"If defence is the hardest part of playing bridge (and it is!) then defending at matchpoint scoring is the toughest challenge a player can face. Every trick matters, irrespective of the contract, and every decision is potentially critical. In his previous book, "Thinking on Defence", Jim Priebe introduced the idea of visualization, picturing likely hands for declarer and basing defensive strategy on those. In this book, he show how to apply the same methods when playing in matchpoint events, which means essentially every pairs competition."--Publisher description.

Defense is the most difficult part of bridge, and for most players, the hardest part of defense is figuring out what kind of strategy they should be pursuing. In this book, the reader is shown step-by-step how to visualise declarer's cards from the bidding and play, and then how to use this information to form a plan for the defense. This book is based on Jim Priebe's popular articles 'Visualisation on Defense' which appeared in the ACBL Bulletin in early 2001.

A collection of declarer play problems in matchpoint pairs. How do you manufacture that vital overtrick, or, just as importantly, give the defenders a chance to go wrong? A book for all duplicate players.

The 1940 Ogdensburg Agreement entrenched a formal defence relationship between Canada and the United States. But was Canadian sovereignty upheld? Drawing on untapped archival material, Sovereignty and Command in Canada–US Continental Air Defence, 1940–57 documents the close and sometimes fractious relationship between the two countries. Richard Goette challenges prevailing perceptions that Canada’s defence relationship with the United States eroded Canadian sovereignty. He argues instead that a functional military transition from an air defence system based on cooperation to one based on integrated and centralized command and control under NORAD allowed Canada to retain command of its forces and thus protect Canadian sovereignty. Goette combines historical narrative with conceptual analysis of sovereignty, command and control systems, military professionalism, and civil-military relations. In the process, he provides essential insights into the Royal Canadian Air Force’s paradigm shift away from its Royal Air Force roots toward closer ties with the United States Air Force and the role of the nation’s armed forces in safeguarding its sovereignty.

So you tend to be dealt very bad hands. I know exactly you feel! But, facing the facts of life and recognising that it is not your fault, you are going to have to accommodate this failing and improve your defence. It is a hard part of the game; even in international competitions, the standard of defensive play is, to put it kindly, modest. Yes, you will get plenty of reports of brilliances involving spectacular switches, deceptions, unblocks and discards of honours. But for every one of those, there are countless others in which the display would disgrace any beginners' class. I am going to assume that you are a regular club or tournament player who knows the basics of defence but who comes unstuck when it comes to situations where you have to work the hand out in detail. This book will help you to improve dramatically in this area. -- Danny Roth.

Lovably troublesome Gladie Burger runs into sizzling danger and a fiery love triangle in the second installment of Elise Sax’s hilarious and sexy Matchmaker romance series. Since joining the family matchmaking business run by her eccentric Grandma Zelda, Gladie is always looking for love. But when an unbearable toothache knocks her out of commission and into the dentist’s chair, she prays only for relief. No such luck. Emerging from an anesthetic haze, Gladie awakes to find that not only is her tooth still throbbing, but her dentist is dead—and the lead suspect in the murder, office receptionist Belinda, just so happens to be Gladie’s first real client. Now it’s up to Gladie to find Belinda a man and keep her from being locked up behind bars. As if that weren’t enough distraction, two gorgeous men are vying for Gladie’s attention: Spencer, the playboy chief of police, and Holden, Gladie’s secretive, gorgeously muscled neighbor. Still, Gladie’s not complaining about having a helping hand or two when the case leads her to a dangerously bizarre cult. She may have met her match—and if she’s not careful, it could be her last. Praise for Elise Sax and Matchpoint “Elise Sax will win your heart.”—New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis “With quirky characters reminiscent of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series and a small-town heroine redolent of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse, Sax’s second Matchmaker novel will no doubt delight fans and new readers alike. With its charming cast and an intriguing mystery, this fast-paced, zany story provides great fun and features some impressive ingenuity. The love triangle woven into the plot adds an amusing diversion to the main story and will keep readers gleefully trying to guess whodunit.”—RT Book Reviews “Sax’s second novel is a fun, funny romp of a mystery mixed with a sexy love triangle. Gladie is an endearing mess of a character, and the book is fast-paced and amusing, with a large cast of quirky, small-town characters that flesh out a well-crafted, entertaining storyline. A lighthearted and amusing caper with a sexy side order of romance.”—Kirkus Reviews “A cheeky series that has plenty of romantic complications, danger and humor to keep pages going!”—The Parkersburg News and Sentinel “Elise Sax will make you laugh. Her larger-than-life characters jump off the page and make crazy seem like a fun place to hang out.”—New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig From the Paperback edition.

A comprehensive reference book containing everything you want to know about bridge. 865 pages.

“Match Play and the Spin of the Ball” is a vintage guide to tennis by William T. Tilden. William Tatem Tilden II (1893 – 1953), commonly known as "Big Bill", was an American tennis player who is often hailed as one of the greatest tennis players of all time With simple explanations and helpful diagrams, this fantastic guide is highly recommended for both new and experienced players alike, and it is not to be missed by collectors of vintage sporting literature. Contents include: “Our Greatest Player”, “Chapter I - The Spin Of The Ball”, “Chapter II – Grips”, “Chapter III - Footwork And Timing”, “Chapter IV - Attack And Defence”, “Chapter V - Singles And Doubles”, “Chapter VI - The All-Court Game”, “Chapter VII - The Value Of Intensive Practice”, “Chapter VIII - Youth To The Fore”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

From stately lawns and gentlemen players to Andre Agassi and Venus Williams: 65 great writings on tennis that chronicle the transformation of the sport. Since its inception, tennis has embraced traditions more patrician than plebeian. But times--and tennis--have changed. The game once reserved for royalty has moved from estate lawns to the concrete courts of the city. Old guard amateurs have given way to prodigies plastered with corporate logos. And while barriers of gender, race, and class have been shattered, the modern plagues of self-promotion, the paparazzi, and challengers of ever-escalating talent loom large. In The Right Set, award-winning novelist and editor Caryl Phillips presents a collection of writings on the remarkable evolution of a gentleman's pastime into a sport of jet-set players of athletic and psychological genius. Here are the stories of champions, from the Renshaw twins to "ghetto Cinderella" Venus Williams. Here, too, are volleys between tradition and innovation--debates on everything from etiquette and earnings to André Agassi's rejection of the customary tennis whites. Insightful, informative, wonderfully entertaining, The Right Set is as colorful and surprising as the game itself. John McPhee on Ashe vs. Graebner David Higdon on Venus Williams James Thurber on Helen Wills Martina Navratilova on Bad Losers Martin Amis on Smashing the Rackets and more