Sometimes, reaching the best contract isn’t just about choosing the right level or the right suit. It also depends on which way the hand is being played.  On this board, the West hand can make 6♣, 6♦, and 6NT, while the East hand can only take 11 tricks in all three contracts. This is because South can lead the Q♥, allowing the defense to establish two heart tricks. However, if West is declarer, it’s North on lead, and they can’t start with the ♥A in a way that sets up those

In an uncontested auction, you arrive in 4♠. West leads the ♥7. Dummy plays the ♥2. East rises with the ♥A, and you follow with the ♥Q. East continues with another heart (see image above for trick 2)… How do you ensure the contract even in the worst-case scenario: when trumps split 4-0 and clubs split 4-1? If you draw trumps early, even successfully finessing so you lose no spade trick, you may still be in grave danger.  Suppose North holds all four trumps and South holds fou

On this extraordinary board, a multitude of player choices led to wildly different outcomes. Although North-South were effectively cold for 6♣, a promising slam, the contract became intangible once South chose a practical 3♥ preempt.  Israel Blue vs SPS Construction: Open Room West North East South Sliwowicz Araszkiewicz Sabbah Kotorwicz 3♥ P 4 ♥ AP Konrad Araszkiewicz faced two choices over his partner’s preempt: bid 3NT or raise to 4♥. He opted for the safer 4♥, which prove

In the third quarter of the quarterfinal, the second board carried significant weight.  North-South, despite holding barely half the high-card points in the deck, were cold for 6♠. Five of the eight pairs hit the bullseye, though the path to slam was unclear.  How did they do it? Let’s break down the hands and the auctions.   Bianchi vs Knottenbelt: Open Room West North East South Porta Norton Bianchi Tommasini P P 1NT (1) X (2) 2♣ 3♠ P 4♣ X 4♦ 5♣ 6♦ P 6♠ AP 1) 10-13 HCP 2)

Sitting south and facing favorable vulnerability, you hold ♠ Q9653 ♥ – ♦ Q642 ♣ Q943.  It feels like you’re in candyland when the auction proceeds: LHO Partner RHO You 1♥ 4♠ 5♠ ? Let’s say you choose to bid 6♥. Now the auction unfolds like this: LHO Partner RHO You 1♥ 4♠ 5♠ 6♥ P 6♠ P P 6NT P P ? What’s your choice now? Do you push to 7♠, taking a potentially cheap sacrifice over a making slam or let the opponents play in 6NT, hoping to set them with careful timing?  Similarly

On this Valentine’s board, many East-West pairs reached a reasonable 6♥ contract. Practically speaking, it was a promising spot as long as both AJ of hearts weren’t offside. However, with most tables leading a club, this hope quickly vanished, as South was able to get in with the ♥A and give their partner a club ruff, immediately costing East-West a crucial trick. Even after the club ruff, declarer still has to decide whether to drop the ♥J or finesse North’s hand for Jxxx. T

Welcome to Smash or Pass: Slam’s Edition! This article highlights the wildest slams from the fourth quarter. Some were textbook, easily bid and made, while others were entirely double-dummy and impossible to reach without seeing all four hands. For each board, we’ll call it a “smash” if the slam is reasonable and approachable. On the other hand, we’ll call it a “pass” if the slam is only reachable double-dummy or just too risky, where caution might have been the wiser choice.

When the cards fit, there’s only one real question: is it time to pull the trigger? Despite North’s opening bid, many East-West pairs were left debating whether slam was truly the right spot. Some of the more common auctions for tables that missed slam were: West North East South 1♣ 1♥ P 4♥ AP West North East South 1♣ 2NT(1) P 4♥ AP (1) at least 5-5 in red suits In both of these sequences, the auctions were brief, leaving very little room to explore slam. There were several w

Board 4. All Vulnerable Opponents Partner Opponents You 1 ♦ P 1♥ 2♣ 3♥ P 4♥ AP As South, you’re on lead against 4♥, all vulnerable. What’s your best shot? No lead guarantees success: A ♣ or spade lead could easily blow a trick, especially with such fragile holdings. A singleton trump might expose partner’s holding or hand declarer improved timing. A ♦ lead walks straight into dummy’s first-bid suit, potentially handing declarer an early tempo. So what did the players choose?

Board 18 in the 8th match of the Swiss looked like a dream for both sides, yet the hands refused to produce a game for either. Neither side can make a game contract, despite the shapely holdings, particularly in North and West. North-South fall short by one diamond, two spades, and a spade ruff in 4♥, while East-West lose three immediate club tricks in 5♦. Across all 39 matches, this board produced an average swing of 7.21 IMPs, even though 10 matches pushed the board. Remark

Imagine sitting at a table with three other players, one of whom is your partner. The two of you form a team for the hand.  The other two players sit across from you and are working together as well. Once the cards are dealt, the hand begins with a quiet moment before the first card is played.  The first player that places a card face up on the table is the one making the opening lead. Each of the other players follow in turn, placing one card each. All four cards together fo

Round 1 of the European Winter Bridge Transnationals opened with a dramatic hand that showcased high-level competitive bidding at its finest.  In standard methods, without special agreements, the auction might proceed as follows: West North East South 1 ♦ 2 ♦ X 2 ♠ 4NT P 5 ♦ AP However, not every East opened 1♦. While some pairs used 2NT as part of their standard agreements to show both minors, others jumped straight to 4NT. On the South side, some players chose to emphasize

The 2026 Prague European Winter Games have begun! Over the next few days, this series will feature a “Board of the Day” that stood out for its dramatic auctions, clever play, or surprising swings. Each hand highlights the tough decisions and unexpected results that make high-level bridge so exciting. Follow along to see the most thrilling boards and the key moves that made them memorable!  Below contains links to results and live broadcasting: Official EBL link with all live

Bridge is more than a card game. It's a game of logic, partnership, and strategy. Every hand tells a story, and every decision you make matters, sometimes in subtle and unexpected ways. This section is meant to help you step into the game gently, without being overwhelmed by bidding systems, rules, or conventions.

In standard methods, a jump to 4H is a sign-off. It shows a hand that believes that slam is not desirable and discourages opener from continuing the auction.  That description, however, misrepresents North's strength. South has shown a strong hand with diamonds and hearts, so North's hand clearly has slam potential. Alternatively, a simple 3H raise would have been ideal for North. It is forcing, keeps the auction open, and gives the partnership space to cue-bid, show keycards

This board happened at the last segment of the 19th World Youth Bridge Team Championship U-21 final between USA and Estonia. I opened 1♠ with the west hand, and my partner responded 2♠, showing eight to eleven high card points and around three to four spades. I bid 3 ♥ , which showed four or more hearts and a slam hand, and partner set spades as trump by bidding 3♠. I jumped to 5 ♦ , which was exclusion RKC, explicitly asking for keycards excluding the ♦ A and partners 5♠ res