Eddie Kantar Teaches Modern Bridge Defense

The book focuses on leads, signals (Attitude, Count, Suit Preference), and how to card (what card to play in 2nd or 3rd spot), rather than general defensive principles. The content is excellent, well presented (humorous!!), and best of all, has lots of quizzes. None of this skimming a section and figuring you know it, the quiz will let you find out for certain. 2 warnings: 1) make sure your partner is using the same techniques, otherwise you may get worse results. Its not that the ideas in the book are radical, they are mainstream. But if pard doesn't understand your signal, they may do something weird and you will be worse off. 2) The book is a bit technical (5 situations where this is a suit preference signal. If Dummy wins with a Q then signal count, otherwise ... If you can see the X in dummy then pard will know to do this, else that, etc. You will need to reread it several times, and probably make notes. VALUABLE STUFF, but ONLY as part of a partnership that understands each other.

This is a great book on defense, because Kantar covers almost every intermediate situation comprehensively and give you black and white rules for every situation. He doesn't in this book consider varied leading/signalling conventions but just gives one way to play, but that's fine as he explains his method clearly and shows why he recommends everything he does. I'd recommend it to every player.

Eddie Kantar is one of the most highly regarded teaching experts in today's world of bridge. This award winning 1999 book is strictly for learning how to defend, where after all every player spends a great deal of time, with usually little formal instruction to help the process. The writing and illustrations of every point are sound and thorough, yet at a level suitable for advanced beginners and intermediate players. Discussion of techniques and illustrative examples are supplemented beautifully with test samples after every chapter, with solutions provided to help reinforce the teaching presented earlier. The chapter summaries in themselves form a terrific primer on the art of gaining more tricks on defense. Highly recommended!

Perhaps Kantar's best book yet. Basic concepts for the intermediate player by one of the best authors of books on defense. Clearly laid-out principles and summaries. Intermediate defense play has never been explained better. Awarded American Bridge Teachers' Association "1999 Best Intermediate Bridge Book of the Year."

This is a great book for intermediate players wanting to get better. Let's face it - you're going to be playing defense half of the time but few books cover this subject well. I've also read his book, Advanced Bridge Defense, and it is good but this is the place to start. Each chapter includes some practice problems to help you remember the points made. Kantar even itemizes the points to be covered in the beginning and then summarizes them at the end - a great teaching aid. Top this off with the fact that he has a great writing style that makes it fun to read and you have a real winner.