| The One That Got Away |
Liverpool Bridge Club · Weekly hand review
The One That Got Away
Thursday Afternoon · 10 September 2026 · Board 19
This week’s featured hand
The fit was the clue
Two pairs took twelve tricks in only 2♠. Nobody reached the spade slam.
Reveal this week’s hand ▾
Dealer
South |
Vulnerability
East–West |
Target
6♠ by East |
North
♠ Q 3
♥ J 8 2
♦ A K 9 5 2
♣ K 5 3
West
♠ K 9
♥ A Q 7 5 3
♦ J 10 8 7 3
♣ 6
19
East
♠ A J 7 6 5 4
♥ K 4
♦ 6
♣ A Q J 2
South
♠ 10 8 2
♥ 10 9 6
♦ Q 4
♣ 10 9 8 7 4
What happened
Two pairs played 2♠ by East and made twelve tricks. One played 4♠ for eleven; the fourth chose 4♥ and went one down. Nobody explored the spade slam.
A possible Acol-style auction
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| Pass |
1♥1 |
2♦ |
2♠2 |
| Pass |
3♠3 |
Pass |
4♣4 |
| Pass |
4♥5 |
Pass |
4NT6 |
| Pass |
5♥7 |
Pass |
6♠8 |
| Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
|
- 1♥: natural, West’s five-card suit.
- 2♠: natural and forcing for one round. In standard Modern Acol, responder’s new-suit bid after an opponent’s overcall is forcing. East’s strength is unlimited, so opener must describe the hand again. Here East shows at least five spades and ample strength for the two level.
- 3♠: a reluctant preference, not extra strength. With only ♠K-x and a minimum this is difficult, but West cannot pass a forcing 2♠. 2NT lacks a diamond stop and 3♥ would conceal useful spade support, so 3♠ confirms the fit without promising extras.
- 4♣: East knows only that a fit exists and shows first-round club control and slam interest.
- 4♥: despite the minimum, West cooperates by confirming the ♥A.
- 4NT: Roman Key Card Blackwood for the now-agreed spade suit.
- 5♥: in 1430, two key cards without the ♠Q: the ♥A and ♠K.
- 6♠: East knows the ♦A is missing, but the singleton diamond prevents a second diamond loser.
This is the standard Modern Acol treatment, but competitive methods should still be confirmed with partner. A non-forcing 2♠ would be a different agreement; in that method West could pass and the slam would be extremely difficult to uncover.
The play on South’s ♦Q lead
The ♦Q was led twice against East’s spade contracts; the other lead was the ♣10. East must follow with the singleton ♦6, so South wins the first trick and declarer needs every remaining trick.
- Concede the ♦Q, playing low from dummy and following with East’s ♦6. If North overtakes with the ace or king, East can ruff that honour; otherwise a diamond continuation can be ruffed.
- Use dummy’s ♠K, then lead the ♠9 towards East’s ♠A-J. The actual 3–2 break catches North’s queen and supplies six spade tricks in all.
- Cash the ♥K, cross to the ♥A and continue with the queen. The actual 3–3 break establishes dummy’s last two hearts, giving five heart tricks.
- Do not risk a club finesse after losing the diamond. Cash the ♣A and count 6 spades + 5 hearts + 1 club = 12 tricks.
Lesson: once a fit appears, recount the hand. East–West have only 25 HCP, but the two singletons, West’s ♠K and the controls make the hands far stronger together.
This is a good slam on the actual layout, not proof that every pair was wrong to miss it. The competitive auction is system-dependent and East must judge slam while missing both the ♦A and ♠Q.
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1:30 pm
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| Match Report |
Latest Match Reports
📊 Afternoon Session - 10-09-2026 [LATEST]
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Session report 10th September 2026A concise look at the winners, the boards that moved the room, and where each pair gained or lost matchpoints. Session winnersTed Hulme & Lorraine Krasner59.72% · margin 3.47 The session at a glance28boards played 8pairs 2slams bid and made 770largest raw-score range Boards that shaped the roomThese comparisons describe the traveller without guessing what happened during the auction or play. Board 13 - biggest spreadThe widest range of outcomesThe recorded scores ranged from 3♠ by N, North/South +140 to 3NT by E, East/West -630. Raw-score range: 770 points Board 19A board that separated the fieldThe recorded scores ranged from 4♥ by W, North/South +100 to 4♠ by E, East/West -650. Raw-score range: 750 points Board 21A board that separated the fieldThe recorded scores ranged from 3NT by S, North/South +630 to 3NT by S, East/West -100. Raw-score range: 730 points
SlamsBoard 15: 6♠ by E, 13 tricks · Board 15: 6♠ by W, 13 tricks
Personal recap How did your pair do?Choose a pair to see its strongest and costliest boards by matchpoint percentage.
