Play Bridge With Me

The “over-my-shoulder” genre in bridge literature became prominent in the writing of Terence Reese -- he was unsurpassed at it -- and continued in the work of writers such as Mike Lawrence, Larry Cohen and myself. The reader gets access into the mind of an expert player and follows his thought processes. The reader is exposed to techniques -- such as counting and drawing inferences -- that are supposedly reserved for experts.
In this book you sit beside me for 90 deals and can compare your decisions with mine. Most of the deals present problems on a level I would call “intermediate.” You won't agree with all my actions; bridge involves personal style and judgment. My at-the-table analysis may not even be error-free; that's part of the game also. Still, I hope you will find it interesting and instructive to listen in on my thoughts.

Frank Stewart is one of the world's most prolific bridge journalists, known as an advocate of a sound and disciplined approach to bidding. He won many tournament events before devoting himself to writing. Stewart served as co-editor of the ACBL's Bridge Bulletin 1984-1989 and continues to contribute through an instructional column he began in 1981. In 1986 Stewart began a collaboration with Alfred Sheinwold to produce the famed syndicated newspaper column “Sheinwold on Bridge.” After Sheinwold's death in 1997, the column continued under Stewart's byline as “Sheinwold's Bridge” and in 2000 became “Daily Bridge Club.” It appears in newspapers worldwide and on major internet sites. Stewart has published hundreds of magazine and on-line articles. He is the senior analyst for ACBL-wide Charity and International Fund events, having served since 1980. In 2014, Frank Stewart received the International Bridge Press Association's Truscott Award for achievements that Alan Truscott, the former bridge editor of the New York Times, would appreciate.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Author's Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Dedication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Ninety deals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9