An Easy Squeeze For Humans

[LBengtsson]

A friend was playing with a robot (GIB), and they bid quick to 6♥ without any opps. bidding. The robot declarer did not see the easy squeeze and went down :( I have put this board in the Intermediate Forum as it is instructional, and easy to follow. I am not sure why GIB missed this play, and maybe someone familiar with GIB can tell us why? This is one easy squeeze compared to some of the more complicated ones that are for advanced and expert players, and some beginners with good previous card play skills would see it imo.

 

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Contract 6♥ by South.

 

You receive the lead of ♥3 from West, you play the ♥6 from dummy, East plays the ♥A, and you play the ♥5.

East now returns a small ♣ and you take it with the ♣A in dummy

You then cash the ♥J in dummy and you note that West is now void.

You then take the marked finesse of the ♥10 and draw the last outstanding trump. (It is important that you plan ahead here and leave a small ♠ and a small ♣ in dummy for communication to the South hand.)

This will leave these cards.

 

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You can now try for a 3-3 ♦ break by cashing the ♦K, leading to the ♦A and ruffing a ♦. If ♦ are 3-3 your ♦10 is good and you can claim the rest of the tricks. If the ♦ suit does not break 3-3 you are left in this position.

 

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You now have two chances to make the contract after cashing the ♣KQ. If West has both the ♠Q and the good ♦ he is squeezed before you play from dummy, or either player has ♠Qx as a doubleton. I hope this is useful and easy to follow.

 

And did you see the other way it could be made?: if either of the opps has ♦ QJ doubleton, then the ♦10 will be good also.

 

Edit: And I am sure some expert players will see a slight variation on this that gives them a extra chance of making the contract: cashing a top ♠ during the play after drawing trumps.

 

For your information, on the actual board the ♦ did split 3-3 which meant you did not have to think about a possible squeeze.

[smerriman]

I am not sure why GIB missed this play, and maybe someone familiar with GIB can tell us why?

Would need to see the full deal and play to have a chance of answering this, given the 3-3 break meant that it should have made regardless of any squeeze.

[LBengtsson]

This is the full deal

 

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Trick 3 West discard small ♠. (declarer drawing trumpss)

Trick 4 West discard small ♦ (declarer drawing trumps)

Trick 5 West discard ♠8, dummy ♦2 (declarer drawing trumps)

Trick 6 ♣K all follow

Trick 7 ♣Q opps. follow, dummy discards ♦3

Trick 8 ♦K, all follow, no honors

Trick 9 small ♦ to ♦A, East drops ♦J

Trick 10 ♠A all follow

Trick 11 ♠K all follow, no queen appears

Trick 12 ♦10 covered by ♦Q ruffed by last trump

Trick 13 ♠J loses to ♠Q result one down

[smerriman]

Well, I have no idea. Gave the position to a robot at trick 7 to a robot on BBO and it didn't throw away the diamond, making easily. Gave it to the much older robot at the same point, and it also made the contract every time from that position.

 

But as an added twist, giving it to both robots at trick 1, both of them go down.. but possibly for the right reason. Neither of them played for a squeeze; instead, after getting in at trick 2, they threw a spade on the clubs, and then ruffed a spade, overruffed by East.

 

Other than an extremely bad club break, this line appears to only go down if spades break 5-2 and East has the trump T, which looks to be better odds than the squeeze.

 

GIB wonders why us humans make such elementary mistakes :)

[LBengtsson]

Well, I have no idea. Gave the position to a robot at trick 7 to a robot on BBO and it didn't throw away the diamond, making easily. Gave it to the much older robot at the same point, and it also made the contract every time from that position.

 

But as an added twist, giving it to both robots at trick 1, both of them go down.. but possibly for the right reason. Neither of them played for a squeeze; instead, after getting in at trick 2, they threw a spade on the clubs, and then ruffed a spade, overruffed by East.

 

Other than an extremely bad club break, this line appears to only go down if spades break 5-2 and East has the trump T, which looks to be better odds than the squeeze.

 

GIB wonders why us humans make such elementary mistakes :)

 

Thanks for that, smerriman, Interesting :) So why did the robot not play (on my friend's board) for this line that I have highlighted? Difference between basic and advanced robots, I guess.

 

Yes, I admit I did not see the line highlighted as probably the best probability play. A complete blind spot on my part. This is a hand where if you were playing in a club and did not draw trumps early, your partner would never play with you again - lol! - as it looks like a beginner error, but the GIB line does look best I agree.