N°67 • NOVEMBER 2025

Surprisingly, no one appears to have harnessed the power offered by computers to address this conundrum.

What is much clearer is the reading preferences of players. According to the world’s leading publishers of bridge books, Master Point Press, books on play and defence are generally more popular than those on bidding.

There are exceptions, notably 25 Conventions you Need to Know, which has already sold more than 250,000 copies (!) and To Bid or Not to Bid.

Books on play that have done well in recent years include The Rodwell Files.

However, if we turn back the clock to the 1930s’ we discover that these figures pale into insignificance when compared to Ely Culbertson’s Blue Book which sold more than 3,000,000 copies. (It is not widely known that Ian Fleming, while writing Moonraker, which features the famous 7 Clubs deal where Drax and Meyer play Bond and M at Blades, used the book for reference purposes.)

Although skill in declarer play can save your bacon from time to time, there can be little doubt that consistently reaching the right contract will make your life much easier, especially if you develop your judgement in competitive auctions.

Number 67 – Monthly – November 2025 – Director of publication Olivier Comte – Publisher Éditions de Presse Spécialisée Le Bridgeur – 33 avenue Emile Zola, 92100 Boulogne Billancourt  – France – Executive Director Karine Meyer-Naudan – Editorial Committee Michel Bessis – Muriel Clément – Philippe Cronier – Mark Horton – Vincent Labbé – Norbert Lébely – Karine Meyer-Naudan – Assistant Editor-in Chief Vincent Labbé – Editorial Secretary Muriel Clément – Adverts Bridgerama+ Muriel Clément 01 42 96 25 50  – Subscriptions 01 42 96 25 50 – Art Director Isabelle Le Squer-Fontaine/Maya – mayatom@me.com – Translation Monika Kummel – Legal Deposit november 2025, N°7.680 – Joint Committee – 1118 K 85690 – ISSN 0184-8127.