[inquiry]

kgr, on Dec 10 2004, 12:59 PM, said:

..What is best?

Win ♥K, Cross to a ♣Ace. low ♠ to the JACK is best...

Works with 3-3 ♠ any, anytime WEST has ♠Q, or anytime East has four + ♠ to Queen and the ♦King (positional simple squeeze). Other duck tricks, like low diamond from dummy work as squeeze on some hands, but not as many as this line.

[inquiry]

Here is a spade contract from last night, where all the declarers in spades made 11 tricks (or less)... except for one. Was this good offense or bad defense?

Scoring: IMP


West North East South

 -     -     Pass  1NT
 Pass  2♣    Pass  2♠
 Pass  4♣    Pass  4♦
 Pass  4♥    Pass  4♠
 Pass  Pass  Pass  

---

1      6SW-2      100      9.8
2      6SW-1      50      9
3      6SW-1      50      9
4      6SW-1      50      9
5      4SW=      -420      -0.8
6      4SW=      -420      -0.8
7      4SW=      -420      -0.8
8      4SW+1      -450      -1.73
9      5SW=      -450      -1.73
10      4SW+1      -450      -1.73
11      4SW+1      -450      -1.73
12      4SW+1      -450      -1.73
13      5SW=      -450      -1.73
14      4SW+2      -480      -2.4 <<<------ note one fellow made six, was this bad defense?
15      5SxW=      -650      -5.87
16      5CxS-6      -1700      -15.73

This hand requires a squeeze to make 12 tricks.
C6 C9 CT CK
SQ S2 S7 H3 <<---- cash top spade from hand to handle 4-0 split either way
S3 S5 S8 C4
DJ D3 D7 DA <<---- entry problems to south for squeeze play
S6 ST C5 S4
DQ D4 D5 D2 <<---- unblock diamond
HA H7 H6 H2 <<---- cash heart ace (vienna coup)
SK D6 SA SJ
S9 H9 H4 DT
DK D8 H5 HK <<---- ♦K is the squeeze card, East is crushed.

Scoring: IMP


West North East South

 -     -     Pass  1NT
 Pass  2♣[/font]    Pass  2♠
 Pass  4♣    Pass  4♦
 Pass  4♥    Pass  4♠
 Pass  Pass  Pass  

---

[Trumpace]

inquiry, on Mar 12 2005, 10:30 AM, said:

Here is a spade contract from last night, where all the declarers in spades made 11 tricks (or less)... except for one. Was this good offense or bad defense?

Scoring: IMP


West North East South

 -     -     Pass  1NT
 Pass  2♣    Pass  2♠
 Pass  4♣    Pass  4♦
 Pass  4♥    Pass  4♠
 Pass  Pass  Pass  

---

14      4SW+2      -480      -2.4 <<<------ note one fellow made six, was this bad defense?

Apart from a heart opening lead, I don't see any way 6S does not make.

I think the declarer played well. Even if East had the diamond Ace, and gave West a club ruff, 4S is assured.

Was there really an error by defense?

[inquiry]

Trumpace, on Mar 12 2005, 07:10 PM, said:

Apart from a heart opening lead, I don't see any way 6S does not make.

I think the declarer played well. Even if East had the diamond Ace, and gave West a club ruff, 4S is assured.

Was there really an error by defense?

Yes, a heart lead will beat 6♠, of the pairs in 6♠, none got a heart lead.

To make six after a club lead requires precise timing. The high spade from hand, standard. The spade hook while in your hand, normal. But now, with two trumps in dummy, the exact sequence is required. You must lead a diamond now and not a third round of trumps. The reason is north will win the diamond ace and lead his last trump taking you last useful entry to your hand. You will not be able to unblock both red suits. When the defender returns a trump, you win in dummy... cash both red winners, and overtake to execute the squeeze. With this line of play, there is no defense.

If this had only been 6♠ contract, it would qualify for hand of the week contest....

Ben

[EricK]

Quote

Yes, a heart lead will beat 6♠, of the pairs in 6♠, none got a heart lead.

A ♥ lead surely stands out against 6♠. It also looks right against 4♠ on the strong bidding given in the OP.

With the opps marked with almost all the outstanding points, a ♣ lead just gives the position away more often than it gains anything.

Eric

[inquiry]

Scoring: IMP



Contract, 7♣ by south
Opening lead ♦8 (3rd/5th leads). ♦JACK wins first trick

---

What chances do you see? Think BLUE.

