[fred]

I would use the term "entry squeeze" to describe a position like this:

---

North is on lead and NS need all the rest of the tricks.

In a sense NS have the rest of the tricks already, but it is impossible to take these tricks (because 2 club finesses are needed and the South hand has only 1 entry).

The Ace of diamonds catches West in an "entry squeeze" because, although a spade discard by him does not give up a trick (you already have 2 spade tricks!) it gives up an entry.

It is the extra entry that results in the extra trick.

After West discards a spade, South can overtake the K of spades with the A, finesse clubs, and then lead the 2 of spades to the 3 for a 2nd club finesse.

Geza Ottlik wrote extensively about various entry squeeze positions (among other amazing things) in a series of articles in The Bridge World called "The Way it Is" in the 1970s. The material from these articles made up the core material for "Adventures in Card Play" which is definitely the hardest (and arguably the best) bridge book ever written.

For whatever its worth, I don't think Ottlik would have considered Nick's position an "entry squeeze".

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[Echognome]

[skjaeran]

fred, on May 16 2007, 01:22 AM, said:

jdonn, on May 15 2007, 11:09 PM, said:

I am quite right about what he wrote, though he may well be wrong. I know your point since I made the same argument with Joon (I didn't believe him that Reese called this a steppingstone) but I found my copy of the book and he certainly did. What you show is what people classically think of as a steppingstone squeeze of course.

If you say so, I believe you, but it is hard for me to imagine that Reese could make a mistake like that.

I believe Reese was the one who originally wrote about the steppingstone and other related positions (quite possibly in "Master Play" but I am not sure about that and I don't seem to have a copy of that book anymore). He was really into colorful nomenclature and was one of the best analysts ever.

It just doesn't sound like a Reese-like thing to say.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

Josh i(and Ben) s right about what Terence Reese wrote. It was in "The expert game" (that't the original title, it was called "Master Play" in the US edition - an edition Reese himself strongly disliked).

The introduction to the Stepping-Stone says:
"The stepping-stone is a name of another type of squeeze in which declarer has sufficient triccks in top cards but cannot go conveniently from hand to hand...... Like most forms of direct squeeze, the stepping-stone operates at two levels when declarer has to make all the tricks and when he can afford to lose one trick. The secind situation arises more often."

I believe stepping-stone is used on both since the squeeze mechanism is the same and because you face the same problem - your tricks are there, but you can't reach them right away. Even in the win all tricks situation you use an opponent as a virtual stepping-stone.

[nickf]

fred, on May 16 2007, 09:45 AM, said:

On a related note, did you know there is such a thing as a "double steppingstone"?

Dealer: ????? Vul: ???? Scoring: Unknown

♠ Ax ♥ x ♦ x ♣   ♠ QJ ♥ A ♦ x ♣   ♠ 109 ♥ x ♦ A ♣   ♠ K ♥ K ♦ K ♣ K

wow - that's a four-king good hand.

nickf
sydney