Board of the day, solved: 19 October 2026
The bots bid UK Acol (weak no trump). Below the auction, every call is explained.
The four hands
North 16 points
- ♠ 4 2
- ♥ K J 2
- ♦ K Q J 6
- ♣ A Q 7 3
West 11 points
- ♠ K 9 7 5
- ♥ 10 3
- ♦ A 9 3
- ♣ K J 9 8
East 5 points
- ♠ J 10 6 3
- ♥ A 9 5 4
- ♦ 10 8 7
- ♣ 6 4
South 8 points
- ♠ A Q 8
- ♥ Q 8 7 6
- ♦ 5 4 2
- ♣ 10 5 2
The auction
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | Pass | ||
| Pass | 1♦ | Pass | 1♥ |
| Pass | 1NT | Pass | 3NT |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
Every call explained
- East: Pass – Not enough to open (5 points).
- South: Pass – Not enough to open (8 points).
- West: Pass – Not enough to open (11 points).
- North: 1♦ – 1♦: opening strength (16 points), 4 diamonds. Acol opens four-card suits too.
- East: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- South: 1♥ – New suit at the one level: 4 hearts, 6+ points. Forcing for one round.
- West: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- North: 1NT – 1NT: balanced, 15–17 points.
- East: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- South: 3NT – Game in no-trump: about 25 points together.
- West: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- North: Pass – About 24 points together; I stop here.
- East: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
Contract and best result
Contract: 3NT by North.
With perfect play by everyone (double dummy) declarer takes 8 tricks: 1 down.
Par (the best result for both sides): 3NT by South, +400 for North-South.
The opening lead
East leads ♠J. Top of a sequence in spades.
What does this board teach?
- Why the auction works: North-South have 24 points between them and no eight-card major fit, so no trumps. This contract goes down with perfect play, but costs less than letting the opponents play. The key call is 3NT (South): Game in no-trump: about 25 points together.
- 3NT by North-South is also par: the best result for both sides.
- The lead of ♠J is one of the best with perfect play: another lead can cost a trick.
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