Puzzle 7F14 Main

The Snowflake Squeeze

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
8 7		Q J 10 9
Q J 10 9 8		7 6
7 6		Q J 10 9 8
	A 6 5 4
	K 3 2
	A 5 4
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

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 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
	A 6 5 4
	K 3 2
	A 5 4
	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
East leads	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
	K 3
	A 5
	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.

Variations

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