More Squeezes Against Extensions
by Imre András
This article extends Squeezes Against Extensions from the March 2019 issue of The Bridge World.
Do you think declarer could take advantage of the vise position against East's hearts on this deal?
| NORTH ♠ 6 ♥ 8 5 3 2 ♦ A K 8 6 5 ♣ J 7 5 |
||
| WEST ♠ 10 9 5 4 3 ♥ A 6 4 ♦ 9 7 2 ♣ 10 2 |
EAST ♠ A Q 7 ♥ J 10 7 ♦ Q 10 3 ♣ K Q 9 8 | |
| SOUTH ♠ K J 8 2 ♥ K Q 9 ♦ J 4 ♣ A 6 4 3 |
| SOUTH | WEST | NORTH | EAST |
| — | — | — | 1 ♣ |
| Double | Pass | 1 ♦ | Pass |
| 1 NT | Pass | Pass | Pass |
West leads the ten of clubs, which holds, and continues the suit. South wins the third round of clubs and runs the jack of diamonds. East wins and cashes a club (dummy discards a heart). East prefers to conceal the jack-ten of hearts, so he leads a diamond, forcing declarer to take his diamond tricks now or never. These cards remain:
| NORTH ♠ 6 ♥ 8 5 3 ♦ 6 ♣ — |
||
| WEST ♠ 10 9 ♥ A 6 4 ♦ — ♣ — |
EAST ♠ A Q 7 ♥ J 10 ♦ — ♣ — | |
| SOUTH ♠ K J 8 ♥ K Q ♦ — ♣ — |
With dummy on lead, declarer needs three tricks. On the last diamond, East gives up a heart to maintain the spade threat. South can't afford a spade, which is needed to protect that suit when the holding is broken (and the defense could force a lead from it), so South gives up a heart. Because of the vise against East, West is now squeezed:
(a) If West throws a heart, declarer plays a spade from dummy, then the king of hearts to force West to give up a trick.
(b) If West throws a spade, declarer plays a spade form dummy and eventually forces West, with six-four of hearts, to lead into dummy's eight-five.
In this type of squeeze, it is possible for the victim threatened by a vise situation to be sitting behind the cards that threaten to clamp on the sandwiched values, as West (whose hearts are subject to a vise) is in this deal, where South is declarer at one notrump:
| NORTH ♠ 10 8 ♥ 9 4 3 2 ♦ A Q J 10 ♣ 9 7 4 |
||
| WEST ♠ A 6 5 3 ♥ J 10 5 ♦ 9 7 ♣ K Q J 10 |
EAST ♠ Q 9 4 ♥ A 8 6 ♦ 6 5 4 3 2 ♣ A 2 | |
| SOUTH ♠ K J 7 2 ♥ K Q 7 ♦ K 8 ♣ 8 6 5 3 |
The defense starts by taking four club tricks. East discards diamonds; dummy gives up a heart. To avoid helping declarer, West shifts to a diamond. Dummy wins, and declarer starts finessing in spades by leading the ten: queen, king, low--strong defense.
South has little choice but to run diamonds. This is the layout with West yet to discard on the next-to-last diamond (where declarer will need three of the last five tricks):
| NORTH ♠ 8 ♥ 9 4 3 ♦ J ♣ — |
||
| WEST ♠ A 6 5 ♥ J 10 5 ♦ — ♣ — |
EAST ♠ 9 4 ♥ A 8 4 ♦ — ♣ — | |
| SOUTH ♠ J 7 ♥ K Q 7 ♦ — ♣ — |
West is fatally squeezed, but declarer may need to avoid the self-squeeze aspect. If West throws a heart, leading the last diamond would cost the contract. South must go after hearts to succeed. If West instead throws a spade, South can discard the seven of hearts on the last diamond and lead a spade to take seven tricks.
Let's close with an example in three notrump:
| NORTH ♠ K J 4 3 ♥ K Q 9 7 ♦ J ♣ 8 7 6 5 |
||
| WEST ♠ A Q 8 5 ♥ A J 10 ♦ 9 8 7 4 ♣ A K |
EAST ♠ 10 9 7 ♥ 6 5 2 ♦ 6 5 ♣ 10 9 4 3 2 | |
| SOUTH ♠ 6 2 ♥ 8 4 3 ♦ A K Q 10 3 2 ♣ Q J |
South opens his personal version of a gambling three notrump; West doubles, and everyone passes.
West starts with the top clubs, and East encourages. West is frustrated about the club situation, so his thinking is cloudy. Believing the leading a major would help declarer to take finesses, he shifts to a diamond, hoping that East will have enough strength that the run of the diamonds will squeeze dummy. Unfortunately for West, South has a critical card--the eight of hearts. This is the position as South, needing four tricks, leads the last diamond:
| NORTH ♠ K J 4 ♥ K Q 7 ♦ — ♣ — |
||
| WEST ♠ A Q 8 ♥ A J 10 ♦ — ♣ — |
EAST ♠ 10 9 7 ♥ 6 5 ♦ — ♣ 9 | |
| SOUTH ♠ 6 2 ♥ 8 4 3 ♦ 2 ♣ — |
If West gives up a heart, dummy will throw a spade, and declarer will get two heart tricks the second in the South hand and lead a spade to set up the game-going trick. If West instead yields a spade, dummy will throw a heart, and South will lead a spade next.
By failing to notice that he could have forced declarer into having broken holdings in dummy in both majors, West did not play to best advantage. After two clubs, he should have shifted to the jack of hearts. True, this presents declarer with a finesse and a tempo, but by tearing the soul of the non-material squeeze, it gains more in exchange and sets the contract. As declarer, needing three tricks, plays the last diamond, the position will be:
| NORTH ♠ K J 4 ♥ K 7 ♦ — ♣ — |
||
| WEST ♠ A Q 8 ♥ A 10 ♦ — ♣ — |
EAST ♠ 10 9 7 ♥ 6 ♦ — ♣ 9 | |
| SOUTH ♠ 6 2 ♥ 8 4 ♦ 2 ♣ — |
West can afford to release the eight of spades, retaining a major tenace in both critical suits. Declarer can retain two king-doubletons in dummy, but West will win the next trick with an ace and continue the same suit to endplay the North hand.
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