A contract of five clubs needs no more than a 4-2 trump break and diamo nds 3-2. Can you spot how the hand should be played?

The normal response with the South hand is one heart, but South feared rebid problems should North venture one spade or one no trump. North, with a prime 16-count, elected to move toward game by cue-bidding the ace of hearts. For a brief moment that landed North in four hearts, a game that would make given a normal spade lead. But there is no doubt that five clubs is far superior. However, the reader might want to try making four hearts after East leads the queen of spades.

Against five clubs the lead was also a spade. Declarer ruffed, crossed to the ace of clubs and immediately ducked a diamond. The spade continuation was ruffed, trumps were drawn and, when diamonds broke, declarer had 11 tricks — six clubs, four diamonds and the ace of hearts.

At four hearts, declarer ruffs the spade lead in dummy, then uses the ace of clubs and the ace-king of diamonds to ruff three more spades in the South hand. The king of clubs is cashed for the eighth trick and declarer continues clubs, discarding a diamond. No matter how the play continues, declarer must score two more trump tricks for the contract. Try it.