Simple Squeeze

A simple squeeze occurs when declarer leads a card that forces a defender to discard or unguard a winner. A simple squeeze operates in two suits, as illustrated below in hearts and spades.

		Dummy
		AJ
		5
West		—		East
32		—		KQ
2				A
—		South		—
—		4		—
		K
		9
		—

In this three-card ending, South is on lead in a no-trumps contract. When South leads the 9 (the "squeeze card"), dummy's heart is discarded and East is squeezed in the majors. It can be said that all of East's cards are "busy". If East discards the A, South's K becomes a winner. If East tosses the Q instead, then a spade to the ace fells East's king.

An important concept in squeeze play is "rectifying the count." This refers to conceding all the necessary losers before attempting a squeeze. If playing in a small slam, this means conceding one trick to the defense first. If playing 3NT, this means conceding four tricks.

In the above diagram, imagine that South still has a club loser when she leads the 9:

		Dummy
		AJ
		5
West		—		East
32		3		KQ
2				A
—		South		—
J		4		8
		K
		9
		2

In this case, East can simply chuck his "idle" card, the baby club, and there is no squeeze.

		Dummy
		976
		AK62
West		A43		East
AKJT		J75		5432
JT98				53
65		South		9872
K96		Q8		T84
		Q74
		KQJT
		AQ32

West opens 1 but South winds up in 3NT. The defense wins four rounds of spades, South discarding clubs from both hands. West then exits with a heart to South's queen.

South expects the club finesse to fail because West opened the bidding. A 3-3 heart split is also less likely than a 4-2 split. The best plan is to cash a second round of hearts (to help get a better count on the hand later), and then run all the diamond winners. Note that the count has already been rectified by the defenders. In the actual layout, the fourth diamond catches West in a heart-club squeeze:

		Dummy
		—
		A6
West		—		East
—		J7		—
T9				—
—		South		9
K9		—		T84
		7
		T
		AQ

On declarer's lead of the T, West is stuck. A heart discard would establish dummy's long heart, while a club discard would bare the king.