[home] [shared news] [resume] [bridge] [publications] [software] [about]

Bridge

Bridge is, in my humble opinion, one of the most interesting (card)games out there. It keeps me busy for several hours a week, either because I'm playing or reading about it. I've started to play bridge in march 2003 and am eager to learn as much about it as I possibly can. Learning by doing seems the best approach but that is not always easy as I also have many other things to do.

Bidding

A while ago, I've tried to organize my thoughts on bidding in the form of a small booklet I've dubbed the system HeX. Older versions of this booklet can be found here (Biedermeyer-like), here (with 12-14 NT), and here (with new 2-level openings and other gadgets).

Since I wrote the above mentioned booklet, I've started a new partnership with Tom Olthof. We've set up a new system with one guilding principle: "back to basic". Notes on that system can be foud here

• Systemcard for Stepbridge
• The 1430 RKC convention (Dutch)
• The Lebensohl convention (Dutch)
• The Raptor convention (Dutch)
• Some defences after openings by opponents (Dutch)
• A constructive, interesting system for bidding at the two-level is Chemeleon (Dutch)
• The weak no trump opening is quite popular. I read a very interesting approach to this opening in the Wally American system by Wim Gielen.
• Highlights from the book vijfkaart hoog by Ed Hoogenkamp
• The coCa convention against oppenents 1NT

Books

I've collected quite a few books on bridge in the last few years. I've read most of them cover to cover. Some of them are so good that I've read them several times already. Some books, however, are still a `work in progress'. I also have a wishlist with books that I would like to have/read. If you happend to have one of these and wish to part with it, please let me know :-)

• Belladonna & Garozzo
  • Precision & power precision bidding
• Bergen, Marty (with Tim Bourke)
  • Negative doubles for acol players
• Bird, David
  • Heavently contracts
  • The abbot's great sacrifice
• Bird, David & Bourke, Tim
  • Tournament acol, a system for winners
• Bird, David & Helgemo, Geir
  • Bridge with imagination
• Bird, David & Hoffman, Martin
  • Inspired cardplay
• Coffin, G.S.
  • Bridge play - four classics
    (Bridge play from A to Z, Bridge Perfect Plays and Match Point Ways, Double Dummy Bridge, Endplays at Bridge)
    (*)
• Goren, C.H.
  • Een keur van safety plays
    (*)
• Herman W. Filarski
  • Een-twee-drie bridge
• Förch
  • Het grote bridge boek
  • Bieden voor gevorderden
  • Spelen voor gevorderden
• Fox, G.C.H.
  • The daily telegraph book of bridge
    (*)
• FoxSheinwold, Patricia
  • Husbands and other men I've played with
    (*)
• Charles H. Goren
  • A guide to winning bridge
• Hoof, T. van
  • Het proef-doublet en andere bridge-verhalen
• C. Th. Huizer
  • Bridge, inleiding tot de culbertson speeltechniek
• Kantar, Eddie
  • Roman keycard blackwood, slam bidding for the 21st century
  • Test your bridge play, volume 1
  • Test your bridge play, volume 2
  • Gamesman bridge, play better with Kantar
  • Kantar for the defense, volume 1
  • An expert's guide to improving your bidding skills
  • Introduction to defender's play
• Kelsey, Hugh
  • Bridge odds for practical players
  • Killing defence at Bridge
  • More killing defence at Bridge
  • Alles wat u altijd wilde weten over parentactieken
  • Dwangposities
  • Test your elimination play
• Klinger, Ron
  • Improve your bridge memory
  • Bridge conventions, defenses and countermeasures
• Lawrence, Mike
  • The complete book on overcalls in contract bridge
  • The complete book on takeout doubles
  • The complete book on hand evaluation
  • How to play card combinations
  • Opening leads for ACOL players
  • Double! new meanings for an old bid
  • Dynamic Defense
• Miles, Marshall
  • Competitive bidding in the 21st century
  • Modern constructive bidding
  • Inferences at bridge
• Mollo, Victor
  • Finesses van het bridgespel
  • Victor Mollo's Bridgeclub
  • Bridge in the fourth dimension
  • Card play technique
• Ottlik, Gëza & Kelsey, Hugh
  • Adventures in cardplay
    (*)
• Payne, R.J.
  • Bridge: single dummy problems
    (*)
• Pottage, Julian
  • Clues from the bidding at bridge
• Reese, Terrence
  • Precision bidding and precision play
• Reese, Terrence & Bird, David
  • Acol in the 90s
    (*)
• Roth, D.
  • Bridge: groundwork in play & defense
    (*)
• Roudinesco, Jean-marc
  • Play bridge with me, 40 problems in card play
    (*)
• Sheinwold, Alfred
  • The pocket book of bridge puzzles - number 3
    (*)
  • The pocket book of bridge puzzles - number 4
    (*)
  • The pocket book of bridge puzzles - number 5
    (*)
• Sint & Schipperheyn:
  • Bridge, van Start tot Finish 1
  • Bridge, van Start tot Finish 2
  • Bridge, van Start tot Finish 3
  • Bridge, Biedermeijer rood
• Stark, Andy
  • The weak notrump how to play it, how to play against it
• Alan Truscott
  • The NewYork Times Bridge Book
  • Master bridge by question and answer
    (*)
• Watson, L.H.
  • Watson's the play of the hand at bridge
    (*)
• Westra, Berry
  • Leer Bridge met Berry, deel 1
  • Leer Bridge met Berry, deel 2
  • Beter Bridge met Berry Westra, deel 1
  • Beter Bridge met Berry Westra, deel 2
  • Leer Wedstrijdbridge met Berry Westra
  • Bieden met Berry deel 1, het constructieve bieden
  • Bieden met Berry deel 2, het ompetitieve bieden
  • Bieden met Berry deel 3, Conventies en gadgets
  • Spelen met Berry deel 1, basis afspel techniek
  • Spelen met Berry deel 2, basis tegenspel techniek
• Woolsey, Kit
  • Modern defensive signalling in contract bridge

I have also borrowed and read/ browsed the following books

• Hoogenkamp, Ed
  • Vijfkaart hoog voor iedereen
• Klinger, Ron
  • The modern losing trick count
• Westra, Berry
  • Analyse deel 1, kaartlezen bij afspel
  • Analyse deel 2, kaartlezen bij tegenspel

© Bas van Gils - See also: strategic-architecture / Weblog / Gallery
Last modified: August 04 2009.
Today is: March 12 2010.