Bridge is a lot of things rolled into one and the art of good play is to identify each component that has a role to play in the context of a particular hand. Sometimes it can be a subtle endplay - at times sheer timing in the loser on loser technique. Desperate deep finesse is required as a last measure and, when all other elements of card play fail, the squeeze is the only possible salvation for the declarer.
But, squeeze play can be both simple and complex. It is simple, if you know the basics and use the proper technique early on visualising the last 3 or 4 card ending. Squeeze plays are of endless variety and have been given various names on the nature of the squeeze from the 'simple' to the 'crisscross' squeeze, from the 'strip squeeze' to the 'double squeeze' etc.
Today's problem is one where bridge technique is of the essence and identifies the problem early basic for the winning line. Place yourself in the south seat, cover the east west hands, and work out how you would play 6S on the following deal.
A word about the bidding. Playing key card Blackwood, when north seeks key cards by 4NT and hears 5D response showing 1 or 4 key cards, his bid of 5S is legitimate, if south holds one key card. Since South has 4, he automatically would convert 5S to 6S as south did, facing the lead of 9H.
One look at the dummy and south could count 10 tricks: 5 in trumps, 2 red aces one red king and 3 clubs. Unless clubs broke 3-3, the 12th trick was elusive. This is, in fact, a classic lesson where south can execute a 'guard squeeze', making his basic moves correctly for the squeeze to work.
Amongst the most fundamental requirements of squeeze, rectifying the count is perhaps the most universally understood, comprehended and executed. But for that to work, the declarer needs firstly to visualise what is exactly required in the opponents' distribution so as to give him a chance in bringing home his well bid slam.
Amongst the inferences available from the bidding, south is in knowledge of the basic fact that west can have at the most 2 hearts, as east had bid 2H, showing minimum 6 with 3 or 2 cards of trumps and, therefore, every chance of holding the length in both minors. What south wanted to comprehend was the very likelihood of clubs not breaking 3-3. In that case, south had a candle of light burning. Can you spot how?
Well, let us proceed step by step as to how the expert south visualised the problem as a whole, identified the squeeze phenomenon wherein what he comprehended was that there being a double 'guard squeeze' with each of the two defenders guarding their 2 vital suits - east the hearts and west the clubs - there would be every chance that both of them would be unable to guard the third suit - the diamonds.
Proceeding on the above line, the first problem for south to make the squeeze work was rectifying the count. Should he duck the first heart or play the ace of hearts and back a heart? Although the risk of east holding 7 hearts was there, south took the risk of west having a doubleton heart by ducking the first heart. There was a strong reason in doing so. For otherwise, east would win the second heart and immediately play the third one breaking the squeeze tempo in its infancy.
The play unfolded smoothly. Ducking the first heart, winning the heart return from east who took. 9H with the king, south drew trumps in 3 rounds, cashed the KQ and ace of clubs, with east showing out on the third round. He played one more round of trumps to bring the following end position where each held as under:
The dice had been cast. Both defenders held precariously the winners of their respective suits in lieu of the threat card of 6H and 5 of clubs in the dummy. But on the last trump played, the heavens fell apart.
First west was squeezed in unguarding the 3 carder jack of diamonds as he could not throw JC looking to the 5C in dummy. On the diamond discard from west, 5C had no value in dummy and was immediately wasted, whereupon east now felt the heat of the squeeze.
He had to hold on to the JH in lieu of the threat card of 6H in dummy and was therefore forced to unguard his diamond card, making his QD vulnerable to fall under the A and K of diamonds with the declarer running the last diamond for his 12th winner to bring the Slam home.
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North West East South
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J 75 963 84 AKQ105
A 62 97 K QJ 1054 83
K 53 J 964 Q012 A 87
K Q 54 J1086 93 A72
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The Bidding:
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West North East South
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- - 2H 2S
P 4NT P 5D
P 5S P 6S
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All pass
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North West East South
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- - - 2
6 - J -
A5 J 96 Q012 K87
5 J - -
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