Board of the day, solved: 29 October 2026
The bots bid UK Acol (weak no trump). Below the auction, every call is explained.
The four hands
North 6 points
- ♠ 10 8 4 3
- ♥ 5
- ♦ Q 8 6
- ♣ A 8 7 6 4
West 11 points
- ♠ A K J 6 2
- ♥ Q 10 6
- ♦ J 10 7
- ♣ 9 2
East 13 points
- ♠ Q
- ♥ J 8 3
- ♦ A K 4 3 2
- ♣ Q J 10 3
South 10 points
- ♠ 9 7 5
- ♥ A K 9 7 4 2
- ♦ 9 5
- ♣ K 5
The auction
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1♦ | 1♥ | ||
| 1♠ | Pass | 2♣ | Pass |
| 3NT | Pass | Pass | Pass |
Every call explained
- East: 1♦ – Opening strength (13 points), 5 diamonds.
- South: 1♥ – Overcall: 6 hearts, 10 points.
- West: 1♠ – New suit at the one level: 5 spades, 6+ points. Forcing for one round.
- North: Pass – No support and few points.
- East: 2♣ – Second suit: clubs.
- South: Pass – My earlier bid already described my hand; I have nothing extra to show.
- West: 3NT – Game in no-trump: about 25 points together.
- North: Pass – No support and few points.
- East: Pass – About 21 points together; I stop here.
- South: Pass – My earlier bid already described my hand; I have nothing extra to show.
Contract and best result
Contract: 3NT by West.
With perfect play by everyone (double dummy) declarer takes 9 tricks: made exactly.
Par (the best result for both sides): 3NT by East-West, +400 for East-West.
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
North leads ♥5. Leading partner's suit (hearts).
What does this board teach?
- Why the auction works: East-West 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 (West): Game in no-trump: about 25 points together.
- 3NT by West is also par: the best result for both sides.
- The lead of ♥5 is one of the best with perfect play: another lead can cost a trick.
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