Opening Leads - Online Material

[pbleighton]

I have a couple of books which deal with this topic - Bill Root and Frank Stewart stuff, but I am looking for an online resource which will provide quizzes, preferably though not necessarily with explanations of the answers.

 

Peter

[jillybean]

Hi,

Are there any online resources? I would be interested too.

Thanks,

jillybean

[inquiry]

I am not away of too much on line about quizes and opening leads. There are lot of quizes, like Richard Pavlick's monthly ones, that will include a hand or two where you are asked what to lead. But nothing I know ofthat is exensive (maybe someone else knows). Anyway, ceratinly nothing that will compete with a good book on the subject... but here are few you might look at...

 

http://www.rpbridge.net/bb12.htm Richard Pavlicek pages have a lot of neat and interesting things.... :-)

 

http://www.bridgecompanion.com/quiz/openinglead.htm

 

A few from our friends at fifthchair.org

What suit to lead

 

Jounalist leads

[whereagles]

Not online, but these are the best books I read on the subject:

 

Opening leads - R. Owen

Opening leads - E. Blackwood

Test your opening leads - H. Kelsey

Complete book on opening leads - M. Lawrence

 

Owen is the classic reference. Blackwood's book is more complete, but not as deep as Owen. Kelsey is a excellent quiz book. Lawrence is a bit of a quiz as well, with more theory behind the solutions.

[Trpltrbl]

Opening leads are not scientific, they change with bidding, scoring and opps.

That's why you will no find quizes, it's more a feel and experience then something you learn out of a book. Like with most things in bridge, you can learn the very basics and then your experience and, if you have it , bridge feel will kick in.

 

Mike :D

[WrecksVee]

Opening Leads by R Owen is cited. I think that should be "Opening Leads" by Robert Ewen. This was the first book that showed me I was not paying enough attention to what info was available in selecting an opening lead. Highly recommended and likely out of print.

[luke warm]

Opening Leads by R Owen is cited. I think that should be "Opening Leads" by Robert Ewen. This was the first book that showed me I was not paying enough attention to what info was available in selecting an opening lead. Highly recommended and likely out of print.

based on this recommendation i just bought the book.. found it at amazon (it is out of print, but there are a few people selling used copies)... thanks wrecks

[slothy]

Opening Leads by R Owen is cited. I think that should be "Opening Leads" by Robert Ewen. This was the first book that showed me I was not paying enough attention to what info was available in selecting an opening lead. Highly recommended and likely out of print.

Obviously poor whereagles not paying much attention to how he spells names of authors

 

:D

[whereagles]

Nah, what really happened was that when I posted the message, the Euro 2004 football championship was starting and everybody talked about Michael Owen, a forward from the English team, so the OWEN surname got into my mind and into my post, eheh.

 

It's indeed R. Ewen, yes.

[ArcLight]

I would start with OPENING LEADS by Robert Ewen. Its comprehensive and has bidding quizes. It also covers lead directing doubles (not just against slams). A good place to start.

 

I would not recommend the Easly Blackwood book (Opening Leads). Its verbose, and not nearly as good.

 

After the Ewen book I'd try the Hugh Kelsey (Improve your Opening Leads). Its a test of what you have learned from the Ewen book.

 

Now after you have read those 2, and digested some of the techniques, the definitive work on Opening leads is by Mike Lawrence (Opening Leads).

 

The Lawrence book is deeper and more up to date than the Ewen book. The emphasis is on teaching you to evaluate what you know about the card distribution based on the bidding and your hand, before you even look at your hand. You do not pick up a hand headed by Q J 10 9 and say thats the suit I'm going to lead. You evaluate what you have learned from the bidding and decide on your plan.

 

There are many quizzes at the end of each section, and a very long set of quizzes, based on bidding at the end. He incorporates bidding conventions to teach you additional techniques. Its slow going as there is a lot to learn and think about. I suggest reading the Ewen book first, to get a good grounding, before the deeper Lawrence book.

[Chamaco]

I would like to add Tony Sowter's book "Opening leads in bridge" (Batsford ed.)

 

It is especially illuminating (compared to Lawrences', Blackwood's and Ewen's books) in understanding when it ir right to lead aggressively or passively, especially at NT contracts.

 

I have all the above mentioned books and in my opinion, Sowter's is by far the best for non-beginners.