The fate of many a contract hangs on the opening lead, making it the most important play in the whole hand. The Golden Rules of Opening Leads is an excellent guide to this frequently neglected aspect of the game. Here you can find all of the rules, with examples relevant to bridge today. If you study this book carefully, you will find that the way to pick killing leads derives from what you hear in the auction and in relating that to what you see in your hand.

The most comprehensive book ever written on opening leads. Almost every situation imaginable is presented with a wealth of examples from world championship play.

In bridge, there are thousands of rules, guidelines, and understandings - but which are golden? Many players enjoy their game without knowing some of the most significant underlying facts about the game, making mistakes which ruin their scores. With some gentle and entertaining reading, all players can improve their game hugely, just by knowing the Golden Rules of Bridge. From thirty years of teaching and playing, Paul Mendelson presents a book containing what he considers are the golden rules of bridge: the techniques and tips which occur most frequently and which provide the biggest edge against your opponents, and offer the biggest scoring advantages. He explains the thinking and logical reasoning behind each element - bidding, declarer play, defence - to ensure that readers remember and understand why they do what they do. These tips and techniques will transform your results and enjoyment of the game, whether you play social rubber bridge or Chicago, club teams events or duplicate pairs. If you play an Acol-based system or any of the many natural bidding systems available, knowing the Golden Rules will improve your score and frustrate your opponents, leaving you in the best spots and them with the tough decisions.

The opening lead can be the most difficult lead in the whole game - and the most critical. When you are choosing your opening lead, you have only thirteen cards to contemplate and the auction to guide you, whereas for every other lead more than twice as many cards are known. A shrewd opening lead may provide a greater chance of successful defence than any card played at a later stage. This superb book shows how to predict the way the play will probably develop and what, therefore, is likely to be the best opening lead. The authors' consistent aim is to encourage the player to gather all the threads of information helpful in deciding what may be the crucial card to lead. And, for good measure, this guidance is amplified by a generous number of expert tips unlikely to be known to most players.

Master puzzler Erwin Brecher teams up with top bridge problemist Julian Pottage to present as second collection of bridge problems, math brain-teasers and logic puzzles

"It's generally accepted that defense is the most difficult part of the game. Audrey's latest book takes a look at defending against notrump contracts with a focus on the opening lead and how it impacts the subsequent defense. The book covers: the oldest maxim, fourth highest from longest and strongest...and why it has stood the test of time; when to lead partner's suit...and which card to lead; why you should avoid leading the opponents' suit...and what to do if you can't; what to lead from a sequence...and why it matters; when to lead the 'top of nothing'; when it's time to 'take the tricks and run'; there are 16 practice deals. The book is for the advancing player."--Publisher's description.

Based on Mike Lawrence and Ron Klinger's acclaimed book OPENING LEADS FOR ACOL PLAYERS, this Fast Fact Finder provides the general questions you must ask yourself before leading and gives a vast number of expert tips for specific lead situations. The flipper aims to answer queries such as, 'When is it better not to lead partner's suit?' 'When is it best to attack', 'When is a passive lead preferable?' 'When is it reasonable to lead an ace-high suit?' and many others. The opening lead can be the make-or-break point of the contract. If players would spend more time on the opening lead and less in the post mortem, declarers would face a tougher contest. If you are like most players, chances are that no part of your game deserves more work and study than the opening lead. You cannot expect to make the best lead every time but you can certainly boost your average.

The opening lead is one of the toughest areas of the game. By following the guide-lines in this book not only will you find the winning lead more often, but also you will be able to avoid the futile or dangerous leads which make declarer's task easier. By giving less away with the opening lead, your scores are bound to improve. This book is about the logic and methods for finding the best lead time and time again. The first section deals with the approach you should adopt before you even consider plucking a card from your hand. It provides a series of steps to enable you to come up with the best start. This is followed by a section of practical problems that arose in major competitions where the very best players did not always find the right answer. Most importantly, the solutions to each problem include the logic behind the right choice and the clues that should point you in the right direction. After completing this book, perhaps you will not find the killing lead every time, but you will find it more often.

Opening Leads, Attitude, Count, Suit Preference, Rule of Eleven and Present Count. The tools needed to mount a successful defense.