Board of the day, solved: 4 November 2026
The bots bid UK Acol (weak no trump). Below the auction, every call is explained.
The four hands
North 15 points
- ♠ A J 10 9 8
- ♥ K 6 3
- ♦ 6
- ♣ A Q J 9
West 3 points
- ♠ 5 4 2
- ♥ 10 9 4
- ♦ 10 8 3
- ♣ K 8 5 4
East 11 points
- ♠ K 7 6
- ♥ Q J 8 5 2
- ♦ K Q 7 5
- ♣ 3
South 11 points
- ♠ Q 3
- ♥ A 7
- ♦ A J 9 4 2
- ♣ 10 7 6 2
The auction
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1♦ | |||
| Pass | 1♠ | 2♥ | Pass |
| Pass | 3NT | Pass | Pass |
| Pass |
Every call explained
- South: 1♦ – Opening strength (11 points), 5 diamonds.
- West: Pass – No suitable overcall or double.
- North: 1♠ – New suit at the one level: 5 spades, 6+ points. Forcing for one round.
- East: 2♥ – Overcall: 5 hearts, 11 points.
- South: Pass – After the interference I am no longer forced and have nothing extra to show; partner bids again.
- West: Pass – No support and few points.
- North: 3NT – Game in no-trump: about 29 points together.
- East: Pass – My earlier bid already described my hand; I have nothing extra to show.
- South: Pass – Partner bid 3NT.
- West: Pass – No support and few points.
Contract and best result
Contract: 3NT by North.
With perfect play by everyone (double dummy) declarer takes 11 tricks: made with 2 overtricks.
Par (the best result for both sides): 3NT by North-South (+2), +660 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 hearts.
What does this board teach?
- Why the auction works: North-South have 26 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 (North): Game in no-trump: about 29 points together.
- 3NT 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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