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Copyright © 1996-
2010 Bridge World
Magazine, Inc. |
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Every so often, a deal intended to demonstrate a point of technique turns out to contain interesting double-dummy features.
Vise Squad
from The Red Book on Play by Ely Culbertson
| NORTH
 K 10 7 5 4 2
 A 5
 Q J
 A K J |
WEST
Q J 3
Q 10 8 6 4 2
4 3 2
7 | |
EAST
A 9 6
J 7
K 5
8 6 5 4 3 2 |
| SOUTH
8
K 9 3
A 10 9 8 7 6
Q 10 9 |
Can South take 12 tricks at notrump after the lead of the heart six and best defense thereafter?
Solution
South can take 12 tricks by maneuvering into a secondary squeeze ending usually called a vise. The idea is to force West to part with a spade honor in order to guard hearts. The standard defense against this form of squeeze is for the potential squeezee's partner (here East) to hold a side winner (here a club). However, in the given layout declarer can circumvent this defense.
Declarer wins the opening heart lead in dummy and runs diamonds, using the heart king (not a club) to reenter if East puts up his king of diamonds (best defense). Declarer then runs winners to reach this ending (shown with one high club cashed for simplicity):
| NORTH
K 10
--
--
A J |
WEST
Q J
Q 10
--
-- | |
EAST
A 9
--
--
8 6 |
| SOUTH
8
9
--
Q 10 |
East must keep at least two spades, so he can hold at most two clubs. The club ace-queen then suqeeze West out of a spade honor.
(Adapted from The Bridge Journal.)
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