Study 9K41 Main

Guard Squeeze

by Richard Pavlicek

A guard squeeze is a triple squeeze against one opponent, although one of his three stoppers is not the ordinary kind but a single card that “guards” his partner from being finessed in that suit. In practice this occurs more often in the form of a double guard squeeze, which may save the day when a pure squeeze will not function because of entry conditions. For further details see Non-Pure Squeezes.

1.  Guard squeeze

NT win 4	A J		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
bi	K		1. S	A!	2	2
	—
	2
K 5 2		Q
—		A
2		K Q
—		—
	4
	—
	A J
South leads	A

2.  Twin-entry guard squeeze

NT win 4	A 4		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	K		1. S	A!
	K
	—
J 6		Q 9 8
A		2
A		—
—		—
	K 10 5
	—
	—
South leads	A

3.  Recessed twin-entry guard squeeze

NT win 5	A 4		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
re	A J		1. S	A!
	—
	2
J 6		Q 9 8
K Q		3 2
A		—
—		—
	K 10 5
	—
	K
South leads	A

4.  Unblock guard squeeze

NT win 5	A K 9		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
bi	—		1. S	J!	7	K	5
	K		2. N	4!
	4
10 8 7		Q 5
3 2		K Q
—		A
—		—
	J 4
	A J
	—
South leads	A

5.  Double guard squeeze

NT win 4	4		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	A J		1. S	A!	K	J	2
	Q		2. S	4!	Q	A
	—
Q		K 5
K Q		2
K		A
—		—
	A J
	4
	—
South leads	A

Study 9K41 Main

Top Guard Squeeze

6.  Inverted double guard squeeze

NT win 4	A J		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
bi	—		1. S	A!	2	2	A
	Q		2. S	A!
	2
K 5		Q
—		K Q
K 2		A
—		—
	4
	A J
	—
South leads	A

7.  Recessed double guard squeeze

NT win 5	4		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
re	A K 9		1. S	A!	K	2	2
	—		2. S	4	10	A	2
	2		3. N	K!
Q		K 5 2
Q J 10		—
K		A 2
—		—
	A J
	4
	Q
South leads	A

8.  Split recessed double guard squeeze

NT win 5	4		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
re	A J		1. S	A!	Q	2	2
	A		2. S	4	K	A	10
	2		3. N	A!
Q		K 5
K Q		—
K Q		J 10 2
—		—
	A J
	—
	9 4
South leads	A

9.  Twin-entry double guard squeeze

NT win 4	A 4		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	K		1. S	A!	K	K
	Q
	—
J 6		Q 9 8
A		—
K		A
—		—
	K 10 5
	—
	—
South leads	A

10.  Unblock double guard squeeze

NT win 5	A K 9		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
bi	—		1. S	J!	7	A	5
	Q		2. N	4!	A	A	2
	4		3. S	A!
10 8 7		Q 5
—		K Q
K 2		A
—		—
	J 4
	A J
	—
South leads	A

Study 9K41 Main

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© 2014 Richard Pavlicek