The 1 NT opening bid is a clearly defined bid with a very narrow points range. The Partner of the opening bidder is therefore usually in a position to determine the final bid and contract immediately.

Let us assume that your Partner opened the bidding with 1 NT.
Your responses with the following hands are :

Hand 6 - you have 7 points and have a balanced hand.
The strength of your and Partner's hands together is :

• 7 + 16 = 23 points at least
• 7 + 18 = 25 points at the most

This is not enough for a Game contract (which requires 26 points at least), but you should make 1 or 2 NT. Your response is therefore : Pass

There is no point in bidding 2NT on this hand. Bidding 1NT and making 8 tricks scores the same number of points as bidding 2NT and making 8 tricks (40 + 30 + 50 = 120 pts). Bidding 2NT therefore only increases the risk of not making your contract (you lose 50 points if you only make 7 tricks) without having any benefit.

Hand 7 - you have 12 points and have a balanced hand.
The strength of your and Partner's hands together is :

• 12 + 16 = 28 points at least
• 12 + 18 = 30 points at the most

There are enough points for a Game contract (which requires 26 points at least), but not enough for a Small Slam (which requires 33 points at least).
Your response is therefore : 3 NT

You have an excellent chance of making your contract and will receive 300 bonus points for bidding a Game contract if you do so.

Hand 8 - you have 18 points and have a balanced hand.
The strength of your and Partner's hands together is :

• 18 + 16 = 34 points at least
• 18 + 18 = 36 points at the most

This is enough for a Small Slam contract (which requires 33 points), but not enough for a Grand Slam (which requires 37 points).
Your response is therefore : 6 NT

Hand 9 - you have 22 points with a balanced hand.
The strength of your and Partner's hands together is :

• 22 + 16 = 38 points at least
• 22 + 18 = 40 points at the most

This is enough for a Grand Slam contract (which requires 37 points at least).
Your response is therefore : 7 NT

Again your Partner opened the bidding with 1 NT.
Your responses with the following hands are :

Hand 10 - you have 9 points and a balanced hand.
The strength of your and Partner's hands together is :

• 9 + 16 = 25 points at least
• 9 + 18 = 27 points at the most

If you cash all your winning card first before you develop the extra tricks, the Opponent will win tricks with their smaller cards and defeat your contract.

Example - the contract is 3 NT
Declarer can count 6 sure winners : Ace of Spades, Ace King of Hearts, and Ace King Queen of Diamonds.

Three more winning tricks are required.
These can easily come from the Club suit. Declarer must therefore play his Club King immediately to remove the Club Ace held by the Opponents.
When they win the lead with the Club Ace, Declarer still holds the high cards in the other suits with which he can regain the lead and then play his winning tricks, included the newly established winners in Clubs (Q J 10 and 9).

The player who wins a trick always leads to the next trick. This requires careful planning when Declarer wishes to run a suit (play a string of winners) in which the winners are divided over the two hands.
In this case the correct play technique is to play the high cards in the short suited side first. This principle is demonstrated in the following three tricks when running winners in the Club suit.

If Declarer reverses his leads in the first two tricks he will find himself cut off from Dummy.
As a consequence he will not be able to play the remaining two Club winners (K and J) stranded in Dummy.
The disaster happens like this :

• Facts 2 - Examples 1-4

• Lesson Deals 1-4 - Bidding and Play - Trick by Trick 1-4

• Solo Bidding - Quiz 2 - Quiz Answer - Memory Exercise 1