[sceptic]

Both threats in one hand

Q diamonds in LHO is a threat so 6 diamonds becomes a guard as does a spade or a heart

Loser count is correct 12 tricks and 1 to be squeezed

I assume the clubs split 2/2 as I would have to guess which way to finese if they did not (I doubt I would get it right)

A6H A6D

KxxS xH

K spades becomes squeeze card, if LHO has both threats then he is squeezed out of one

[kgr]

You want to squeeze West in ♠ and ♦.
It looks like he has 4+ ♦ with the Q and he will need 4+♠ for the Squeeze to work.
... Assuming West has 4+ ♦ and 4+♠ the changes for finesse in ♣ are now higher then for 3-3. I don't know the probabilities, but without info: 3-3 and finesse chances are about the same - with the info we have (..we require) the finesse should be better.
I play ♣ Ace and ♣J for finesse ♣ Q over East. And play for squeeze against West.

[Lovera]

inquiry, on 2004-November-28, 22:03, said:

You line is fine. Not sure if it is better than cash heart ace and just finessee in spades. The other squeeze line is win diamond ACE and try heart hook. The problem with this line isn't the diamond return.. on that you actually have a nice heart spade squeeze. The problem is if the heart hook loses and they return a spade. If you play the spade JACK and it is covered, you lose your spade threat, and your only entry to declarer's hand. If you win the ACE, you are pretty much sunk anyway for entry problems. So all in all, hooking trick one looks good to me.

I agree with you about best line: only let's consider that when we have two impasse "one is good , the other not " but we don't know wich is (good) then squeeze risolve.

[inquiry]

This is a blast from the past. This as one of a series of practice hands topic post that I included to accompanying a series of seven or eight chapters on squeeze play. The squeeze lessons are still in here somewhere buried (back from 2004 or 2005) as well as loosely on a blog I haven't bothered to update entitled "identifying squeezes".

Anyway, I have the basically the same but expanded material in BBO movies which I haven't published because it takes way.... way to long to work your way through the individual "chapters" -- especially after I added multiple example hands with quizzes.

If anyone is interested, I could publish the long chapters, but really I have been meaning to break each chapter up into no more than 30 or 40 "frames" (they run hundreds of frames now), perhaps with hyperlinks to additional movies early in the movie that link to other movies with example hands but without specific lesson material (instructions on how to identify the squeezes) for those who want more practice. Only one chapter deals with simple squeezes like in this section.

For those at least curious as to how I go about categorizing squeezes this old blog Identifying squeeze blog will give you some idea. I have expanded each chapter in the movies, especially the later ones since that blog was started.

[Lovera]

inquiry, on 2014-June-26, 13:43, said:

This is a blast from the past. This as one of a series of practice hands topic post that I included to accompanying a series of seven or eight chapters on squeeze play. The squeeze lessons are still in here somewhere buried (back from 2004 or 2005) as well as loosely on a blog I haven't bothered to update entitled "identifying squeezes".

Anyway, I have the basically the same but expanded material in BBO movies which I haven't published because it takes way.... way to long to work your way through the individual "chapters" -- especially after I added multiple example hands with quizzes.

If anyone is interested, I could publish the long chapters, but really I have been meaning to break each chapter up into no more than 30 or 40 "frames" (they run hundreds of frames now), perhaps with hyperlinks to additional movies early in the movie that link to other movies with example hands but without specific lesson material (instructions on how to identify the squeezes) for those who want more practice. Only one chapter deals with simple squeezes like in this section.

For those at least curious as to how I go about categorizing squeezes this old blog Identifying squeeze blog will give you some idea. I have expanded each chapter in the movies, especially the later ones since that blog was started.

I have Chapter Four :Additional remedies...when i tried to church material about compound squeeze .. before to buy Love's text .

[kenberg]

inquiry, on 2014-June-26, 13:43, said:

This is a blast from the past. This as one of a series of practice hands topic post that I included to accompanying a series of seven or eight chapters on squeeze play. The squeeze lessons are still in here somewhere buried (back from 2004 or 2005) as well as loosely on a blog I haven't bothered to update entitled "identifying squeezes".

Anyway, I have the basically the same but expanded material in BBO movies which I haven't published because it takes way.... way to long to work your way through the individual "chapters" -- especially after I added multiple example hands with quizzes.

