Get the monthly magazine

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Even if you never play in a duplicate and have zero master points, it would be a good idea to join the American Contract Bridge League (acbl.org). The reason is to receive the monthly magazine (to which I am a contributor). It has instructional articles for all levels of player and news about the world of bridge.

The diagramed deal was in the Challenge of the Month feature. How should South plan the play in five clubs after West has shown at least 5-5 in the majors and leads the heart king?

West made a Michaels Cue-Bid. This is a good convention because it allows the user to describe his hand in one call. This is a bad convention because if the opponents buy the contract, it has given the declarer a road map of the deal－as in this case.

Assuming the diamond queen is not singleton or doubleton, South seems to have three losers: two hearts and one diamond. But he knows East has only a singleton heart. This allows declarer to arrange an endplay.

South wins the first trick with dummy's heart ace and－key play－ruffs a spade in his hand. Then declarer plays a trump to dummy. If West discards, South will need West to have a doubleton diamond queen. Here, though, declarer ruffs another spade, returns to dummy with a trump and ruffs the last spade. Then he plays three rounds of diamonds.

East takes that trick, but must return a spade or a diamond. Whichever he chooses, South sluffs one of his heart losers and ruffs on the board. Declarer takes one heart, two diamonds, seven clubs and the ruff in the dummy.