Guide to Better Duplicate Bridge

The Guide to Better Duplicate Bridge is written for the vast majority of bridge players who want to improve their bidding skills beyond the basics. If you have mastered the fundamentals of Standard American bidding methods and wish to consolidate and advance your prowess, then you benefit by reading the Guide to Duplicate Better Bridge.
Once you start reaching the best contract regularly, you will want to make sure that your declarer play does not let you down. The Guide to Better Duplicate Bridge was designed to improve both declarer skills and defensive technique. It does not contain exotic and rare material. The aim is to make sure you can give yourself the best chance to make the contracts you reach by providing a solid foundation of fundamental declarer play. Information about defense covers the logic and methods needed to defeat contracts. Opening leads, signals, and later plays are all featured.
The Guide to Better Duplicate Bridge focuses on improving your tournament technique. Duplicate bridge requires special skills, both in the bidding and in the play. When playing pairs, it may not be enough to make your contract or to defeat their contract. Perhaps you need to make an overtrick. Perhaps in defending you should allow their contract to make as long as you do not give the declarer an undeserved overtrick. Your objective at matchpoints is to outscore the other pairs who will hold the same cards as your partnership. The Guide to Better Duplicate Bridge provides the bidding methods and strategy needed to do well at pairs when the bidding involves only your side and when both sides have entered the auction. Bidding today is far more competitive than it was only a decade ago; the player who is not familiar with the best methods will lag behind and not score well as those who know their objectives and have the means to accomplish them.

Ron Klinger is a leading international bridge teacher and has represented Australia in over 20 world championships since 1976. An Australian Grand Master and a World Bridge Federation International Master, he has written over 60 books, some of which have been translated into Bulgarian, Chinese, Danish, French, Hebrew and Icelandic. Two of his titles - Guide to Better Card Play and Right Through the Pack Again - won Book of the Year awards. He has created many new bridge ideas and devised a number of conventions. He lives in NSW, Australia, and has written a daily bridge column in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald for over 15 years.