The American Bridge Teachers’ Association (ABTA) has announced winners in its 43rd annual Book of the Year contest. Advanced category was Simple Squeezes Made Simple (AuthorHouse) by James Marsh Sternberg, MD and Danny Kleinman. Advanced Intermediate category was Parrish the Thought: Modern Defensive Thinking (Bridge Winners Press) by Adam Parrish. Intermediate category, two books tied for the award: Twelve Important Bridge Lessons on Defense (Master Point Press) by David Bird.  The Magic of Defense (Baron Barclay) by Barbara Seagram. Read recap on Bridge Winners here.

1. System Templates for Faster Development: Creating a bidding system from scratch can be time-consuming, but with System Templates, BridgeDocs simplifies the process. These modular templates allow you to quickly apply pre-built building blocks to your system. It’s a fast, easy way to customize your bidding approach without having to reinvent the wheel. Whether you’re working on a brand-new system or refining an existing one, these templates make it simple to experiment and learn.

1. Real-Time Collaboration: Have you ever wanted to sit down with a bridge partner and work on your system together, in real time? Now you can, thanks to BridgeDocs’ Real-Time Collaboration feature. You and your teammates can build or refine your systems together, with changes appearing instantly on the platform. This live collaboration means you no longer have to rely on endless emails or document exchanges—everything happens seamlessly on the platform. It’s like having a virtual workspace specifically built for bridge players.

1. Multiple Systems and Easy-to-Use Note Formats: Many bridge players like to experiment with different systems, and BridgeDocs is built to support that. With Multiple System Management, you can create and manage several systems simultaneously. Each system is kept organized, and you can easily switch between them to tweak different aspects as needed.

   On top of that, BridgeDocs uses a collapsible node format for notes, making it simple to organize your ideas. It’s similar to how you’d structure a Google Doc, but with features designed specifically for bridge. Whether you’re jotting down a simple sequence or outlining a more complex bidding sequence, this format keeps everything neat and easy to follow.

1. Competitive and Constructive Modes: For players looking to really dig into the details of their bidding systems, BridgeDocs now offers Competitive and Constructive Modes. In Competitive Mode, you can easily enter bids for competitive auctions, while Constructive Mode helps you organize non-competitive auctions. Passes are automatically entered in Constructive Mode, saving you time and keeping things efficient. These modes make it easier to track your system’s specific bidding rules depending on the type of auction you’re working with.

1. User-Friendly Interface and Future Enhancements: BridgeDocs is designed to be easy to use, with an intuitive interface that keeps things simple, even for newer users. You can quickly set up your system, add notes, and apply templates without any technical expertise. Plus, the platform is constantly evolving, with new features in development. For example, the team is exploring how to add print-friendly formats for your system notes and looking into ways to integrate even more advanced tools.

   Users have also suggested future enhancements like adding AI-powered features to generate bidding sequences that match specific meta rules. With ongoing updates, there’s always something new to look forward to at BridgeDocs.