A Hand
This is a hand from Ottlik. It was called an entry-shifting squeeze there. And it probably has no practical value. But it is still a gorgeous variation on the winner squeeze.
The hand is this:
54
1074
10632
10952
Q93 KJ1087
9832 KQJ6
J5 7
J764 AQ3
A62
A5
AKQ984
K8
The opening lead is a spade. If you want to try to play this single dummy, Righty opened 1S and rebid 2H. A heart shift will set you, so you win the first trick.
Everything (almost) is in place for a winner squeeze. You can set up your ninth trick by leading towards the king of clubs, the problem being that Righty will then cash 4 spade tricks.
If you run 6 diamonds, then Righty can save only 6 cards. Righty has to save two hearts and a club, meaning at most three spades. At this point, you can then set up your club trick.
The small problem is that you will not be in dummy to lead a club towards the king of clubs. This is not a problem if Righty bares down to the singleton queen of clubs. But what if Righty saves two clubs?
If Righty saves two clubs, two hearts and two spades, then declarer can afford to lose a heart trick and a club trick. So declaer can exit in hearts and the opps eventually have to give up a heart of spade trick.
But what if Righty saves 3 hearts, 2 clubs, and only one spade? Now declarer is in trouble. Exiting with a heart or spade allows the defense to cash 5 tricks. (If one trick could be ducked, then Righty could be squeezed out of his exit card.)
Now we come to the gorgeous part. Declarer cashes two diamond winner in hand, crosses to the 10 of diamonds (unblocking with the eight or nine), and leads the six of diamonds.
The successful defense, as noted requires Righty to throw 3 spades on the diamonds. That means Righty has to start throwing spades on the fourth round of diamonds, which is to say, when the six of diamonds is led from dummy.
Declarer then plays the four of diamonds under the six and leads a club towards the king. Because Righty has pitched a spade, this is now a safe play.
Next: Concluding remarks
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