| The One That Got Away |
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The One That Got Away · Weekly hand review
Monday Afternoon · 12 October 2026 · Board 7
When 3NT is not
the finish line.
Four pairs played in no-trumps. The only diamond declarer took twelve tricks—but nobody bid the diamond slam.
Reveal this week’s hand ▾
DealerSouth
VulnerabilityBoth
Suggested contract6♦ by North
Field5 tables
North
♠ 2
♥ Q J 2
♦ A J 10 9 7 2
♣ Q J 7
West
♠ 10 9 8 5 3
♥ 10 9 8
♦ 6 4 3
♣ 8 4
7
East
♠ K Q 7 6
♥ A 4 3
♦ Q
♣ 10 9 5 3 2
South
♠ A J 4
♥ K 7 6 5
♦ K 8 5
♣ A K 6
Why this hand won
The long diamonds deserve another look
South has 18 HCP and North 11, but North’s six-card diamond suit is opposite three-card support headed by the king. The partnership has every side suit controlled and only the ♥A to lose.
3NT by South making 11 ×23NT by South making 10 ×23♦ by North making 12 ×1
No pair bid slam. The single diamond declarer took all twelve required tricks.
A possible Acol-style route
Invite in diamonds—and accept with fitting values
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♥¹ |
Pass |
2♦² |
Pass |
| 3NT³ |
Pass |
4♦⁴ |
Pass |
| 4NT⁵ |
Pass |
5♦⁶ |
Pass |
| 6♦⁷ |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
- 1♥: natural; South has 18 HCP and four hearts.
- 2♦: natural and forcing for one round, based on a six-card suit and 11 HCP.
- 3NT: balanced and enough for game. North has shown at least 10 points, so South’s 18-count should not make a merely invitational 2NT rebid.
- 4♦: natural and strongly invitational. North refuses 3NT and shows the long suit with slam interest, but does not yet establish diamonds as trumps.
- 4NT: acceptance, by agreement. With ♦K-x-x, 18 HCP and side-suit controls, South accepts diamonds as the intended trump suit and asks for aces. Without that explicit agreement, 4NT is ambiguous.
- 5♦: one ace playing traditional Blackwood—the ♦A.
- 6♦: one ace may be missing, but the remaining controls and long trump suit provide twelve tricks.
The traveller records contracts, not auctions. This illustrative route depends on an explicit agreement about 4NT after the natural 4♦ rebid. The transferable point is that 3NT describes South’s strength, but North’s long diamonds make it a staging post rather than the final contract.
The likely start
East leads the ♠K
A top spade from the ♠K-Q sequence is natural. At the one diamond table East led the ♥A; the same twelve-trick plan survives.
The play
Win, draw trumps, and count twelve
- Win the ♠A in dummy. North’s singleton means there is no second spade to lose.
- Lead a low diamond to the ace. East’s singleton ♦Q falls; return to the ♦K and draw West’s last trump.
- Cash the remaining diamonds and the three solid club winners.
- Concede the ♥A. Two heart winners are then enough to complete the contract.
Six diamonds + three clubs + two hearts + one spade = twelve tricks.
Editorial caution: five tables are enough to show a missed opportunity, but this remains a small sample. The auction is one sensible route, not a reconstruction.
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| Match Report |
Latest Match Reports
📊 Afternoon Session - 22-10-2026 [LATEST]
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This week’s guest: a film-noir narrator 22nd October 2026It was a quiet board until the double walked through the door. Session winnersJudith Sutton & Jackie Greasley56.25% · margin 0.35 The session at a glance24boards played 14pairs 6slams bid and made 1500largest raw-score range Three episodes from the card roomThe character supplies the commentary; the traveller supplies the facts. Killer leads · Board 5Case file: the 2♣ opening leadPat Quinney & Julia Burge recorded 3NT by W, 1 down for North/South +50, earning a top on the board. The recorded opening lead was 2♣. A full matchpoint reward for the result One more for the road · Board 1The case of the extra trickLiz Teasdale & Duncan Ferguson took 9 tricks in 2♠. Across 4 comparable results in the same denomination and direction, nobody else managed more than 8. A full matchpoint reward for the result Double trouble · Board 11The double that talkedBeryl Webster & Gabriel McCarthy recorded 3♠× by W, exactly for East/West +530, earning a top on the board. A full matchpoint reward for the result
SlamsBoard 23: 6NT by W, 13 tricks · Board 23: 7NT by W, 13 tricks · Board 23: 6NT by W, 13 tricks · Board 23: 6NT by W, 13 tricks · Board 23: 6NT by W, 13 tricks · Board 23: 7NT by W, 13 tricks
Personal recap How did your pair do?Choose a pair to see its strongest and costliest boards by matchpoint percentage.
