Board of the day, solved: 31 October 2026
The bots bid UK Acol (weak no trump). Below the auction, every call is explained.
The four hands
North 11 points
- ♠ 8 5
- ♥ 8 7 2
- ♦ A K Q 10 9 4
- ♣ Q 7
West 13 points
- ♠ A J 7 3
- ♥ K Q 10 4
- ♦ 7
- ♣ K 10 9 8
East 13 points
- ♠ K Q 10
- ♥ A 9 6 5
- ♦ 6 2
- ♣ A 4 3 2
South 3 points
- ♠ 9 6 4 2
- ♥ J 3
- ♦ J 8 5 3
- ♣ J 6 5
The auction
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1NT | Pass | ||
| 2♣ | 2♦ | 2♥ | Pass |
| 4♥ | Pass | Pass | Pass |
Every call explained
- East: 1NT – Balanced, 12–14 points (I have 13).
- South: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- West: 2♣ – Stayman (2♣): asking for a four-card major; I hold one and 13 points.
- North: 2♦ – Overcall: 6 diamonds, 11 points.
- East: 2♥ – Reply to Stayman: four hearts.
- South: Pass – No support and few points.
- West: 4♥ – Fit found in hearts: game.
- North: Pass – My earlier bid already described my hand; I have nothing extra to show.
- East: Pass – Partner chose the contract.
- South: Pass – No support and few points.
Contract and best result
Contract: 4♥ by East.
With perfect play by everyone (double dummy) declarer takes 11 tricks: made with 1 overtrick.
Par (the best result for both sides): 4♥ by East-West (+1), +450 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
South leads ♦3. Leading partner's suit (diamonds).
What does this board teach?
- Why the auction works: East-West have 8 hearts and 26 points between them. That is enough for game (rule of thumb: 25 points together, or a little less with a good fit). The key call is 4♥ (West): Fit found in hearts: game.
- 4♥ by East is also par: the best result for both sides.
- The lead of ♦3 is one of the best with perfect play: another lead can cost a trick.
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