[kgr]

4NT-5C
5NT-6H
7C-7NT

---

This is a hand of Yesterday night. Advanced Opp did go for -1. Can you do better. (I think an intermediate player should find the correct play here).
LHO lead ♦K.

[Mbodell]

A♦, A♥, A♠, 7♠ to the K♠, K♥ (pitch ♣), Q♥ (pitch ♣), run spades from the top pitching ♣ until you are on the last spade (so all total you've pitched 5 ♣). You'll be left with 1 ♠, 1 ♥, 1 ♦, and 1 ♣ on the board. Now you've been counting the suits and on the last ♠ you can pitch a ♦ from hand. If the ♥ is good, cash it. If the 9♦ is good cash it, if not lead ♣ to your hand to cash from the top and hope that ♣ were 2-2 or else that the opponents had to protect ♥ and ♦ and therefore couldn't protect ♣.

If along the way you found out that spades were 5-0 play for the 2-2 clubs after cashing the hearts.

The only other choice here was to pitch a 6th club or else to cash the AK of clubs first (home free if 2-2) pitching the diamond from the board and then run spades, possibly on the last card pitching the A♥ to unblock and run hearts if defenders protect the minors, keeping the A♥ if they don't.

That, one, doesn't seem like an intermediate style play (especially at the table), and, two, doesn't seem like as good a line to me. Although I'm playing both lines on instinct.

[ralph23]

I'm assuming that clubs did not break 2-2, for no one could go down if that were the case.

If one defender has 3+ clubs and 5+ hearts, then he can legitimately be squeezed, as after 10 winners (1♦, 3♥ and 6♠), he must reduce to 3 cards and cannot protect both ♥ and ♣.

If West has 3+ clubs along with ♦QJT(x), then he can legitimately be squeezed, for the same reason. The ♦9 is a threat in dummy.

I don't see any other squeeze possibilities which doesn't prove anything . But if I were the defender holding the 3♣, and didn't hold either of the squeeze combos noted above, I would hold onto those ♣ no matter what and try by discard to put partner on notice that he must protect both the red suits.

If one defender holds 3♣ and there is no squeeze, then the hand must go down as the club-holding defender must know, with the declarer's bidding, that his clubs are invaluable in defense.

[Trumpace]

ralph23, on Oct 14 2007, 09:57 AM, said:

I don't see any other squeeze possibilities which doesn't prove anything

There might a double squeeze. If one opp needs to hold onto clubs, the other hearts, then diamond might be the source of your 13th.

So, after winning ♦A, cash the ♠A. If spades divide 5-0, then just hope the clubs come in.

If spades are not 5-0, then cash ♥A next and run the spades and hearts coming down to

_
8
9
9

_
_
_
AK8


If neither heart nor diamond is master, run clubs from top.

[ralph23]

Trumpace, on Oct 14 2007, 02:39 PM, said:

There might a double squeeze. If one opp needs to hold onto clubs, the other hearts, then diamond might be the source of your 13th.

If one defender needs to protect clubs, then his last three cards must always be 3♣, i.e. whichever three ♣ he started with, e.g. ♣QJ3.

The other defender can then easily hold e.g ♦JT ♥J for his last three cards. No double squeeze.

The end position you describe -- one card in each non-spade suit in dummy -- will always be reached in any play by any reasonable declarer. The only question is, was someone squeezed by the last ♠ played from dummy?

This will occur if one defender is the sole guardian of both ♣ and a red suit, but not otherwise, I think.

Thus if East (for example) started life with 5♥ and 3♣, he must choose when he comes down to three cards, and he is squeezed.

Or if West started with 3♣ and all the high ♦, then he is squeezed when he must reduce to 3 cards on the final ♠.

If you can specify any combination of four hands that produces a double squeeze on best defense, I'm anxious to see it!! But the prerequisite for a DS -- that both defenders must protect a third suit -- does not by hypothesis exist, because by hypothesis one defender must always hold 3 ♣ as his last 3 cards. He can never take on the responsibility of protecting any red suit; his partner will have to carry that burden all alone.

So the play is child-like: run all your major suit winners and come down to the 3-card position shown. Either one of your red cards is good, or it isn't. If it is good, then cash it and claim. If it is not, then try to run the clubs. It will either work, or it won't.

[Trumpace]

You are right ralph. I did say there "might" be

Perhaps some entry requirement for a double squeeze is wrong? Maybe on a spade/heart lead we have a double squeeze?

[ralph23]

Trumpace, on Oct 14 2007, 07:02 PM, said:

Perhaps some entry requirement for a double squeeze is wrong? Maybe on a spade/heart lead we have a double squeeze?

No, the real problem is for a DS, you need to have these three conditions in effect simultaneously:

1. E protects solely suit X.
2. W protects solely suit Y.
3. EW jointly protect suit Z.

By hypothesis, clubs do not split 2-2; hence someone was dealt (say just for argument's sake) precisely 3 clubs. That defender must in all events protect only clubs. He has no choice. He cannot protect a red suit.

So, condition 3 will never be satisfied.

[cherdano]

Ralph, if RHO has clubs and LHO hearts and we get a non-diamond lead, then we have a double squeeze with diamonds as the common suit. I don't understand what you are trying to say.

[ralph23]

cherdano, on Oct 14 2007, 07:15 PM, said:

Ralph, if RHO has clubs and LHO hearts and we get a non-diamond lead, then we have a double squeeze with diamonds as the common suit. I don't understand what you are trying to say.

Ah, you have an ending with ...

♥Qx
♦9


♦A3
♣x

West is holding 2♥ and the large diamond, East a club and 2♦, Queen♥ squeeze card. Indeed!!

[matmat]

ralph23, on Oct 14 2007, 08:06 PM, said:

cherdano, on Oct 14 2007, 07:15 PM, said:

Ralph, if RHO has clubs and LHO hearts and we get a non-diamond lead, then we have a double squeeze with diamonds as the common suit. I don't understand what you are trying to say.

Ah, you have an ending with ...

♥Qx
♦9


♦A3
♣x

West is holding 2♥ and the large diamond, East a club and 2♦, Queen♥ squeeze card. Indeed!!

sorry... this is an ending on the ♦K lead?

[ralph23]

[quote name='matmat' date='Oct 14 2007, 10:20 PM'] Ah, you have an ending with ...

[he]Qx
[di]9


[di]A3
[cl]x

West is holding 2[he] and the large diamond, East a club and 2[di], Queen[he] squeeze card. Indeed!! [/QUOTE]
sorry... this is an ending on the [di]K lead? [/quote]
No, we were assuming (contrary to fact) that a non-diamond lead was made.