Board of the day, solved: 30 October 2026
The bots bid UK Acol (weak no trump). Below the auction, every call is explained.
The four hands
North 12 points
- ♠ K Q J 5
- ♥ A Q 6 4 3 2
- ♦ 3
- ♣ 9 2
West 15 points
- ♠ A 4
- ♥ K 7 5
- ♦ A J 4
- ♣ Q J 10 6 3
East 12 points
- ♠ 10 9 6
- ♥ 10 8
- ♦ K Q 6 2
- ♣ A K 8 7
South 1 points
- ♠ 8 7 3 2
- ♥ J 9
- ♦ 10 9 8 7 5
- ♣ 5 4
The auction
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1♥ | X | Pass | |
| 3NT | Pass | Pass | Pass |
Every call explained
- North: 1♥ – Opening strength (12 points), 6 hearts.
- East: Double – Takeout double: opening values, short in hearts, support for the other suits.
- South: Pass – Fewer than 6 points (1); I pass.
- West: 3NT – Partner doubled; I have 12+ and a stopper: 3NT.
- North: Pass – Nothing extra to show.
- East: Pass – No suitable bid in the system; I pass.
- South: Pass – Fewer than 6 points (1); I pass.
Contract and best result
Contract: 3NT by West.
With perfect play by everyone (double dummy) declarer takes 10 tricks: made with 1 overtrick.
Par (the best result for both sides): 3NT by East-West (+1), +430 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 ♠K. Top of a sequence in spades.
What does this board teach?
- Why the auction works: East-West 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 (West): Partner doubled; I have 12+ and a stopper: 3NT.
- 3NT by West is also par: the best result for both sides.
- The lead of ♠K is one of the best with perfect play: another lead can cost a trick.
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