Introduction to squeeze plays

[Lovera]

But to catch Q J x x in East there is a safety play to impasse twice playing 10 to A and the 9 to K. Yet against 1 - 3 Q then will fall down.

But this line is better when opening leads are heart or clubs .

[Lovera]

Feedback so far is for more simple squeeze quizes. To keep the lessons here from getting too long, I will start a new thread..... BASIC SQUEEZE QUIZES and stick the quizes over there... That way, we can move forward here with more new info on identifying squeezes... and you can work at your own pace.

 

<span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>Defects in the entry requirement of BLUE

Entry Defect in Basic Squeeze Position: No primary entry in either threat suit.</span>A. Trump Squeeze

 

The basic squeeze position requires that the threat suits opposite the squeeze card have its primary entry in its own suit. In earlier post we found that simple squeezes still worked if the primary entry was in the threat suit held by the squeeze hand, provided that a secondary entry (a re-entry back to the squeeze hand) existed in either threat suit. Because of this requirement for an extra (secondary) entry, the simplest squeezes are ones in which the primary entry is in its own suit. In next series of post on squeezes, we will examine endings where the primary entry is not in either threat suit, and the significant extra values required compensating for the primary entry being outside of either threat suit.

 

Up to this post, the squeezes shown have all been played at notrump. The ability to use trumps to set up winners and to serve as a late entry in suit contracts can play a key role in compensating for defects in the basic squeeze position (as we will see later in more details when you have a defect in "both". The simplest use of trumps in a squeeze ending is known as a trump squeeze and is shown in ending 2.1. In a trump squeeze the ability to ruff one of the guarded suits severely threatens one opponent in two distinct ways. First, the ruff can be used to set up a winner in the suit that is trumped. Second, the ruff can be used as an entry to an established winner. In the following ending ♦’s are trumps.

[hv=n=shq8d3c5&w=saqhk5dc&e=s5h3dc32&s=sk6hadca]399|300|§2.1 Trump squeeze ending.

 

Entry Defect in BLUE

B: ♠A+♥K

L: one

U: ♥Q

E: *basic ending defect

 

SC: ♣A

Primary entry: "Defective" as no entry to hand opposite squeeze card in own threat suit (♥) or squeeze hands threat suit (♣).

Secondary entry: ♥A

 

Lead: in South's hand with ♦'s as trumps[/hv]

 

This ending shows how the trump can be used to either establish a winner (the ♠K) or to serve as a late entry to an established winner (the ♥Q). When the squeeze card is played (♣A), On the top club, West must discard from a major. If he discards a ♠, the ♠6 will be ruffed, dropping the ♠A, and the last two tricks will be the ♥A and ♠K. That is, the trump is used to establish the ♠K.

 

Instead, if on the club West discards the ♥5, South will cash the ♥A, then use the ♦3 to ruff a as an entry to ♥Q. This shows the second usage of the trump after the squeeze card as an entry to an established winner.

 

The ability of the trump to be used to establish a winner in the hand opposite it or to serve as an entry to a winner in the hand with it should look oddly familiar. In fact, if you could substitute the small trump (♦3) for a spade higher than Ace, you would have a crisscross squeeze similar to what was presented in ending 1.3 in an ealier post (look for one entitled criss-cross squeeze.

 

This is exactly the purpose of a simple trump squeeze: the ability to ruff after the squeeze card has been played replaces the FLAW of not having a primary entry in the threat suit held by the squeeze hand. Thus, just as in the normal crisscross squeeze, the secondary entry (entry to the squeeze hand) must be in the threat suit held by the hand opposite the squeeze card. Note, to overcome the defect of the lack of an entry opposite the squeeze card in the squeeze hand’s threat suit, we have increased the requirements to include a trump suit and require a two card threat suit (in this example, two spades) to allow ruffing to establish a winner.

