Bridge is a fascinating game in many ways. Perhaps of all sports it is the one sport which gives the maximum contentment and thrill when either the Declarer pulls off a difficult contract or the Defenders execute an excellent defence to beat the contract. Either way, it is the game of Bridge that is the winner.
Of its many facets and techniques of card play, perhaps the most rewarding is the "squeeze" wherein out of nowhere, when all seems lost due to the lie of the key cards, which otherwise give the Declarer no chance to make his contract, the Declarer, as a last resort, switches his focus on the possible squeeze, provided he has the vision, foresight, and technique to execute it successfully. Without going into the monotony of the prerequisites of a winning squeeze on which a lot has already been said regarding the menaces and squeeze card, rectifying count and entry position, let me give you today's hand played by a well known Swiss Expert who made the contract of 4H with consummate ease. The full hands are as below:
Against the 4H contract, West led JC and QC was taken by East's KC who returned a spade with Declarer's QS overrun by West's AS who then returned a spade to Declarer's KS. The Defence had already taken 2 tricks and the Declarer faced the prospect of a losing trump finesse besides a sure Spade and a Diamond losers for possibly 2 Down. The prospects looked gloomy as Declarer went up to his AC in the Dummy to take the Heart finesse which held.
A sense of relief swept over the Declarer. He had one entry left in the Dummy and he vacillated between using it for a repeat trump finesse or keeping it as an Entry Card to squeeze the opponents in Diamonds, spades and clubs on the run of the Trumps. For that to happen, the Declarer needed the KH to be a Doubleton to give him any chance. So he cashed the AH keeping his fingers crossed when the KH Dropped from East, Declarer could now hope for a squeeze to run against both opponents.
So far the Declarer had taken 2 tricks in Trumps 1 in spade and 1 in clubs totalling 4, with 4 extra Trump Tricks and the AD still left to add up to 9 tricks. He was a trick short as the Defence had taken 2 tricks and were poised to take 2 more, one in spades and one in Diamond.
Cautiously the Declarer peeled off his trumps one by one. When the last trump was played which was the 10th trick overall, West had to guard his KD and keep a club as he did not wish to be saddled with an endplay position in spades where he would be forced to lead away from his KD. Similarly East could not afford to bare the JD for fear of Declarer pinning it with his finesse of QD. So he kept his 2 Diamonds and the spade 10.
The Dummy was left with Al0 of Diamonds and a low club while Declarer had kept QX of Diamonds and a low spade. On the 11th Trick what should the Declarer do?
Playing Diamond would be conceding defeat straightaway with Diamond and Spade losers imminent. He therefore played his low spade to East and the opponents were trapped under the triple squeeze. If west unguarded his KD, keeping the club, Dummy would retain both Diamonds and Declarer would be home playing low Diamond on East's, return of a Diamond per force. If instead West threw a club, Dummy's 4 of clubs would be master along with A of Diamond.
Either way, the squeeze expert was the winner on the well executed squeeze play. Of course the best for West was to bare the K.D. to give Declarer a good Guess, hoping for the best.
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North West East South
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6 5 3 A 1 0 2 J 9 8 7 K Q 4
6 5 2 X X K X A Q J 1 0 9 7
A 1 0 7 3 K 8 6 5 J 9 X Q 4
A Q 4 J 1 0 X X K J 9 X X X
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