43rd annual Book of the Year contest Winners

The American Bridge Teachers’ Association (ABTA) has announced winners in its 43rd annual Book of the Year contest, which recognizes excellence in instructional resources for bridge players of all levels. Awards were presented at the ABTA national convention in Toronto ON on July 18.

In the Intermediate category, two books tied for the award:

• Twelve Important Bridge Lessons on Defense (Master Point Press) by David Bird teaches valuable skills that can be used at every session of bridge. Each chapter includes analysis of full deals, recap questions and quizzes to illustrate the concepts.
• The Magic of Defense (Master Point Press) by Barbara Seagram focuses on how to make defending more enjoyable and successful by communicating with partner.

Winner in the Advanced Intermediate category was Parrish the Thought: Modern Defensive Thinking (Bridge Winners Press) by Adam Parrish. The author explains the thought processes that can help defenders visualize unseen hands, make accurate signals and choose active vs. passive strategies.

Top-rated runners-up in the Advanced Intermediate category were:

• Method Bridge (Granovettor Books) by Matthew Granovettor.
• Solving the Mystery of the Redouble (AuthorHouse) by James Marsh Sternberg, MD and Danny Kleinman.
• Secret JoJo Plays Lebensohl (Secret JoJo Bridge Publications) by Joanne Waldron.

Winner in the Advanced category was Simple Squeezes Made Simple (AuthorHouse) by James Marsh Sternberg, MD and Danny Kleinman. The authors offer clear, step-by-step explanations and more than 100 example deals to take the mystery out of the most common types of squeeze plays.

Top-rated runner-up in the Advanced category was Why I Lose at Bridge: A Collection of Cardplay Errors (Master Point Press) by Ben Norton.

ABTA Award Committee members are Jeff Bayone, Sam Marks, Henry Meguid, Brenda Montague and Karen Walker (chair).

ABTA is now accepting submissions for its 2025 awards, which will be announced in July 2025. Eligible works are printed books as well as other media, including instructional podcasts, video lessons, webinars and software.

Authors or publishers wishing to enter new titles can get more information by sending email to bookoftheyear@abtahome.com . The submission deadline is May 1, 2025.