How do I solve 13 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31240?

Question

Accepted Answer

13 across reads "Card game cut short by dental work" (8,6 letters); the answer is CONTRACT BRIDGE. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Card game cut short by dental work (8,6)

13A — Card game cut short by dental work (8,6) — CONTRACT BRIDGE