GIB shows how it's done

BBO's robot bridge player, GIB, did nicely on this hand:

	♠ J 10 5 3
	♥ 5 2
	♦ Q 9 7
	♣ 10 5 4 3
♠ A K Q 7 4		♠ 9 2
♥ 8 3		♥ Q 10 9 7 4
♦ 10 6 5 4 3 2		♦ 8
♣		♣ A J 7 6 2
	♠ 8 6
	♥ A K J 6
	♦ A K J
	♣ K Q 9 8

After an uncontested auction to 3N, West led a top spade and cashed 2 more (heart shakes), then switched to a diamond. Next declarer played ♣K which was ducked.

The hand is virtually double-dummy, so go ahead and try it that way.

It looks like you have enough tricks, but you're a bit shy of entries. Say you cross to ♦Q to cash ♠J, what are you going to pitch? If you pitch a heart or club and then lead some club, East will hop up and stick you in your hand in the suit you just pitched.

The answer is to cash both diamonds, ending in dummy, and only then ♠J. Now East is squeezed first and must unguard a secondary honor, setting up a trick for you. Now pitch the other menace and set up your top club. For example, if East pitches a heart, your jack will be good so pitch a low club and lead a club.

It seem the defense could have broken this up by playing a 4th spade earlier.  That does break up the squeeze, but instead gives you an extra entry which is just as good. Read more!

Progressive Triple Squeeze

I was throwing some cards around on BBO and almost without realizing it executed a progressive triple squeeze:

	♠ K 8 5 3
	♥ J 9
	♦ K 10 9 5 3
	♣ Q 7
♠ Q 9 7 4		♠ J 10
♥ 10 4 3 2		♥ K 7 6
♦ Q J 4		♦ 7 6 2
♣ K 6		♣ A J 5 3 2
	♠ A 6 2
	♥ A Q 8 5
	♦ A 8
	♣ 10 9 8 4

I received a ♠4 lead after an uncontested auction to 2NT. I allowed East to win, and he proceeded to lead a low club and the defense cashed 3 clubs as West pitched a heart and dummy a diamond.

Next, a spade was led. I won this in dummy and played ♥J, covered and won. What does West do on the ♣10?

In practice, he pitched a spade, giving me an extra trick in that suit. Now ♠A, ♦AK, ♠8 subjects him to a subsequent red suit squeeze.

Pitching from either red suit would have given up 2 tricks immediately, though neither 2-trick threat was necessary.  After a diamond pitch, play the same way except cash one good diamond for a major suit squeeze.  After a heart pitch, the extra heart winner inflicts a diamond-spade squeeze. Read more!

Test Your Play

From a KO match

♠	5
♥	A Q 10 8 6 2
♦	10 5 2
♣	K 5 3
♠	A J 7 2
♥	K J
♦	K J 8
♣	J 10 6 2

South	West	North	East
			1 ♠
Pass	1 NT	2 ♥	3 ♦
3 NT	All Pass

♦4 led, RHO plays the Ace and another diamond. Say you try the Jack and it loses to the Queen, a 3rd diamond coming back. Now what? Hearts are not 5-0.

Answer below...



RHO has apparently bid a bit crazily, and must have the ♠KQ and the ♣A, and probably the ♣Q. So, run hearts as RHO pitches 3 low spades and 2 low clubs to get to this 4 card ending:

♠	5
♥
♦
♣	K 5 3
♠	A J
♥
♦
♣	J 10

Now play a low club from dummy. RHO can win his Ace and cash a diamond, then you have the rest. A delayed-duck squeeze.

The only way you might even go wrong is if declarer is 6142 and pitches a diamond and a club and 3 spades. You might guess to throw him in with a spade hoping to score ♣K, but will be disappointed.

Read more!