In Bridge both bidding and play should be compatible to ensure success. In the arena of competitive Bridge, often the bidding is pushed to a level higher then comfort and in such circumstances, if at all there is some hope for the contract to make, skilful play is needed with full alertness to the inferences that can be plucked from the bidding, opening lead and defense. We start today with such an illustration taken from a European championship wherein the following bidding landed north south in a contract of 6H holding the following cards:
The opening lead from west was the 9D based on his partner's double of 5D during bidding. The bidding with NS vulnerable proceeded as under: South's 2C was already a bit shaded holding only 20 HCPs whereas his partner, having shown a balanced hand of 8+ had shut the call at 4H after responding to the 2 club opening and then closing the bid on partner's declaration of hearts as his suit. But still south pushed on holding 8 controls and an almost solid suit. The 5D response showed one key card, yet despite the double by east on the 5D response of north, south proceeded to 6H.
Following east's lead directing double of 5D, north's 9D opening lead, created and immediate loser for south who was already looking at the inevitable club loser. All he could see was the top 11 tricks with 6 trumps, 4 top honors of the black suits and the ace of diamond. The opening lead was a cruel one for with any other lead, south could hope for a 3-3 club break and by giving an early club trick, could took easily have managed to get rid of his diamond loser in hand on dummy's 4th club. But that is hypothetical and was not to be. This had become a challenging hand now with south staring at sure defeat unless... yes a slender hope lay in some sort of squeeze on east particularly in lieu of his double of 5 diamonds clearly marking him with the king queen of diamonds.
As south, how would you have proceeded on and with what hope? Yes, a squeeze could work if east held the QJX of clubs or even doubleton club honors. Conversely even if both club honors were split, the squeeze could still gather momentum to give declarer every chance of success in the making of his ambitiously bid little slam of 6H. Then of course there was the additional chance in store, in case the QS falls on the AK whose percentage odds were very remote. Same was true for the unlikely QJ of clubs to be a doubleton in any one hand. For the squeeze to work you need to get your timing dead right. So what is your play on the first trick? AD or a low one? That's right, to rectify the count-an essential ingredient for any squeeze to work-you must duck in dummy and let east take the trick with the 10D.
It is now time to reveal the east west hands:
East's best return is the QD, which you take with the AD. Now you let the ball roll with AK of trumps, AK of spades and 3 more trumps. West can discard 2 spades, a diamond and the club, the dummy 8H, 3 2 of club and JS and east 6S, 64 of diamonds. When south plays the last trump-his squeeze card, east is unable to guard clubs with JD a threat for him to hold on to the QD. Even if west had QXX of clubs and east JXX of clubs the timing of the squeeze would force west to throw a club on the squeeze card for he would be forced to retain the QS looking at dummy's threat card of JS. So both defenders would be forced to unguard clubs to give south the extra club trick needed for a well-played hand.
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North South
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J 10 8 A K
8 7 3 A K Q 10 4 2
A J 5 7 2
K 7 3 2 A 10 6
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S W N E
P P
2C P 2NT P
3H P 4H P
4NT P 5D Dbl
6H All Pass
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West East
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Q 9 7 5 2 6 4 3
J 6 9 5
9 8 3 K Q 10 6 4
9 8 5 Q J 4
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