 

This gives you two ways to view a trump squeeze. The first way is how a trump can be used as a “primary entry” to overcome the lack of the primary entry in either threat suit in a simple squeeze position. The other way often is to view a trump squeeze is as a means to solve a flaw in a crisscross squeeze position by substituting for the “Ace” of the threat suit held by the hand containing the squeeze card

 

Now for an example hand... this is from the BBO June 5, 2004. 18 table tournment

 

[hv=d=n&v=e&n=sq82hak7dat53c865&s=sajt963hj94d2cakq]133|200|Scoring: IMP<br/><br/>

West North East South

 

- 1♣ 1NT 2♠

Pass 4♠ Pass 4NT

Pass 5♥ Pass 6♠

Pass Pass Pass

 

Opening Leas CLUB JACK

 

[/hv]

 

1) 1♣ = quirky choice by partner, lead inhibitor?

2) 1NT = raptor, showing 5+ diamonds, exactly 4 hearts

 

This hand was posted by me and discussed already in the "interesting hand" section. Let's see how we beginners and intermediates can handle it now with this introduction.

 

You know EAST has four hearts (maybe five), so you think he has the heart queen (for his bid). So the heart JACK in your hand serves two purposes. First is a threat, second it is in the upper hand, fixing U. Since EAST has at least five diamonds, and maybe six, the long diamonds in dummy also threaten EAST, so Both is correct. Loser count, let's see.. we have at least 5♠, 3♣, 2♥ and 1♦ for 11 tricks. 12 if the spade hook is on. But do you want to risk a spade hook? The answer is no. East could easily be 2-4-6-1 and if the spade hook loses, he could ruff a club. So, you will play the spade ace. Nothing exciting happens on the spade ace, so now you know you have 11 tricks (after you knock out the spade King). What about your entry conditions?

 

What will be the squeeze card? It can be the last top club or the long spade, both in your hand. The heart JACK will be the threat card in your hand, and diamond in dummy. But to isolate the diamond threat against EAST, you will need to ruff at least one diamond (and when the spade king wins they will knock out your diamond entry perhaps anyway). Thus the entry to dummy will be the threat suit held by the hand with the squeeze card. Where is your secondary entry to your hand? Not in hearts, not is diamonds. This is the failing case for the simple squeeze. But here, a trump squeeze can work for you. Imagine your last trump as a super ACE of diamonds, that can be held to just the right moment.

 

So you exit a spade, WEST wins as east discards a club. West leads a diamond. You win the ace, ruff a diamond high and run all your trumps. EAST has to keep both three hearts (to stop your jack), and two diamonds (to prevent the diamond Ten from being good. That is five cards, but this is the four card ending.. with him to play (the GREEN CARDS have been played.

 

[hv=n=shq8d3c5&w=saqhk5dc&e=s5h3dc32&s=sk6hadca]399|300|§2.1 Trump squeeze ending.

 

Entry Defect in BLUE

B: ♠A+♥K

L: one

U: ♥Q

E: *basic ending defect

 

SC: ♣A

Primary entry: "Defective" as no entry to hand opposite squeeze card in own threat suit (♥) or squeeze hands threat suit (♣).

Secondary entry: ♥A

 

Lead: in South's hand with ♦'s as trumps[/hv]

 

As you can see EAST has real problems. If he throws a heart, your ♥J is established. If he throws a diamond, you play heart to dummy, ruff a ♦. ane heart back as entry to win the established diamond.

 

It wasn't too difficult to diagnose the problem with entries.. .especially now that you are learning to look for entries opposite the squeeze card, and entries back to your hand.

 

What have we learned?

• If there is no entry in either threat suit opposite the squeeze card, in suit contract, look for possible trump squeeze
  
• If there is no secondary entry to hand with squeeze card, at suit contracts, look for a trump squeeze
  
• The role of a true trump squeeze is to overcome lack of entries in either of the threat suits
  

Next time, we will get into "expert" field of squeeze play by looking for other ways to overcome the lack of either a primary entry or secondary entry in a flawed squeeze ending. You will soon find, even intermediate players can find our way through the maze of endings if we only have know the road signs of what to look for.

For a better viewing of the trump ending, perhaps, the hands of North and South must be inverted and also West and East (in first 2.1).