THE SINGLETON MAKES OR BREAKS

Kinky Friedman, a country singer, songwriter and humorist, said, “Remember: Y’all is singular. All y’all is plural. All y’all’s is plural possessive.”

Bridge has a singular aspect — one card in a suit. It can be invaluable when a good trump fit exists and it is opposite weakness. Look at today’s North hand. After South opens one heart, what should North respond?

He has game-going values, but the best bid is definitely a wild leap to four diamonds. This is called a splinter bid. It shows four-card support or longer, at least gamegoing values and a low singleton or singleton ace (or void) in diamonds. (Do not splinter with a singleton king.) Now South has no diamond losers because if necessary he can ruff them. So he uses Blackwood to uncover the heart ace, heart king and spade king. When he finds them opposite, he bids seven hearts.

How should the play proceed after West leads the diamond king?

The only danger is a 4-0 trump split. If East has all four hearts, declarer is down. But if West has them, South is safe as long as he starts with the trump queen, keeping dummy’s ace and king over West’s jack and 10. Declarer continues with a second trump, winning West’s 10 with the king. He returns to hand with, say, a spade, plays a heart to dummy's nine, draws West’s last trump and claims. South's 13 tricks are two spades, five hearts, one diamond and five clubs. Copyright United Feature Syndicate (Asia Features)