Main   Puzzle 7F14 by Richard Pavlicek  

The Snowflake Squeeze

Like the classic snowflake design, this deal is symmetrical. As South, imagine that you are declarer in 3 NT, the obvious contract with 28 combined HCP, no eight-card fit and two flat hands. Also apparent is that no suit breaks evenly, as the enemy hands are symmetrically lopsided.

3 NT	K 3 2 A 6 5 4 K 3 2 A 5 4			Both Vul West Pass	North 1 3 NT	East Pass All Pass	South 2 NT
Q J 10 9 8 7 Q J 10 9 8 7 6			8 7 Q J 10 9 7 6 Q J 10 9 8
Lead: ?	A 6 5 4 K 3 2 A 5 4 K 3 2

The question is: Who wins? With best play all-around (West can lead what he wants) can declarer win a ninth trick? Or can the defense always prevent it?

A ninth trick could materialize in only one way, so the question could also be stated: Can declarer develop a successful squeeze against any defense? Top     Main

Solution

Declarer wins. Suppose West leads a diamond. Curiously, this must be won by the king in dummy. A spade is ducked, and West does best to switch to a club, which must be won by the king in hand. Win the K (optional) then duck a heart to East.

3 NT	K 3 2 A 6 5 4 K 3 2 A 5 4			Trick 1. W 2. N 3. W 4. S 5. N W 3 L 2	Lead Q 2 7 5 4	2nd K 7 4 10 9	3rd 6 4 8 K 2	4th 4 9 K 8 7
Q J 10 9 8 7 Q J 10 9 8 7 6			8 7 Q J 10 9 7 6 Q J 10 9 8
	A 6 5 4 K 3 2 A 5 4 K 3 2

East now has the privilege (see ending) to decide which defender will be squeezed. If he leads a red suit, win the A; K; A; lose a heart; duck a club then win the A, squeezing West. If East instead leads a club, win the A; K; A; lose a spade; duck a diamond then win the A, squeezing East. Note that in either case the squeeze card is led by a defender and won by declarer in fourth hand.		East leads	3 A 6 5 3 2 A 5
		Q J 8 J 10 9 8 6			— Q J 10 7 Q J 10 9
			A 6 K 3 A 5 3 2

Variation: If West leads anything but a club at Trick 3, win the A, K and K (in any order) then duck a heart to East. With West isolated, it is easy to duck another heart and club to squeeze West.

What about a different opening lead? If West leads a spade, declarer ducks, then the play follows one of the preceding lines, except declarer cashes the K on his own. If West leads a club or a heart, the play, like the deal, is symmetrical — just swap West with East, spades with hearts, and diamonds with clubs.

Curiosity: If either E-W minor suit is altered in any way (e.g., Q-J-10-9-7 opp. 8-6) the defense can always prevail. (Major-suit holdings are irrelevant.) Top     Main

© 1993 Richard Pavlicek