[dcvetkov]

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6♣ by South.

I would expect most of the posters here would have very little problem with this hand, yet, in a recent tournament, lot of declarers went down, only one made, and by ominous error by defence.

Lead was Q ♦, you win and finesse in trums, west returns J♦.

Maybe its not so obvious single dummy, but there are only few layouts for u to succeed. I think the question is to take H finesse or play for double squeeze?

[Stephen Tu]

Maybe I'm being dense but I don't see a squeeze position here, even double dummy. What end position are you envisioning?

[Stephen Tu]

GIB confirmed that there is no way to make the contract without misdefense. You don't have the right layout for a double since East can guard diamonds. It will only operate if East mispitches a diamond, which he shouldn't, keeping length parity with dummy is a basic principle of defending.

As for what to play, single dummy, I think you are supposed to finesse unless East shows out when you ruff the 3rd diamond.

[toothbrush]

I don't see a squeeze either. I play all the trumps and then go for the finesse if opps didn't make mistakes.

[Free]

There is no squeeze, since West can keep his ♦ and East can keep his ♥ and ♠...

[cherdano]

Free, on Jan 7 2006, 04:48 PM, said:

There is no squeeze, since West can keep his ♦ and East can keep his ♥ and ♠...

That's not right; if East discards his 4th diamond for fun, there is a double squeeze. Keep ♠ATx and ♦x in dummy, and lead your least trump. West has to give up spades, you throw the diamond from dummy, and East can't keep 3 spades and ♥K.

As for the original question, yes this would be an easy problem for me at the table (unless I find out that only West is guarding diamonds). Take the heart finesse, down one, next hand, easy bridge!

[FrancesHinden]

It's not quite as simple as people make out. When you have a position where there are menaces in 3 suits, and both opponents are guarding two of them, you sometimes have a compound squeeze.

Not on this hand, however.

I also eventually take the heart finesse and go off.

[pclayton]

It has the makings of a compound squeeze, but I think (not sure) a spade lead (or shift) breaks it up, since you need a late entry back to the closed hand.

If someone else wants to try it without a spade lead or shift, go ahead.

Compounds are tough, I don't have the time right now to analyze it for an hour.

[FrancesHinden]

I think the compound squeeze just doesn't work.
They tend to need extremely fluid entries, and this hand doesn't have them.

[Flame]

Even if there is a squeeze here, i doubt it is better then the simple heart finnese.

[FrancesHinden]

Flame, on Jan 8 2006, 12:44 AM, said:

Even if there is a squeeze here, i doubt it is better then the simple heart finnese.

If you have the entries for a compound squeeze it is probably much _better_ than the heart finesse, because it's a certain line rather than a 50% line. To show how one works, take this hand. Suppose that the AK of clubs are swapped, and West leads Ace and another trump. This has the hand effect of not hurting any of the entries (after the Ace of trumps a switch to either pointed suit beats it). Declarer wins, cashes the ace of hearts and starts running trumps. (Cashing the ace of hearts isn't necessary, but when we aren't playing double dummy it makes life easier).

Everything is fine for the first 4 rounds of trumps, then we get to this position:

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On the next trump West lets a heart go, dummy discards a heart and East has to give up control of one of the pointed suits. If he discards a spade, West is simply squeezed in spades and diamonds. If he lets go a diamond, we have various winning lines: A,K and ruff a diamond sets up a spade/diamond squeeze against West. Alternatively, another trump just turns the screw again.

Assuming you can always read the end position, this line is assured whoever has the HK (West gets squeezed before East).

The general idea of a compound squeeze is that
- both opponents are guarding two suits, one a third
- one opponent is then forced to give up a guard in one of the suits
- you then have a double squeeze

A diamond or spade lead or switch breaks it up as it ruins the entry position.

(with thanks to Deep Finesse)

[Fluffy]

FrancesHinden, on Jan 8 2006, 11:12 AM, said:

If you have the entries for a compound squeeze it is probably much _better_ than the heart finesse

I always though compund needed a precise count of opponnets hand, and here you have nothign close to. Maybe I am just wrong and you can make blind compounds.

[Rebound]

FrancesHinden, on Jan 8 2006, 07:12 AM, said:

Assuming you can always read the end position....

Fluffy, it seems to me that you and Frances are in agreement. It appeared that the post was intended to typify the end position, not explain how to get there.

[FrancesHinden]

There are compound squeezes that 'play themselves' (like some double squeezes). But you need a lot of experience to recognise the positions, and like most people I don't have it, as the entry requirements mean that they are very rare at the table.

[dcvetkov]

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I guess this is the position I had in mind. Yes, if RHO abandons Diamond guard there is a classic double squeeze on the last trump. From the lead and continuation, there is a fare assumption that LHO has QJ109 of diamonds and you can play along double squeeze line. On the barage of clubs, it may not be so clear to RHO the importance of keeping 9 of diamonds and abandon spade guard.

To achieve this position however, if you have not noticed its crucial to cash the A ace early ( Vienna Cup) and retain Q♥ as a threat in hand. No one from declarers saw this, althogh they tried to achieve some squeeze position, then its hopeless, even if RHO abandonds Diamond guard early.

[Stephen Tu]

Frances, I don't think there is a compound in your altered end position either. East simply pitches a spade. West can let go diamonds since East can guard them.

dcetkov, I don't think the declarers are going to take the line you are envisioning, because as pointed out there is no double squeeze if East guards diamonds (which I think is easy), and cashing the HA early is going to just look stupid if the HK was onside the whole time, and finesse is a better chance than the double squeeze.

[FrancesHinden]

It works whatever East discards. The final squeeze position is a little different if East throws a spade, as it's non-simultaneous.

East discards a spade.
South plays another trump, diamond discard from West, diamond discard from dummy, diamond discard from East.
South plays another trump, diamond from West, spade from dummy, spade from East.

Now we have come to

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And the Ace then King of spades squeezes East in Hearts and Diamonds.
Note we didn't need the S10 in dummy for this to work, but we do need all our communications: you can see how either a diamond or spade lead at any time ruins it.

[cherdano]

Stephen Tu, on Jan 8 2006, 09:31 PM, said:

Frances, I don't think there is a compound in your altered end position either. East simply pitches a spade. West can let go diamonds since East can guard them.

dcetkov, I don't think the declarers are going to take the line you are envisioning, because as pointed out there is no double squeeze if East guards diamonds (which I think is easy), and cashing the HA early is going to just look stupid if the HK was onside the whole time, and finesse is a better chance than the double squeeze.

And, if this was a BBO tourney, an average declarer is a lot more likely to mess up his entries so he cannot take a finesse anymore, than to plan a double squeeze.

Arend

[Flame]

The squeeze is very nice, but lets do exactly as u said but at the end position give LHO the K♥ and give RHO another high ♦(LHO discard the J♦ not the 10). Now the squeeze doesnt work. So basically this squeeze worked when RHO help the KH, is that better then 50% ?.

[Winstonm]

You could make it on the double squeeze if East on opening lead played the 9 of diamonds to give count.

Winston