Board of the day, solved: 26 October 2026
The bots bid UK Acol (weak no trump). Below the auction, every call is explained.
The four hands
North 13 points
- ♠ A 9 6
- ♥ K Q 2
- ♦ K 7 6 2
- ♣ J 8 7
West 5 points
- ♠ Q J 10 4
- ♥ 9 8 6
- ♦ Q 3
- ♣ 10 6 5 4
East 11 points
- ♠ K 8 7
- ♥ A J 10 7 3
- ♦ 10 9 5 4
- ♣ K
South 11 points
- ♠ 5 3 2
- ♥ 5 4
- ♦ A J 8
- ♣ A Q 9 3 2
The auction
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | 1NT | 2♥ | 3NT |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
Every call explained
- West: Pass – Not enough to open (5 points).
- North: 1NT – Balanced, 12–14 points (I have 13).
- East: 2♥ – Overcall: 5 hearts, 11 points.
- South: 3NT – Game in no-trump: about 25 points together.
- West: Pass – No support and few points.
- North: Pass – After their interference partner's NT is natural and to play; I pass.
- East: Pass – My earlier bid already described my hand; I have nothing extra to show.
Contract and best result
Contract: 3NT by North.
With perfect play by everyone (double dummy) declarer takes 10 tricks: made with 1 overtrick.
Par (the best result for both sides): 3NT by North-South (+1), +430 for North-South.
What do these words mean?
Double dummy: as if all four players could see each other’s cards and nobody made a mistake. That is how the computer works out what the board holds.
Par: the best result when both sides bid and play perfectly. Sometimes that is a contract that goes down, because the opponents would otherwise score more.
Down: the contract takes too few tricks. “1 down” means one trick short.
The opening lead
East leads ♥J. Top of a sequence in hearts.
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. That is enough for game (rule of thumb: 25 points together, or a little less with a good fit). The key call is 3NT (South): Game in no-trump: about 25 points together.
- 3NT by North is also par: the best result for both sides.
- With perfect play ♠K was a better lead: the defence then takes 1 trick more.
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