Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
by Andrew Robson

Times Books, £11.20 inc p&p from the Mr Bridge Mail Order Service Tel 01672 519219 (Code BK35)

Andrew Robson is a world-class player, with countless tournament wins behind him. He also runs the most successful teaching bridge club in the country - the Andrew Robson Bridge Club in South-West London. This frenzy of activity, plus his columns in The Times and Country Life, leaves little time for writing bridge books and indeed this is only his second venture into the field.

What type of book has he written? It is a basic teaching primer for improvers and, as such, it cannot be faulted. It is sound, clearly written and addresses all the important areas. The first 90 deals cover bidding. Each deal, originally a Friday article in The Times, occupies a single page. The original bidding and play are given, then the recommended bidding and play, ending with a tip to remember. The reader is taught, for example, to prefer a major-suit fit to a minor-suit fit. There are examples of bidding a balanced hand, raising immediately when you find a fit and overcalling light when you have a good suit to show. Eminently worthy stuff for a learner, as is Robson's intention, but of necessity not compelling reading for anyone past this stage.

The 50-deal play section covers many topics such as holding up an ace, establishing a side suit, the Rule of Eleven and when to draw trumps. This deal is instructive:

J 10 5 3   K 3 2   A Q 4 3   10 4     K 4   J 9 7 5 4   J 8   K 9 7 6   A 8 7 6 2   10 8   10 9 7 5   Q 8     Q 9   A Q 6   K 6 2   A J 5 3 2

West	North	East	South
			1
Pass	1	Pass	1NT
Pass	3NT	End

West led the 5 against 3NT. The original declarer won in the South hand and played a club to the ten. East won with the Q and returned his remaining heart, taken in the dummy. A finesse of the J lost to the K and West cleared the heart suit. Declarer continued with the A, going down when the suit did not break 3-3. As Robson explains, to make a plan you should first count your certain top tricks. Here you have seven and can easily establish two more from the spade suit. So, after winning the opening lead, you should play on spades rather than clubs.

The book ends with 30 well-chosen deals on defence. All the important techniques are covered, such as: third hand high, play the lower of touching honours, count signals when the entry-less dummy contains a long suit, discarding to maintain equal length with the dummy.

You get the idea, then. This is a top-class text book to accompany bridge lessons at one of Robson's excellent classes. It would also be ideal for anyone wishing to teach themselves the game. No-one can quibble at the value offered, certainly. It is published in hardback (a distinct rarity for bridge books nowadays) and contains 172 complete deals at a price of just £9.99. And, of course, once you have learned the basics . . . well, a world of pleasure (and pain) lies before you!

David Bird

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