending 4♥ on the lead of the ◊3.  After winning the ◊A you are able to place declarer with three diamonds.  Do you see the defence?  Hint, hint, notice the title of the tip!

Anyway, a cool hand.

More on Bols coming to this space soon.