The bridge partnership is one of the most important aspect of playing a good game. Different people match together in different ways – and it can be apparent in the way you and your bridge partner bid, play, and practice your game.
Online bridge has made finding instant partnerships easier, but players should still aim to better their partnership play just as much as they would work on their tricks.
If you would like to ensure better or more synchronized partnership playing, practice regularly as a team, and kibitz what you can. Then, send your partner in the direction of some partnership books
Here’s a look at 6 recommended books for developing better bridge partnerships.
1: Partnership bidding: a workbook
While Partnership Bidding: A Workbook might not be the catchiest title that was ever written down, the book itself is worlds better than the title makes it sound.
It’s practical, and tells you exactly how to work on bidding better with your partner.
For many partnerships who have the time to devote to more serious practice, the Workbook is an excellent addition.
2: Partnership defence
There are several different ways to play your game as a team.
Partnership Defence is a classic by bridge writer Kit Woolsey that can teach any partnership some new tricks.
It was first published in 1980, but the advice is just as valid today (and partnerships argue about just the same things…)
3: The language of bridge
By Kit Woolsey
One of the most important things a partnership can do is communicate – and learning how to do it well means you’ve got to know your way around the language of bridge.
The Language Of Bridge is an excellent book for learning partnership communication, and an award-winning one at that.
It was selected as the 2018 IBPA Book Of The Year – and just for the accolades and good reviews, you should read it!
4: Partnership bidding at bridge
By Andrew Robson
Partnership Bidding At Bridge is another classic of bridge canon, written by teacher and player Andrew Robson.
What I loved about this book is that it explains everything in simple terms. New partnerships won’t find it overwhelming, and seasoned partnerships will almost certainly find it refreshing.
Once you’re done with it, Andrew Robson has an extensive library of other writing about bridge you can explore.
5: The kibitzer: bridge partnership techniques
By Joe Moitoza
Bridge Partnership Techniques is a title by Joe Moitoza that not everyone out there might have heard of by now.
Well, that’s why I decided to put it on this list in the first place.
The Kibitzer is simple, but complex.
The techniques the book describes are even useful for online bridge (and instant partnerships that were just formed).
6: The partnership agreements book
The Partnership Agreements Book is another that might not have the hottest title in the world, but comes highly recommended.
It’s elaborate, and contains 200 pages of the agreements you might make with your partner before the bidding commences.
It says nothing about who picks up the pre-game lunch bill, but I’m sure bridge partnerships can figure that one out.