Puzzle 7F14 Main |
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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 South Both Vul | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | West Pass | NORTH 1 ![]() 3 NT | East Pass All Pass | South 2 NT | ||
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Lead: ? | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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?
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 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Trick 1 W 2 N 3 W 4 S 5 N | Lead![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | 2nd K! 7 4! 10 9 | 3rd 6 4 8 K 2 | 4th 4 9 K! 8 7 | W-L W1 L1 W2 W3 L2 | ||
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Lead: ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
East now has the privilege to decide which defender will be squeezed:
NT win 6 Success | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Trick 6 E 7 S 8 S 9 N 10 E 11 E | Lead![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | 2nd K 8 ![]() J 3 ![]() | 3rd 8 2 A ![]() ![]() ? | 4th 5 7 10 ![]() 5! | W-L W1 W2 W3 L1 L2 | ||
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East leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | West is squeezed |
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