[gwnn]

I love Watson's old-fashioned language (it makes him sound like a competent authority) but I did not like the material, almost all the book is too simple..

[Lobowolf]

Phil, on Apr 9 2010, 12:08 PM, said:

mikeh, on Apr 9 2010, 11:56 AM, said:

Kelsey wrote (I think) 3 of these 'test your match play books'...going by memory...I think I lost one when I loaned it out and still have the other two (but will never sell them). One is called The Needle Match, and the other The Tough Game...I think.

Yeah - The Needle Match is at the Newport Beach public library but thats the only copy I've seen in years.

The Tough Game was lent to me by a bridge partner a few years ago. Hard to give that one back to him.

All great stuff.

I got a copy of the Needle Match on Ebay a couple of years ago.

[y66]

V, I have copies of most of the books mentioned in this thread. You're welcome to borrow any or all of them for up to 3 months. Not sure what postage is from Virginia to where you are but if you're in North America it's probably not too bad.

Chapter XI in Watson, "Planning the Play" has a good starting template for the checklist you mentioned as does Chapter 2 in Blackwood's Play of the Hand (This book on fundamentals does not turn up on many people's short lists, although I believe it is on Fred's).

Good mentors are not easy to find but I strongly suggest you check out that route as well and try to figure out where your thought process is going off the rail.

[babalu1997]

Mollo`s declarer play technique should be added to the list. I strongly prefer it to watson`s, it being that mollo was a non native speaker of english, just like me, and makes colourful use of the language.

gwnn remember easy things start out difficult, watson is thorough, and woe that people practiced half of it.

i second truscott`s one too.

[gordontd]

frouu, on Apr 10 2010, 08:05 PM, said:

the first book I read was "How to Play a Bridge Hand" by William Root. I had liked it, it was clear and organized, lots of examples. I can't compare with other books though.

This would have been my suggestion too. Most of the others in this thread don't fulfill the "Intermediate" request.

[bluecalm]

I think BBO/Lawrence software (counting at bridge/defence) along with "how to read your opponent's cards" are the best things out there. I recommend the software as it's easy to click through and you are asked a lot of questions in the meantime which teaches you good habits.

[bid_em_up]

If you haven't read/worked through these, I would suggest doing so:

Take Your Tricks: Over 550 Declarer Play Tips You Can Take To The Bank
Test Your Bridge Play: Volume 1, 100 Declarer-Play Problems Designed to Improve Your Card Playing Techniques
Test Your Bridge Play: Volume 2, 115 Declarer-Play Problems Designed to Improve Card Playing Techniques for Bridge Players Who Are Sick and Tired of Going Down in Cold Contracts

All three are available on Amazon, and are written for improving the declarer skills of intermediate players.

EDIT: All three books are by Eddie Kantar

[bid_em_up]

kenrexford, on Apr 9 2010, 03:19 PM, said:

Not remotely what you asked for, but my answer nonetheless.  Sit down and read Adventures in Card Play.  Take the 1 hour necessary for each page, to actually understand what is happening.  The experience I had when I read this the first time was incomparable.  You won't see these actual problems arise very often, if at all, but the problems force you into a way of thinking that is completely different and opens up a different world.

Suggesting Adventures in Card Play to an aspiring intermediate player is, imo, a sure-fire way to make them quit the game.

I don't dispute that it is an excellent book, and at some point in time, it becomes a "must-read", but this is kind of like suggesting calculus to the caveman who only wants to learn how to add & subtract.

[vuroth]

I own Watson's Play of the Hand. I found it dry, but it might be worth another stab.

Lawrence's How to Read Your Opponent's Cards is an outstanding book, but the focus is narrow rather than broad.

I've started on some of the level 3 Bridgemaster problems. So far, they're easier than the sample problems, but I'm not getting them first time necessarily, and slowing down and thinking is good.

Thanks.

W