Sunday, August 21, 2011

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 2K 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.

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