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📊 Evening Session - 21-10-2026
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The cards had their say 21st October 2026The winners, the adventures and the boards that developed ideas of their own. North / South winnersJames Jones & Jackie Greasley64.58% · margin 2.68 East / West winnersBeryl Webster & David Wilcox56.55% · margin 2.09 The session at a glance27boards played 18pairs 1slams bid and made 1450largest raw-score range Where the cards got interestingThe players receive the credit; any mischief is attributed firmly to the cards. Killer leads · Board 1Thel Leith & Tony Desmond led 2♣Thel Leith & Tony Desmond recorded 3♥ by S, 1 down for East/West +50, earning a top on the board. The recorded opening lead was 2♣. The contract never quite recovered from the introduction. The traveller was unlikely to let that pass unnoticed Slam spotlight · Board 7Nigel Smith & Pam Stevenson brought home the slamNigel Smith & Pam Stevenson recorded 6♠ by W, exactly for East/West +1430, earning a top on the board. For once, the six level was not merely decorative. The traveller was unlikely to let that pass unnoticed One more for the road · Board 4Lorraine Krasner & Bill Burrows found the extra trickLorraine Krasner & Bill Burrows took 9 tricks in 1NT. Across 5 comparable results in the same denomination and direction, nobody else managed more than 6. Apparently the expected number of tricks was only a suggestion. The traveller was unlikely to let that pass unnoticed
SlamsBoard 7: 6♠ by W, 12 tricks
Personal recap How did your pair do?Choose a pair to see its strongest and costliest boards by matchpoint percentage.
📊 Afternoon Session - 20-10-2026
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Around the club 20th October 2026Familiar faces, fine results and a few boards worth discussing over the next cup of tea. North / South winnersPaul Hozack & Kieron McPartland60.83% · margin 0.41 East / West winnersMyrna Bennett & Loretta Goldsmith60.83% · margin 2.91 The session at a glance24boards played 12pairs 0slams bid and made -Infinitylargest raw-score range Names in the frameA celebration of recorded results from across the room.
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 - 15-10-2026
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The cards had their say 15th October 2026The winners, the adventures and the boards that developed ideas of their own. Session winnersKrystyna Eitner & Jean Simpson63.54% · margin 1.04 The session at a glance24boards played 11pairs 0slams bid and made 1900largest raw-score range Where the cards got interestingThe players receive the credit; any mischief is attributed firmly to the cards. Killer leads · Board 2Steve Bamforth & Janet Rosen led A♠Steve Bamforth & Janet Rosen recorded 3♥ by E, 3 down for North/South +150, earning a top on the board. The recorded opening lead was A♠. The contract never quite recovered from the introduction. The traveller was unlikely to let that pass unnoticed One more for the road · Board 5Beryl Webster & Akiko Lea found the extra trickBeryl Webster & Akiko Lea took 10 tricks in 2♥. Across 3 comparable results in the same denomination and direction, nobody else managed more than 9. Apparently the expected number of tricks was only a suggestion. The traveller was unlikely to let that pass unnoticed Double trouble · Board 12Sandie Mitchell & Paul Hozack made the double countSandie Mitchell & Paul Hozack recorded 4♥×× by S, with 1 overtrick for North/South +1480, earning a top on the board. The red card earned its keep. The traveller was unlikely to let that pass unnoticed
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 - 14-10-2026
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This week’s guest: a New York sports commentator 14th October 2026The room was competitive, the margins were narrow and the finish deserves a replay. North / South winnersJames Jones & Alex Hurst60.12% · margin 1.19 East / West winnersNigel Smith & Pam Stevenson59.82% · margin 4.46 The session at a glance27boards played 18pairs 0slams bid and made 900largest raw-score range Three episodes from the card roomThe character supplies the commentary; the traveller supplies the facts. Killer leads · Board 7A result for the record: Paul Hozack & Kieron McPartlandPaul Hozack & Kieron McPartland recorded 3♥ by N, 1 down for East/West +100, earning a top on the board. The recorded opening lead was 3♦. One of the session’s standout results One more for the road · Board 1A result for the record: James Jones & Alex HurstJames Jones & Alex Hurst took 11 tricks in 3NT. Across 7 comparable results in the same denomination and direction, nobody else managed more than 10. One of the session’s standout results Double trouble · Board 12A result for the record: Lorraine Krasner & Hilary RowlandLorraine Krasner & Hilary Rowland recorded 3♥× by N, exactly for North/South +730, earning a top on the board. One of the session’s standout results
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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| Nuance of the Day: The Empty Space Principle |
When you are looking for a missing card, consider the 'Empty Space Principle'. A player with more empty spaces in their hand (fewer cards already accounted for in a particular suit) is statistically more likely to hold the missing card. This subtly shifts the odds when deciding which opponent to finesse.
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