Board of the day, solved: 3 November 2026
The bots bid UK Acol (weak no trump). Below the auction, every call is explained.
The four hands
North 7 points
- ♠ 9 5 3
- ♥ 10 2
- ♦ K 10 9 5 4 2
- ♣ A 10
West 9 points
- ♠ Q 10 6 4
- ♥ A 6 4 3
- ♦ 3
- ♣ Q J 8 6
East 4 points
- ♠ J 8
- ♥ 9 8 7 5
- ♦ 7 6
- ♣ K 9 5 4 3
South 20 points
- ♠ A K 7 2
- ♥ K Q J
- ♦ A Q J 8
- ♣ 7 2
The auction
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2♦ | Pass | 3NT | |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
Every call explained
- North: 2♦ – Weak two in diamonds: 7 points and a six-card suit (our agreement: 6–10).
- East: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- South: 3NT – Support for partner's weak two (4 cards) and 20 points: game.
- West: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- North: Pass – I opened weak; partner chose the final contract.
- 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): 5♦ by North-South / 3NT by North-South, +400 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 ♣Q. Top of a sequence in clubs.
What does this board teach?
- Why the auction works: North-South 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 (South): Support for partner's weak two (4 cards) and 20 points: game.
- 3NT by South 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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