Older posts
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📊 Evening Session - 09-09-2026
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Session report 9th September 2026A concise look at the winners, the boards that moved the room, and where each pair gained or lost matchpoints. Session winnersJudith Sutton & Jackie Greasley63.49% · margin 7.14 The session at a glance24boards played 9pairs 0slams bid and made 640largest raw-score range Boards that shaped the roomThese comparisons describe the traveller without guessing what happened during the auction or play. Board 18 - biggest spreadThe widest range of outcomesThe recorded scores ranged from 2♥ by N, North/South +140 to 3×♥ by N, East/West -500. Raw-score range: 640 points Board 15A board that separated the fieldThe recorded scores ranged from 4×♠ by N, North/South +790 to 2♠ by N, North/South +170. Raw-score range: 620 points Board 2A board that separated the fieldThe recorded scores ranged from 5♠ by N, North/South +650 to 5♣ by E, North/South +50. Raw-score range: 600 points
SlamsNo slams were bid and made in this session.
Personal recap How did your pair do?Choose a pair to see its strongest and costliest boards by matchpoint percentage.
📊 Evening Session - 07-09-2026
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Session report 7th September 2026A concise look at the winners, the boards that moved the room, and where each pair gained or lost matchpoints. Session winnersKrystyna Eitner & Judith Sutton64.29% · margin 3.58 The session at a glance24boards played 11pairs 1slams bid and made 790largest raw-score range Boards that shaped the roomThese comparisons describe the traveller without guessing what happened during the auction or play. Board 16 - biggest spreadThe widest range of outcomesThe recorded scores ranged from 3♥ by N, North/South +140 to 4♠ by W, East/West -650. Raw-score range: 790 points Board 3A board that separated the fieldThe recorded scores ranged from 2♣ by S, North/South +90 to 4♥ by W, East/West -620. Raw-score range: 710 points Board 5A board that separated the fieldThe recorded scores ranged from 1NT by E, North/South +100 to 3NT by E, East/West -460. Raw-score range: 560 points
SlamsBoard 11: 6♥ by E, 12 tricks
Personal recap How did your pair do?Choose a pair to see its strongest and costliest boards by matchpoint percentage.
📊 Afternoon Session - 03-09-2026
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Session report 3rd September 2026A concise look at the winners, the boards that moved the room, and where each pair gained or lost matchpoints. Session winnersPenny Houlden & Jackie Greasley57.00% · margin 2.00 The session at a glance25boards played 10pairs 0slams bid and made 1030largest raw-score range Boards that shaped the roomThese comparisons describe the traveller without guessing what happened during the auction or play. Board 21 - biggest spreadThe widest range of outcomesThe recorded scores ranged from 3NT by S, North/South +630 to 4♠ by N, East/West -400. Raw-score range: 1030 points Board 10A board that separated the fieldThe recorded scores ranged from 3NT by N, North/South +600 to 1×♦ by E, East/West -140. Raw-score range: 740 points Board 22A board that separated the fieldThe recorded scores ranged from 2♠ by N, North/South +110 to 2NT× by N, East/West -500. Raw-score range: 610 points
SlamsNo slams were bid and made in this session.
Personal recap How did your pair do?Choose a pair to see its strongest and costliest boards by matchpoint percentage.
📊 Afternoon Session - 01-09-2026
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Session report 1st September 2026A concise look at the winners, the boards that moved the room, and where each pair gained or lost matchpoints. North / South winnersPenny Houlden & Beryl Webster68.57% · margin 19.05 East / West winnersBill Burrows & Ted Hulme66.11% · margin 7.78 The session at a glance21boards played 13pairs 0slams bid and made 830largest raw-score range Boards that shaped the roomThese comparisons describe the traveller without guessing what happened during the auction or play. Board 18 - biggest spreadThe widest range of outcomesThe recorded scores ranged from 3NT by N, North/South +630 to 4♥ by N, East/West -200. Raw-score range: 830 points Board 16A board that separated the fieldThe recorded scores ranged from 1♣ by N, North/South +90 to 5♦ by W, East/West -620. Raw-score range: 710 points Board 7A board that separated the fieldThe recorded scores ranged from 5♣ by W, North/South +300 to 3♥ by N, East/West -300. Raw-score range: 600 points
SlamsNo slams were bid and made in this session.
Personal recap How did your pair do?Choose a pair to see its strongest and costliest boards by matchpoint percentage.
Showing the last 5 reports. Click a results box for full detail
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