Board of the day, solved: 2 November 2026
The bots bid UK Acol (weak no trump). Below the auction, every call is explained.
The four hands
North 7 points
- ♠ 9 6
- ♥ Q J 5 2
- ♦ K 5 3
- ♣ J 6 5 3
West 7 points
- ♠ Q J 4 3
- ♥ 10 9 8 3
- ♦ A 10
- ♣ 10 4 2
East 6 points
- ♠ 10 8 5
- ♥ 7
- ♦ Q J 7 6 4 2
- ♣ K 9 7
South 20 points
- ♠ A K 7 2
- ♥ A K 6 4
- ♦ 9 8
- ♣ A Q 8
The auction
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2♦ | X | ||
| Pass | 2♥ | Pass | 4♥ |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
Every call explained
- East: 2♦ – Weak two in diamonds: 6 points and a six-card suit (our agreement: 6–10).
- South: Double – Takeout double: opening values, short in diamonds, support for the other suits.
- West: Pass – Partner opened weak (6–10) and I have no fit or game values; I pass.
- North: 2♥ – Response to partner's takeout double: my longest suit, hearts.
- East: Pass – I opened weak; partner chose the final contract.
- South: 4♥ – I doubled with a strong hand (20) and have support: game in hearts.
- West: Pass – Partner opened weak (6–10) and I have no fit or game values; I pass.
- North: Pass – About 26 points together; I stop here.
- East: Pass – I opened weak; partner chose the final contract.
Contract and best result
Contract: 4♥ by North.
With perfect play by everyone (double dummy) declarer takes 11 tricks: made with 1 overtrick.
Par (the best result for both sides): 4♥ by North-South (+1), +650 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 ♦Q. Top of a sequence in diamonds.
What does this board teach?
- Why the auction works: North-South have 8 hearts and 27 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♥ (South): I doubled with a strong hand (20) and have support: game in hearts.
- 4♥ by North is also par: the best result for both sides.
- The lead of ♦Q is one of the best with perfect play: another lead can cost a trick.
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