No-Trump Contracts
by David Bird

D & B Publishing, £11.20 (inc p&p from the Mr Bridge Mail Order Service), ISBN 1 904468 00 4

D & B are a new publishing firm to me, but let me say from the outset how impressed I was with the physical quality of the finished product - a large style format printed on good paper with a nice type-face.

David Bird, that most prolific of writers, is right when he says that beginners to the game are more wary of no-trump contracts than suit contracts, the reason being, I suppose, that things might go badly out of control with no comforting trumps to stop the nonsense, but in this new book Bird aims to put matters right.

The book is divided into twelve chapters, each one describing at length some integral part of good management when approaching a no-trump contract. There are loads of examples in the main text, and at the end of each chapter there is a list of the most important things to remember, followed by some 'try it yourself' problems and their answers.

The chapters get progressively more difficult so that while we start with how to plan a no-trump contract, we end up with how to effect a throw-in and count the defenders' shape. Along the way there are many useful ideas and I particularly liked the chapter entitled 'Holding up with One-and-a-Half Stoppers.'

See if you can get this right: you are in 3NT and the lead is the 4. East plays the 10; do you win or not?

9 3   9 6 3   A K 6   A Q 9 7 3   K Q 7   A Q J 5   Q 10 5   J 10 4

With six top tricks you need three more for the contract so it might seem natural to win in hand and take the club finesse. If that fails however and a spade comes back you will fail whenever West has five spades. Nor will it do you any good to duck the opening lead because West has five spades at most since he led the 4 and you can see the 3 in dummy!

The answer is to win at once, cross to dummy with a diamond and take the heart finesse. If that works and the hearts break 3-3 you only need one club, and if the hearts are unkind you can fall back on the club finesse. You give yourself two chances instead of one.

The writing is clear and concise, and in no way condescending, as always from this author. I suppose it is aimed at 'improvers-plus', because some of the ideas discussed in the book would be too complicated for someone who has just completed a beginners' course. For anyone past that stage, however, it is recommended reading.

Dave Huggett

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