A Simple Squeeze #12-44

IMPROVE YOUR PLAY

with Larry Matheny

Most new players shudder when you mention a squeeze. While complex play may sometime be needed, often you have to do no more than play off your winners. Here is a good example of a simple squeeze.

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs)

Hand #12-44
Dlr	N
Vul	E/W

	AKQ10
	653
	Q4
	K543

	8762
	Q98742
	75
	2

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	J943
	KJ10
	J63
	Q86

	5
	A
	AK10982
	AJ1097

West	North	East	South
	1	Pass	1
Pass	1	Pass	2*
Pass	2	Pass	3
Pass	3	Pass	6NT

Pass Pass Pass

*4^th suit forcing

Bidding: As soon as North opened, South was thinking slam. South forced to game with the 4^th suit forcing convention and then rather than settle for a minor-suit slam, he made the bold matchpoint bid of 6NT.

Play: West led the seven of hearts and declarer stopped to count his tricks. If the diamond suit behaved he had twelve tricks and opportunities for an overtrick. At trick two he led a diamond to the queen and one back to his ace. Happy that the suit broke, he now went after the extra trick. He needed either the spade jack or the club queen to drop and he saw a way to combine his chances. First, he cashed the king-ace of clubs but the queen did not appear. Now he simply played all of his diamonds coming down to four spades in dummy opposite a low spade and the J109 of clubs in his hand. Poor East could not keep the queen of clubs and protect the spades and conceded the 13^th trick.

Establishing a “threat” card like the jack of clubs in this hand is far superior to simply cashing the spades hoping the jack will drop.