If anyone is interested, I could publish the long chapters, but really I have been meaning to break each chapter up into no more than 30 or 40 "frames" (they run hundreds of frames now), perhaps with hyperlinks to additional movies early in the movie that link to other movies with example hands but without specific lesson material (instructions on how to identify the squeezes) for those who want more practice. Only one chapter deals with simple squeezes like in this section.

For those at least curious as to how I go about categorizing squeezes this old blog Identifying squeeze blog will give you some idea. I have expanded each chapter in the movies, especially the later ones since that blog was started.

I am very happy to see that you are back!


For me, I like the hands. I bought Love long ago, I had but I lost a book by Reese on squeezes, I have three books by Kelsey on the subject. Not that I have read it all.

But for me, it's the hands. Others of course will have other preferences.


I posted a hand at http://www.bridgebas...the-problem-is/
It was a defensive hand from Mollo, where I was wondering if the squeeze killing play could be found at trick 1. Some did find it.

I'll shortcut to all four hands.

---

Mollo stipulated that the defense began with the Ace and another heart. Very reasonable. He asked about the subsequent defense, noting that there was a squeeze available but declarer might not guess correctly. True enough. Two points of interest:

1. After Ace and another heart, if we assume that W, who has bid clubs during the auction, has the King of clubs then the hand is on ice with any remaining distribution of the cards providing that S works out the holding. Or at least I think that is so.

2. An opening lead of a spade, followed by another spade when in with the Ace of hearts, breaks up the squeeze and sinks the hand. Again, so I think.

Mollo's point was about correct carding as declarer runs the hearts after Ace and another. I thought these other points interesting as well..


And again, I can't say enough about how good it is to see you back.

[Lovera]

inquiry, on 2004-December-07, 21:17, said:

Quiz #14

7NT by south (what else?). This time, double dummy.

Opening lead, ♠Q

---

Think BLUE, What is both threats? Which threat is in upper hand? What is primary entry? Is there a secondary entry? What is the squeeze card?

Can last ♥ be the squeeze card?
Can last ♣ be the squeeze card?

Criss-cross squeeze at ten trick (E3).

[inquiry]

Lovera, on 2014-June-27, 08:50, said:

inquiry, on 2004-December-07, 21:17, said:

Quiz #14

7NT by south (what else?). This time, double dummy.

Opening lead, ♠Q

---

Think BLUE, What is both threats? Which threat is in upper hand? What is primary entry? Is there a secondary entry? What is the squeeze card?

Can last ♥ be the squeeze card?
Can last ♣ be the squeeze card?

Criss-cross squeeze at ten trick (E3).

Primary entry = entry to threat opposite the squeeze card. Secondary entry = re-entry to the hand with the squeeze card, if necessary.

The type of squeeze you get depends upon where you win trick one. Obviously diamonds and spades are your threat suits, and the ♦Q is in the upper hand for any squeeze. You have to win either the ♠K or the ♠A. If you win the ♠K, this limits you to one type of squeeze, where the threats are the ♠9 in South and the ♦Queen in north. You need to cash all your minor suit winners (♦Ace as Vienna coup) before running hearts. This will be the three card ending with the lead in North.

On the last heart, south throws a small spade and West is crushed. The primary entry is the ♠Ace, there is no secondary entry

---

If you decide to win the ♠Ace in south at trick one, it opens the door to two different squeezes. One is a simple positional squeeze with the threat against West the ♠8 and ♦Q both in north, and the squeeze card the last club winner. You simply run the heart suit, discarding diamonds and spades from south, followed by cashing the diamond ace and one club winner to reach this position.

Here the primary entry is the ♠K and there is no secondary entry. When you cash the ♣K, West is crushed.

---

If you decide to win the ♠Ace in south at trick one, the other squeeze is the one mentioned by Lovera, the criss-cross squeeze. On this squeeze, you cash the ♣AK early, you don't cash the ♦Ace, and the squeeze card will be the last heart winner. You discard dummy's low spade on the second club. The primary entry (to the spade threat in south) is the ♦Ace. Here you will need a secondary entry to the diamond queen to keep it as a threat, so the secondary entry is the ♠K.

The ending looks like this.... While this squeeze certainly does work (albeit one trick earlier), West has more ways to trick you. Did he stiff his ♦K? Did he throw a tricky ♠T from ♠JTx making you think spades were divided 3-2 instead of 4-1? Criss-cross squeezes are often the only option to play for, but in the long run, only use them if you don't have a simpler alternative.

---