Interesting Squeeze

[PeterAlan]

This hand came up in the Swiss Pairs (Session 2, Board 9) at the London Year End Congress - I'm posting it because it interested me, and I hope it might interest others:[hv=pc=n&s=sj8754ha7dj94ckt6&w=sk3hqj95432dk872c&n=sqt9hk86da53cq975&e=sa62htdqt6caj8432]399|300[/hv]

At our table it was played in 3♠ by N/S, but the interesting contract is 4♥ by W. The ♦s are frozen and there aren't the entries to set up the ♣, so it's hard to see where the 10th trick comes from, but after ruffing a spade and running the trumps the following position arrives:

[hv=pc=n&s=shdj94ckt&w=sh5dk872c&n=shda53cq9&e=shdqt6caj]399|300[/hv]

Now the last ♥ squeezes both N and S in the minors. N must throw a ♣ to protect the ♦ position, then a ♦ goes from dummy and to keep the ♣ guard S must pitch a ♦. Then ♦ to Q, ♣A and ♦10 to K.

 

I'm very far from being expert in squeezes, but it didn't seem to be a simple type and I'd be interested to learn the classification from those who are.

[JLOGIC]

It is not a very practical line since it fails even if north has A9x (not to mention AJx), since he would pop with the DA and play a club and now you lose either a diamond or a club at the end.

 

That said, I don't know what it is called. I think of this type of position as a double sqz in the same suits but I'm sure there's some terminology.

[PeterAlan]

Thanks for the response, Justin. It came to me as a double dummy problem - someone raised it the next day - so I didn't have to concern myself with the right line to take at the table.

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&s=sj8754ha7dj94ckt6&w=sk3hqj95432dk872c&n=sqt9hk86da53cq975&e=sa62htdqt6caj8432]399|300|

PeterAlan writes " This hand came up in the Swiss Pairs (Session 2, Board 9) at the London Year End Congress - I'm posting it because it interested me, and I hope it might interest others:

At our table it was played in 3♠ by N/S, but the interesting contract is 4♥ by W. The ♦s are frozen and there aren't the entries to set up the ♣, so it's hard to see where the 10th trick comes from, but after ruffing a spade and running the trumps the following position arrives:"[/hv][hv=pc=n&s=shdj94ckt&w=sh5dk872c&n=shda53cq9&e=shdqt6caj]399|300|

"Now the last ♥ squeezes both N and S in the minors. N must throw a ♣ to protect the ♦ position, then a ♦ goes from dummy and to keep the ♣ guard S must pitch a ♦. Then ♦ to Q, ♣A and ♦10 to K.

I'm very far from being expert in squeezes, but it didn't seem to be a simple type and I'd be interested to learn the classification from those who are."

[/hv] [hv=pc=n&s=shdjt9cqt&w=sh2dk854c&n=shda76ckj&e=shdq32ca2]399|300|

(Slightly simplified diagram)

Maybe it's an unusual and pretty vice-squeeze variation[/hv]

[PeterAlan]

Thank you, Nigel. I thought it was interesting that the ♦ suit was frozen for everyone, with each defender not only unable to play it but also unable to discard from it without allowing declarer to establish a second ♦ trick by force, and that this defence is finally broken up by the squeeze in the endgame.