When Lefty has No Fast Entry: A Major Variation?
This is the "traditional" winner squeeze, except I have taken away Lefty's fast entry in hearts and replaced it with a slower entry.
xxx
AJx
xxx
xxxx
KQJ10987 xx
KQ 109xx
J1098 xx
-- QJ109x
A
xxxx
AKQx
AKxx
The goal is to gain a trick and make 2NT. Lefty gives up a trick to throw either a heart or a diamond, so Lefty must give up two spades. Now declarer can develop a trick in hearts. The squeeze is essentially the same. If the hand is this:
xxx
AJ10
xxx
xxxx
KQJ10987 xx
KQ 9xxxx
J1098 x
-- QJ109x
A
xxx
AKQxx
AKxx
it plays exactly the same, except that now Lefty gives up two tricks by discarding a diamond or heart. But Lefty discards a winner and it comes to the same thing.
The point, for now, is that it does not change anything to take away Lefty's fast entry. Nor does it change things to add extra threats that could become winners if Lefty discards the wrong suit (as long as Lefty does not discard the wrong suit).
A Squeeze on Winners and Entries
I discovered this type of winner squeeze in a book by Julian Pottage (Bridge Problems for a New Millenium). This is the hand he gives. The contract is 2NT and the opening lead is the king of hearts.
10863
854
K32
Q96
K5 Q742
KQ10762 J
QJ8 1095
104 J8532
AJ9
A93
A764
AK7
Declarer can win the first, second, or third trick in hearts, it does not matter. As in the standard winners squeeze, there are two suits declarer could set up a trick in. The problem, as always, is that when Lefty gets in (in whatever suit declarer decides to attack), Lefty runs the heart tricks to set 2NT by one trick.
But on the third club, Lefty is squeezed. Lefty can pitch either a diamond or a spade without giving up a trick in that suit. But Lefty does lose the ability to win the trick in that suit. Unlike the traditional winner squeeze, Lefty does not have a fast entry. So declarer can lose the trick to Righty and make the contract.
Of course, Lefty can give up a heart on the third club trick. But now, as in all winner squeezes, Lefty has given away a trick. On the actual hand, pitching a spade allows declarer to set up several spade tricks; pitching a diamond or a heart gives up only one trick.
In this winner squeeze, it is critical to have the extra threats beyond Lefty's winner, because they are the tricks you make when Lefty gives up that entry to partner.
Two Suits?
It might seem like there is no need for three suits to be involved in this squeeze. But the squeeze does not function with just two suits. In other words, if there wasn't a threat to establish a trick in spades and diamonds, with Lefty stopping both, there would be no winner squeeze.
This is why. The winner squeeze works by forcing Lefty to save a card that ultimately does not become a winner. If Lefty has good spades and only the KQ of hearts, then Lefty is not winner squeezed. But if Lefty also has to save a stop in a third suit, then that card never becomes a winner after Lefty gets in in hearts and runs spades.
Next: Minor Variations
|