Puzzle 7F14 Main
The Snowflake Squeeze
by Richard PavlicekPuzzle 7F14 Main |
| by Richard Pavlicek |
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.
| North deals |  K 3 2 | West | North | East | South | |
 A 6 5 4 | 1  | Pass | 2 NT | |||
 K 3 2 | Pass | 3 NT | Pass | Pass | ||
| A 5 4 | Pass | |||||
| Q J 10 9 |  | 8 7
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| 8 7 | Q J 10 9
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| Q J 10 9 8 | 7 6
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| 7 6 | Q J 10 9 8
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| A 6 5 4
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| K 3 2
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| A 5 4
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| 3 NT South | 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?
| Puzzle 7F14 Main |  | Top The Snowflake Squeeze |
SolutionDeclarer 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 South | K 3 2 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| A 6 5 4 | 1. W | Q | K! | 6 | 4 | ||
| K 3 2 | 2. N | 2 | 7 | 4 | 9 | ||
| A 5 4 | 3. W | 7 | 4! | 8 | K! | ||
| Q J 10 9 |  | 8 7 | 4. S | 5 | 10 | K | 8 |
| 8 7 | Q J 10 9 | 5. N | 4 | 9 | 2 | 7 | |
| Q J 10 9 8 | 7 6 | continued below… | |||||
| 7 6 | Q J 10 9 8
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| A 6 5 4
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| K 3 2
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| A 5 4
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| K 3 2 | |||||||
East now has the privilege to decide which defender will be squeezed:
| NT win 6/8 | 3 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| A 6 5 | 6. E | Q | K | 8 | 5 | ||
| 3 2 | 7. S | A | 8 | 2 | 7 | ||
| A 5 | 8. S | 3 | 9 | A | 10 | ||
| Q J | | — | 9. N | 6 | J | 2 | 6
|
| 8 | Q J 10 | 10. E | Q | 3 | 10 | 5! | |
| J 10 9 8 | 7 | 11. E | J | 5 | ? | ||
| 6 | Q J 10 9 | West is squeezed | |||||
| A 6
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| K 3
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| A 5
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| East leads | 3 2 | ||||||
If East leads a red suit, win the K, A, A, lose a heart, and duck the club return. The next club squeezes West in the pointed suits.
If East instead leads a club in the 8-card ending, win the A, K, A, lose a spade, and duck the diamond return. The next diamond squeezes East in the rounded suits. Note that in either case the squeeze card is led by a defender and won by dummy or declarer after the victim is squeezed.
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 of the defenders’ minor-suit holdings 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.)
| Puzzle 7F14 Main | | Top The Snowflake Squeeze |
© 1981 Richard Pavlicek