Board of the day, solved: 20 October 2026
The bots bid UK Acol (weak no trump). Below the auction, every call is explained.
The four hands
North 7 points
- ♠ A 10 9 5
- ♥ K 8 6
- ♦ 10 4 3
- ♣ 8 7 4
West 5 points
- ♠ J 7 6 3
- ♥ 9 5 4 2
- ♦ Q 7 5 2
- ♣ Q
East 8 points
- ♠ 8 4 2
- ♥ Q 3
- ♦ K 9 8 6
- ♣ K 10 5 3
South 20 points
- ♠ K Q
- ♥ A J 10 7
- ♦ A J
- ♣ A J 9 6 2
The auction
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | 1♣ | ||
| Pass | 1♠ | Pass | 3♥ |
| Pass | 3NT | Pass | Pass |
| Pass |
Every call explained
- East: Pass – Not enough to open (8 points).
- South: 1♣ – 1♣: opening strength (20 points), 5 clubs.
- West: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- North: 1♠ – New suit at the one level: 4 spades, 6+ points. Forcing for one round.
- East: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- South: 3♥ – Jump shift: 20 points, 4 hearts; forcing to game.
- West: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- North: 3NT – Game in no-trump: about 28 points together.
- East: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- South: Pass – About 28 points together; I stop here.
- West: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
Contract and best result
Contract: 3NT by North.
With perfect play by everyone (double dummy) declarer takes 9 tricks: made exactly.
Par (the best result for both sides): 3NT by South (+2), +460 for North-South.
The opening lead
East leads ♦6. Fourth best from my longest suit (diamonds).
What does this board teach?
- Why the auction works: North-South have 27 points between them and no eight-card major fit, so no trumps. That is enough for game (rule of thumb: 25 points together, or a little less with a good fit). The key call is 3NT (North): Game in no-trump: about 28 points together.
- Par is 3NT by South (+2) (+460 for North-South); the bots score 2 IMPs less than par here.
- The lead of ♦6 is one of the best with perfect play: another lead can cost a trick.
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