📖 Overview
Eddie Kantar Teaches Modern Bridge Defense is a comprehensive guide to defensive bridge play. The book covers essential concepts including opening leads, defensive signals, and partnership communication at the bridge table.
The text breaks down complex defensive scenarios into clear examples and practice hands. Each chapter focuses on specific defensive techniques and includes quizzes to reinforce the material.
Kantar draws from decades of experience as a champion player and respected bridge teacher to present both fundamental and advanced concepts. The instruction progresses from basic defensive principles to sophisticated strategies used at high-level competitive play.
This work stands as a definitive text on bridge defense, emphasizing the analytical thinking and partnership coordination required for successful defensive play. The systematic approach to improving defensive skills makes it relevant for players at various experience levels.
👀 Reviews
Bridge players consistently rate this as one of the top defensive play books for intermediate and advanced students. Many readers note that Kantar's clear explanations and numerous example hands help absorb complex defensive concepts.
Likes:
- Clear breakdown of signals and defensive strategies
- Quizzes and practice hands reinforce learning
- Touches on psychology and partnership trust
- Conversational writing style makes difficult topics accessible
Dislikes:
- Some find the organization confusing, with concepts scattered across chapters
- A few readers say the examples are too complex for true beginners
- Print quality issues reported in some editions
Ratings:
Amazon: 4.5/5 (62 reviews)
Goodreads: 4.3/5 (28 ratings)
Reader Quote: "His explanations stick with you at the table. The quizzes helped me internalize key concepts about counting and visualization." - Bridge Forums user
The book remains in active use at bridge clubs and classes 20+ years after publication.
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Card Play Technique by Victor Mollo Each chapter focuses on specific card combinations and defensive strategies through detailed hand analysis.
Defense in Bridge by Ron Klinger The text breaks down defensive play through common scenarios and specific techniques for reading partner's signals.
Bridge Logic by Julian Pottage Bridge puzzles and problems build decision-making skills through progressive difficulty levels focused on defensive play.
Play These Hands with Me by Terence Reese A bridge master presents 40 complete hands from real tournaments and walks through the thought process behind each decision.
Card Play Technique by Victor Mollo Each chapter focuses on specific card combinations and defensive strategies through detailed hand analysis.
Defense in Bridge by Ron Klinger The text breaks down defensive play through common scenarios and specific techniques for reading partner's signals.
Bridge Logic by Julian Pottage Bridge puzzles and problems build decision-making skills through progressive difficulty levels focused on defensive play.
🤔 Interesting facts
🎲 Eddie Kantar is a world-class bridge player who has won multiple World Bridge Federation championships and represented the United States in several international competitions.
♠️ The book is considered one of the most comprehensive guides on bridge defense, covering both basic principles and advanced techniques through carefully chosen example hands.
♣️ Modern bridge defense requires players to master sophisticated signaling systems between partners, and this book introduces methods like "attitude signals" and "count signals" that are now standard in competitive play.
♦️ Before becoming a bridge expert, Eddie Kantar was a table tennis champion and won the California State Junior Championship at age 17.
♥️ The book is part of a larger series of bridge instruction books by Kantar, and has been translated into several languages due to its popularity among bridge players worldwide.