Board of the day, solved: 28 October 2026
The bots bid UK Acol (weak no trump). Below the auction, every call is explained.
The four hands
North 13 points
- ♠ A J 10 8 7
- ♥ 10 8 4
- ♦ A K J 10
- ♣ 2
West 9 points
- ♠ Q 5 3 2
- ♥ 9 6 3
- ♦ Q 9 8
- ♣ A J 6
East 7 points
- ♠ 9 6
- ♥ A Q J 5
- ♦ 7 6 4
- ♣ 10 9 7 3
South 11 points
- ♠ K 4
- ♥ K 7 2
- ♦ 5 3 2
- ♣ K Q 8 5 4
The auction
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | 1♠ | Pass | 2NT |
| Pass | 3♠ | Pass | 3NT |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
Every call explained
- West: Pass – Not enough to open (9 points).
- North: 1♠ – Opening strength (13 points), 5 spades.
- East: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- South: 2NT – Balanced, 10–12 points (invitational).
- West: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- North: 3♠ – Invitation accepted; I show five spades: partner chooses between 3NT and 4♠.
- 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 26 points together; I stop here.
- East: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
Contract and best result
Contract: 3NT by South.
With perfect play by everyone (double dummy) declarer takes 9 tricks: made exactly.
Par (the best result for both sides): 3NT by North-South, +600 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
West leads ♣6. Fourth best from my longest suit (clubs).
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 South is also par: the best result for both sides.
- The lead of ♣6 is one of the best with perfect play: another lead can cost a trick.
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