| The One That Got Away |
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The One That Got Away · Weekly hand review
Thursday · 22 October 2026 · Board 6
Nine trumps.
No diamond losers.
Every heart declarer made at least twelve tricks. Five of the six took all thirteen.
Reveal this week’s hand ▾
DealerEast
VulnerabilityE/W
Suggested contract6♥ by East
Field7 tables
North
♠ 6
♥ J 8
♦ K Q 8 6 5 2
♣ K 10 5 3
West
♠ A K 8 5 3 2
♥ K 9 7 3
♦ —
♣ 8 7 2
6
East
♠ Q 7
♥ A Q 5 4 2
♦ A 10
♣ A Q J 6
South
♠ J 10 9 4
♥ 10 6
♦ J 9 7 4 3
♣ 9 4
Why this hand won
A slam the auction can explain
East has 19 HCP and West brings four-card heart support, the ♠A-K and a diamond void. Once hearts are agreed, West’s modest point count understates the hand.
4♥ making 6 ×14♥ making 7 ×35♥ making 7 ×23NT making 4 ×1
No pair bid a slam. All six heart contracts made at least twelve tricks, and five made thirteen.
A possible Acol-style route
Show the fit and the void in one bid
| East |
South |
West |
North |
| 1♥¹ |
Pass |
4♦² |
Pass |
| 4NT³ |
Pass |
5♥⁴ |
Pass |
| 6♥⁵ |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
- 1♥: natural, with five hearts and 19 HCP.
- 4♦ — a splinter: by agreement, the double jump shows four-card heart support, a singleton or void diamond and game-going values. The ♠A-K and diamond void make West much stronger than the ten HCP suggest.
- 4NT: Roman Key Card Blackwood for hearts. East now knows of the nine-card fit and that ♦A-10 face no diamond losers opposite the shortage.
- 5♥: two key cards without the ♥Q, playing 1430: the ♥K and ♠A.
- 6♥: East holds the ♥A-Q, ♦A and ♣A. All five key cards and the trump queen are accounted for, while West must hold further working values for the splinter. Stop at the small slam.
This is an illustrative auction; the traveller records contracts and leads, not the bidding. The 4♦ splinter and 1430 responses require partnership agreement. Without a splinter agreement, the partnership needs a longer route to show both the heart fit and diamond shortage.
The representative start
South leads a diamond
Five tables recorded a diamond lead against East. Dummy is void, so ruff immediately and preserve East’s ♦A as a later winner.
The play
Use the void, then establish the spades
The hearts divide 2–2 and North’s singleton spade makes West’s long suit easy to establish.
- Ruff the diamond lead in dummy. Do not waste East’s ♦A.
- Draw two rounds of trumps, finishing in East. Cash the ♥K, then lead a heart to the ♥A. Both defenders follow.
- Cash the ♠Q, then lead East’s remaining spade to the ♠A. North’s singleton falls under the queen. Cash the ♠K and ruff the next spade in East, removing South’s last spade.
- Cross to West’s last trump. West’s two remaining spades are now winners, allowing East to discard two clubs. The ♥Q, ♦A and ♣A take the final three tricks.
Six heart tricks + five spade tricks + the ♦A + the ♣A = thirteen tricks.
About the evidence: The suggested auction is one practical route, not a reconstruction of the tables. The play uses the representative diamond lead and actual 2–2 trump break. Every heart declarer made at least twelve tricks.
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Latest Match Reports
📊 Evening Session - 28-10-2026 [LATEST]
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From the tables 28th October 2026The winners, the bold results and the partnerships whose boards helped shape the session. Session winnersHilary Rowland & Ann Ap-Thomas69.44% · margin 10.31 The session at a glance24boards played 15pairs 1slams bid and made 1170largest raw-score range Today’s talking pointsNamed performances from the traveller, reported without inventing what happened at the table. Killer leads · Board 1Hilary Rowland & Ann Ap-Thomas led 7♠Hilary Rowland & Ann Ap-Thomas recorded 3NT by W, 1 down for North/South +50, earning a top on the board. The recorded opening lead was 7♠. One of the session’s standout results Slam spotlight · Board 15Harriette Goldsmith & Sally Nicholls brought home the slamHarriette Goldsmith & Sally Nicholls recorded 6♠ by E, exactly for East/West +980, earning a top on the board. One of the session’s standout results One more for the road · Board 6Nigel Smith & Pam Stevenson found the extra trickNigel Smith & Pam Stevenson took 9 tricks in 2NT. Across 4 comparable results in the same denomination and direction, nobody else managed more than 8. One of the session’s standout results
SlamsBoard 15: 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.
Older posts
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📊 Afternoon Session - 27-10-2026
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Inside the traveller 27th October 2026The contracts and comparisons that made the greatest difference to the final scores. Session winnersBill Burrows & Ted Hulme60.00% · margin 2.50 The session at a glance24boards played 13pairs 0slams bid and made 1270largest raw-score range The decisive boardsThe analysis stays with the evidence: contract, tricks, score and matchpoints. Killer leads · Board 2Penny Houlden & Beryl Webster led A♣Penny Houlden & Beryl Webster recorded 5♥× by W, 3 down for North/South +500, earning a top on the board. The recorded opening lead was A♣. A full matchpoint reward for the result One more for the road · Board 6Penny Roberts & Jean Simpson found the extra trickPenny Roberts & Jean Simpson took 11 tricks in 5♣. Across 5 comparable results in the same denomination and direction, nobody else managed more than 10. A full matchpoint reward for the result Double trouble · Board 17Michele Woodward & Pam Stevenson made the double countMichele Woodward & Pam Stevenson recorded 4♠× by N, exactly for North/South +590, earning a top on the board. A full matchpoint reward for the result
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 - 26-10-2026
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This week’s guest: a 1940s radio announcer 26th October 2026Coming to you live from the card room, where the latest scores are just in. Session winnersJoanne Topping & Tish Trevaskis54.51% · margin -5.91 The session at a glance24boards played 14pairs 0slams bid and made 1360largest raw-score range Three episodes from the card roomThe character supplies the commentary; the traveller supplies the facts. Killer leads · Board 3A result for the record: Penny Roberts & Judith SuttonPenny Roberts & Judith Sutton recorded 3♦ by E, 2 down for North/South +200, earning a top on the board. The recorded opening lead was 7♥. The contract never quite recovered from the introduction. The traveller was unlikely to let that pass unnoticed One more for the road · Board 4A result for the record: Nigel Smith & Galina PiunovskayaNigel Smith & Galina Piunovskaya took 9 tricks in 1NT. Across 5 comparable results in the same denomination and direction, nobody else managed more than 8. Apparently the expected number of tricks was only a suggestion. The traveller was unlikely to let that pass unnoticed Double trouble · Board 7A result for the record: Ray Gibson & Duncan FergusonRay Gibson & Duncan Ferguson recorded 3♦× by N, exactly for North/South +670, 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.
📊 Afternoon Session - 22-10-2026
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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.
📊 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.
Showing the last 5 reports. Click a results box for full detail
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| Tip of the Day: A 3NT contract loves balanced hands with 25–26 points combined. |
A 3NT contract loves balanced hands with 25–26 points combined.
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