The elusive Criss Cross Squeeze

[Vilgan]

First round of the Swiss finals yesterday, we sat down against a nice young couple we'd played against a lot.. this was the 4th day in a row we'd sat at the table against them.

 

Auction:

 

1♦(1) - X - 2NT - p

3NT - all pass

 

1: could be as few as 2, 11-15 points

 

The Q of spades was led, and here were the hands:

 

[hv=v=n&n=sxxhqjxxdaq9xcaxx&s=saxxhat8dktxxxcjx]133|200|Scoring: MP[/hv]

 

So I ducked the first 2 spades (the Q and J led from west). East discouraged in spades (trying for a club switch) but west guessed wrong and switched to a heart. A small heart off dummy got the 9 from east, won with the Ten. After thinking for a bit, it looked like there was a nice squeeze on east if he held the KQ of clubs and the 4th heart. So... small diamond to dummy, small heart to the T, then I cashed my 5 diamond tricks and east pitched 2 spades and 2 clubs.

 

Cackling to myself, I now played the A of spades and discarded a club off dummy leaving this position:

 

 

[hv=v=n&n=sxxhqjxxdaq9xcaxx&s=saxxhat8dktxxxcjx]133|200|Scoring: MP[/hv]

 

I excitedly watched east's final discard, waiting for the inevitable small ♥ or club honor to drop. Sadly east discarded a club. I cashed the A of hearts (dropping the king), crossed to dummy with the club A, and cashed the Q of hearts.

 

So like... I could have dropped the K of hearts earlier, as it was K9x the whole time. However, I DID confirm it via the nifty squeeze :P It was my first time ever having the criss cross position (with the count rectified already) actually come up at the table.

 

Soo... 2 questions:

 

1) Do I get to count this as having pulled it off, even if I just used it to confirm the correct play?

 

2) How often does the criss cross squeeze actually occur? I don't remember having seen it before, even when others were declaring against me.

 

Anyway, was really cool. Still wish east had held 4 hearts though, which would have made it even cooler! :P

[mikeh]

Good visualization, but I don't think it counts.

 

However, there is an excellent chance, based on my experience, that you will soon pull one off legitmately.

 

My first criss-cross was a pseudo... I knew rho guarded diamonds, in which dummy held the A and I the QJ (his first pitch was an encouraging diamond and he was too weak a player to falsecard) so I played exactly as if I had a criss-cross, and he went wrong once I stiffed the diamond A.. he'd never seen the play before. A month later I had a real, working criss-cross.

 

And the first trump squeeze I played was just like your criss-cross... the cards lay in such a way that I had all the tricks without the squeeze, but, strangely, within a few weeks, I had actually played one that worked and was necessary.

 

I think it is a function of playing a lot, as I did those days, and of attuning one's mind to the possibility. I haven't seen many of either since... perhaps a total of 3 criss cross and not many more trump squeezes, but that may be because I don't study end positions as diligently as I used to (and don't play much either).

 

But congratulations... I remember how pumped I was when I made the play intentionally... I empathize with your (I hope silent) cackle (unless they were friends, in which case it is perfectly appropriate to cackle out loud)

[gnasher]

There was a coup available here, but it was a defensive one. East should throw a club honour in the ending. Who'd be cackling then?