Connect with friends and sharpen your grey cells.
Most players are of the opinion that squeezes occur towards the end of the play of a bridge hand. While it is generally true, there are exceptions, as witness today's deal from a pairs tournament. The east defender feels the pinch as early as trick four, a most unusual thing indeed to happen. Enjoy the play.
Contract: 3NT by south. West leads the H2. East follows with the eight and you win with the ten. How do you proceed?
Analysis: The lead has given you the tenth trick. You may be able to develop one more trick if spades are 3-3. Is there a chance for the twelfth trick?
Play: Duck a spade at trick two. West wins with the ten and exits in HQ. Win with the HK in dummy. The 10-card position is:
Cash HA now. What should poor east discard on this?
East squirms in his seat and finally parts with a diamond. When you cash the diamonds next, east follows with the jack and the queen. A diamond to the ten turns the screw on him again and he is squeezed in the black suits now. The complete hands are:
Discussion: When you cashed the third heart, it applied extreme pressure on east on all the remaining three suits. East played for the D10 in his partner's hand and so discarded a diamond. Three rounds of diamonds next, squeezed him in the black suits, resulting in twelve tricks. To be exact, it is a repeating squeeze.
The purpose of ducking a spade at trick two in this deal is two-fold; one of establishing a third trick in the suit if it behaves 3-3, and the other of rectifying the count as a preparatory move to the squeeze. Other squeeze positions are possible too if spades prove to be 3-3 with the east-west hands.
a) Suppose east has S Q-J-x H x-x D Q-J-x-x C 10-x-x-x. East is squeezed in the minors when you cash the thirteenth spade.
b) If west has started with S 10-x-x H Q-J-x-x D Q-x C J-x-x-x, west is squeezed in hearts and clubs on the last spade.
In the above two squeeze positions, you will discard the D5 from dummy on the thirteenth spade.
Play out the deal with a deck of cards. You will feel elated, having executed for the first time, a repeating squeeze!
E-mail: ls4bridge@gmail.com
Keywords: Bridge
