© 2007 Guy Levé. All rights reserved. It is illegal to reproduce any portion of this mate- rial, except by special arrangement with the publisher. Reproduction of this material without authorization, by any duplication process whatsoever, is a violation of copyright. Master Point Press 331 Douglas Ave. Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5M 1H2 (416) 781-0351 Website: http://www.masterpointpress.com http://www.masteringbridge.com http://www.ebooksbridge.com http://www.bridgeblogging.com Email:
[email protected] Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Levé, Guy The encyclopedia of card play techniques at bridge / Guy Levé. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-55494-141-4 1. Contract bridge--Encyclopedias. I. Title. GV1282.22.L49 2007 795.41'5303 C2007-901628-6 Editor Ray Lee Interior format and copy editing Suzanne Hocking Cover and interior design Olena S. Sullivan/New Mediatrix Printed in Canada by Webcom Ltd. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 11 10 09 08 07
Preface 3 Preface Guy Levé, an experienced player from Montpellier in southern France, has a passion for bridge, particularly for the play of the cards. For many years he has been planning to assemble an in-depth study of all known card play techniques and their classification. The only thing he lacked was time for the project; now, having recently retired, he has accom- plished his ambitious task. It has been my privilege to follow its progress and watch the book take shape. A book such as this should not to be put into a beginner’s hands, but it should become a well-thumbed reference source for all players who want to improve their game. It will be an important text for experts as well, because all types of coups, even the strangest or rarest, are described. Can you execute a boomerang stepping-stone squeeze? Are you familiar with waiting moves? If not, you can find out what they are in these pages. What’s more — and in my view, an indispensable feature — much space has been dedicated to defensive techniques, one of the most exciting aspects of card play. Many of these deals have been published previously in books or magazines, but Guy identifies his various sources and has added personal analysis and commentaries. What’s more, all the examples are classified by topic, rendering them easy to retrieve as well as remember. Savor and use this book; its 800+ deals and diagrams will provide long and thought- provoking reading. It should become the reference book for everyone. May the seven of clubs bring you fun and fascination for many years to come! Philippe Poizat, European Senior Champion
Foreword 5 Foreword When did you last perform a dummy reversal, a Morton’s Fork, an avoidance play, an intra-finesse, or delight of delights, a squeeze? Have you ever thought about applying one of these techniques at the table? Do you know them well enough to do that? Okay, so you need to brush up a little — but where can you find the details? Here! This book lists all the techniques of card play at bridge from both declarer’s and defend- er’s point of view. There are many techniques that good players think they know, but I’ll wager that everyone, including the experts, will be surprised by the diversity of card play techniques that are known today. This book should be a useful resource for improving players, as well as those experienced players who are looking to enhance their skills. In fact, this book is for anyone who wants to explore in depth (or even just browse) those techniques that do not come up every day, but which come up often enough to make them matter in the long run. A small number of the chapters are designed to be educational. However, my goal is not to present a bridge course with inherent pedagogy and specific explanations. Rather my vision is of a collection of topics, a sort of dictionary or reference guide. Although most of the situations that I cover have already been described in books and magazines, they have never been brought together in one place... until now. In addition to card play techniques, the book addresses thinking methods, strategies, and the context in which each card play technique can be applied. However, many other aspects of card play are not described here: signaling and discarding, opening leads, safety plays, probabilities, etc. Our game is so rich and varied that it would have taken a mammoth tome to cover them all! Bidding is included only when needed for overall comprehension. Opponents’ bids, when given, are an indication of adverse dis- tribution and strength; otherwise bidding is not discussed here. Thinking techniques and strategies are the foundation of the game of bridge. Their execution requires knowledge of the card play techniques that are described extensively in the following pages. Even finesses, which are usually thought of as simple or trivial, can produce surprising results. Maneuvers and coups often produce excitement and admiration for their complexity and elegance. Are squeezes a technique of last resort? In many cases, they represent an additional chance for declarer. The relevant thinking techniques are described, followed by all known positions.
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