Julian Y. Pottage (born 1962) is a British contract bridge player, writer, and teacher, who studied mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge.[1] He is also well known as a collector of bridge problems, and writes a monthly problem column in Britain's Bridge Magazine.[2]
He is the Bridge Correspondent for The Daily Telegraph, a regular contributor to English Bridge and, prior to Mr Bridge’s retirement, was Associate Editor of BRIDGE.[3]
He has written or co-authored 26 books on bridge, including Bridge Problems for a New Millennium and The Extra Edge In Play with Terence Reese (1913–1996). He also co-edited the 2010 second edition of Clyde E. Love's Bridge Squeezes Complete.[4]
His book Play or Defend? won the International Bridge Press Association's 2004 Book of the Year Award, as did A Great Deal of Bridge Problems, in 2014.
Pottage is from Hampshire and went to school at St John's College in Southsea and Millfield school in Somerset. After reading mathematics at Trinity College Cambridge, Julian had a career in the occupational pensions industry. More recently his work has concentrated on bridge writing and breeding golden retriever dogs, his kennel name being Yorkbeach.
As a player, Pottage has participated in several national and international events,[5] notably winning the Pachabo and Tollemache double in 1999. In recent years he has won several simultaneous pairs, including the inaugural Peter Jordan trophy. Julian was in the winning England team in the 1984 Junior Camrose and, having moved to Wales in 2005, has represented Wales in a number of international competitions. Since 2023, his caps for Wales include the most recent 3 European Championships and at least 1 Camrose weekend for each of the preceding 6 years.
He lives in Wales. He and his wife have 4 now adult children.
| Title | Published | Co-author | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art of Psychic Bidding, the | 2003 | Peter Burrows | |
| Back through the Pack | 2006 | ||
| Bridge Behind Bars | 2008 | Nick Smith | |
| Bridge Player's Companion, the | 2006 | ||
| Bridge Problems for a New Millennium | 2001 | ||
| Clues from the Bidding at Bridge | 1990 2005 | ||
| Defend or Declare | 2012 | ||
| Defend These Hands with Me | 2006 | ||
| Easy Guide to Defensive Signals at Bridge | 2005 | ||
| Extra Edge in Play at Bridge | 1994 2005 | Terence Reese | |
| Golden Rules for Rubber Bridge Players, the | 2005 | ||
| Golden Rules of Competitive Auctions, the | 2003 | Marc Smith | |
| Golden Rules of Constructive Bidding, the | 2002 | Marc Smith | |
| Golden Rules of Declarer play, the | 2001 | Marc Smith | |
| Golden Rules of Defence, the | 2000 | Marc Smith | |
| Golden Rules of Opening Leads, the | 2004 | ||
| Great Deal of Bridge Problems, a | 2007 | ||
| Little Book of Bridge Secrets | 2012 | ||
| Masterpieces of Declarer Play | 2001 | ||
| Masterpieces of Defence | 2002 | ||
| More Hocus Pocus | 2002 | Erwin Brecher | |
| Play or Defend | 2003 | ||
| Positive Declarer Play at Bridge | 1986 2005 | Terence Reese | |
| Positive Defense at Bridge | 1985 2005 | Terence Reese | |
| Why You still Lose at Bridge | 2013 | ||
| Win the Big Match | 2004 |