Puzzle #9

Vise Squad

from The Red Book on Play by Ely Culbertson

   Every so often, a deal intended to demonstrate a point of technique turns out to contain interesting double-dummy features.

	NORTH ♠ K 10 7 5 4 2 ♥ A 5 ♦ Q J ♣ A K J
WEST ♠ Q J 3 ♥ Q 10 8 6 4 2 ♦ 4 3 2 ♣ 7		EAST ♠ A 9 6 ♥ J 7 ♦ K 5 ♣ 8 6 5 4 3 2
	SOUTH ♠ 8 ♥ K 9 3 ♦ A 10 9 8 7 6 ♣ Q 10 9

   Can South take 12 tricks at notrump after the lead of the heart six and best defense thereafter?

Solutions

   South can take 12 tricks by maneuvering into a secondary squeeze ending usually called a vise. The idea is to force West to part with a spade honor in order to guard hearts. The standard defense against this form of squeeze is for the potential squeezee's partner (here East) to hold a side winner (here a club). However, in the given layout declarer can circumvent this defense.
   Declarer wins the opening heart lead in dummy and runs diamonds, using the heart king (not a club) to reenter if East puts up his king of diamonds (best defense). Declarer then runs winners to reach this ending (shown with one high club cashed for simplicity):

	NORTH ♠ K 10 ♥ — ♦ — ♣ A J
WEST ♠ Q J ♥ Q 10 ♦ — ♣ —		EAST ♠ A 9 ♥ — ♦ — ♣ 8 6
	SOUTH ♠ 8 ♥ 9 ♦ — ♣ Q 10

   East must keep at least two spades, so he can hold at most two clubs. The club ace-queen then suqeeze West out of a spade honor.

(Adapted from The Bridge Journal.)

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