The "Promotion" Threat
I will define a "promotion" as occurring when the defense has the two (or more) top tricks in a suit. However, to avoid pitching valuable cards in other suits, or to avoid an endplay, the defender has to pitch a top card (or overtake a top card), setting up cards in declarer's hand.
One example was given in the triple squeezes (click here).
Winkle
The winkle by definition has a promotion threat. The other threat is, by definition a throw-in threat.
x
x
Qx
--
-- Kx
-- --
A1098 Kx
-- --
AQ
A
J
--
Stepping Stone Squeeze
The classic stepping stone squeeze does not have a promotion threat.
Ax
x
x
--
QJ --
-- x
A --
x AKQ
K
A
K
x
However, it is not too difficult to add a promotion threat to the stepping stone squeeze.
Ax
x
J
--
QJ --
-- x
Kx A109
-- --
K
A
Qx
--
Pitching the King of diamonds allows declarer to set up a diamond trick. Pitching a small diamond allows declarer to use the King of diamonds as a stepping stone. Righty can avoid this by overtaking the King of diamonds, but that again creates a diamond trick.
Honors
As for any squeeze, it does not matter how many honors the squeezed player started with. To redo the above winkle in this way:
x
xx
10x
--
-- Kx
x --
A987 KQJ
-- --
AQ
AK
x
--
Extended Threat
--
Ax
--
Kxxx
-- --
QJ K8xx
- --
QJ109 xx
A
109x
-
Ax
On the lead of the ace of spades, Lefty is squeezed. If Lefty's hearts aren't as good, the squeeze has already worked:
--
Ax
--
Kxxx
-- --
Qx K8xx
- --
QJ109 xx
A
J10x
-
Ax
Leading Past the Honor
If the entries are right, the promotion trick can be established by leading to the honor. This is the "two-suited guard squeeze" (in my terminology, right or wrong):
--
Ax
--
Kxxx
-- --
Qx K109x
- --
QJ109 xx
A
Jxx
-
Ax
Waxing Philosophical
The generic squeeze threat is that if a player discards from a suit, that directly sets up a trick for declarer. When these are the only threats, the squeeze is usually named by the number and location of the threats: simple squeeze, double squeeze, triple squeeze, compound squeeze, and sometimes for the use of trumps, as in a trump squeeze.
When another type of threat is present, the squeeze is usually named for that kind of threat. The guard squeezes, the vice squeezes, the stepping stone squeeze, and the winner squeeze are good examples. (When a player is discarding a card that would be needed just to exit, the threat is called "immaterial" and the squeeze doesn't have a name.)
The promotion threat seems to have escaped this process. The winkle is apparently defined as occurring when there is both a promotion threat and an endplay threat.
There are also complicated positions that have received names. The mole squeeze is an example. I have categorized it in with the vice squeezes. Things like the hexagonal squeeze are other examples. This seems to try to contine the first principle of giving each squeeze a name. However, there are so many possible squeezes, this is probably impossible.
The promotion threat seems to be under-appreciated. The point is to be aware of the potential of this threat, independently of whatever squeeze it might be occurring in.
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